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Ultimate Guide: 5 Tips for Planning a Dreamy Photoshoot

Writer's picture: Katrina BrotenKatrina Broten

There are many factors to consider when deciding on a time and location to set a session up for a dream outcome. Lighting matters and when planning a session my goal is to set the experience up to be enjoyable; to provoke connection and quality time. To do this, creativity and skill are important but so is eliminating obstacles that could cause stressful transitions or scenarios. Mother Nature is unpredictable (we Minnesotans know this well), but, so are many things in life, my priority is to serve you the best I can and that means planning to the best of my ability and accepting that whatever happens after that, happens, so let’s have fun with it! 


Here are 5 professional tips to be aware of when choosing the perfect location for your session: 


Number 1. Look and Feel, also known as, “The Vibe”

If you’re like me you love to scroll Instagram and imagine scenes that fit your dream “vibe”. You’re a daydreamer! These findings and boards often reflect your lifestyle, values, and an aesthetic that feels homey to your heart. Instagram is a great start to narrowing down the look and feel of your session and gaining inspiration, another place can be a photographer's social media or website. From there comes the how and why. I challenge you to ask deeper questions when establishing the look and feel you want. Why do you like it? Is it the outfits you like, the setting, the activity, the color schemes, or the editing style? These are big questions because they also help you establish where your mind and emotions are as you dream up your session. It is also the starting point of what you’re going to expect out of your session and expectations are a BIG conversation that can have good and bad effects on a person's overall experience. Note: the photographer you choose should have an editing style you love and their photographs should reflect consistency in posing and interactions you can see yourself in. This brings me to the reality check questions to ask after finding inspiration; How do I find locations that reflect the look I’m after? Inspiration is just that; inspiration! If you love a beach setting we have lakes, rivers, mines, and Lake Superior. All of which offers unique beach vibes. If you love fields, what is it about the field? The dreamy long grass, the flowers, the open space, the hills in the background, the scenery, the simplicity, the textures? Here we have the Embarrass mountain, long grass, blooming trees, and a wildflower season. We also have flower farms and country properties with rolling hills and rivers. Is it the woods you love or a more industrial setting like in a city with tall buildings and cute coffee shops, or do you love historical sites? The Soudan Mine offers a nice representation of the area we love with many unique structures. The Tower train. We have adorable little towns that don’t get enough attention. You'd be surprised! We have Red dirt, tall pines, and sparkling popple trees. Is nostalgia and something more personal your style? Your yard could be a great choice, a family cabin or somewhere you love to go (like a special beach or park). Maybe you want a clean studio vibe, I have a studio! A cozy indoor session at an Airbnb can be adorable! Maybe you like adventure and your hobbies feel like your “vibe”; incorporate it! We have great ATVs and side-by-side trails, Giants Ridge, hiking trails, state parks and so much more. A boat would be great too! Bring along some fishing rods if you love to fish! Invite me to your campsite! Take the kids to the park, have fun, and let me observe your version of quality time by guiding you through some interaction. Make the setting feel like home to your heart. How do you want to remember this time?  



Number 2. Type of Session

Next, what type of session are you doing and how will it influence your session location? Is this a session for a couple? Is it just for you? Does your partner love your inspiration or do they have other ideas (they matter too)? What are the personalities and interests like? These can all influence a session. Are you doing an engagement, an anniversary, just for fun or a maternity session? Is this a family session? Is it to highlight an achievement, a milestone, a business? How many people? Are young kiddos involved? Are elderly people involved? Kids can be great to bring to a park but depending on the age and personality it might be distracting and cause tantrums if we need to transition away from the park. Do you have animals? Cats might need a home session. Dogs might not be able to resist the urge to swim at a lake so a dreamy beach session might not be the best option. You know your loved ones and your animals the best so only you can help me as we decide on the location that will best serve your desires for the session.  Turn your daydream into something that works for you. You might think your kids are too wild but I promise you they are wonderful the way they are and, as a bonus, I have education and experience working with kids and understanding them (especially 0-5-year-olds). Don't let this detour you from booking a session, please! Do you have a husband who is not excited about another session or teenagers who would rather be with their friends? Do it anyway! Plan it anyway because it will matter when the time comes to reminisce on these years. Communicate with them, find ways to compromise, and make it fun. We are meant to enjoy our lives and this might be the only time each year that you all get together with no phones and connect (forced or not), it is special! It matters!



Number 3. Outfits

What do you want to wear? What feels most comfortable to you? Casual and formal can work in multiple location settings, and outfits can also make a session moody or airy, playful or romantic, depending on the color schemes, setting, and time of day. Defining casual could mean “country” casual so a field or a dirt road might complete this look. Backroad casual might mean an old truck and the woods. Casual dressy might mean sun dresses and khaki pants at the beach. City formal might mean unique architecture and city textures. City casual might mean telephone booths, graffiti, or building textures. Retro casual might mean car washes, A&W or an ice-cream stop. Choosing a location with or near multiple options will allow more variety. Maybe you want a romantic beach setting but also love the idea of being on an ATV or motorcycle on a dirt road; Great! Let’s find a location with a dirt road and the lake or a mine. Doable!



Number 4. Lighting and Time of day. THIS MATTER!

The best times of day for open areas (fields, the lake, a beach, an overlook, a wide open road) are early morning or late evening. Why? Even/soft light. This lighting makes everything easier, more flattering, and more flexible. That dreamy golden glow comes from a low light early or late light. Do you ever wonder what makes morning and evening so pretty? It’s the light. Intense light can cause harsh dramatic shadows and that can cause unflattering effects on subjects. It can also cause too much distraction in a photograph. Even, soft light is hands-down the best! However, this can be found at different times of day depending on what you decide after reading tips 1-3. For example, Tall trees can cast big patches of shadows that can create “open shade” with sparkling light coming through trees during mid-morning/afternoon. Buildings can also create “open shade”. This can make mid-day ideal but limited to very strategic spots. Overcast; the perfect overcast is when there is a very light veil of clouds softening the high sun and creating a nice even shadow over the area. Cloudy however is different because the light is constantly changing as clouds pass over the sun and then clear; this can be the most challenging light to work with as a professional photographer. However, depending on the professional they might LOVE this light for their style. Overall, if you want a dreamy, timeless editing style choose the morning and the evening, this means close to the rise or setting of the sun. Of course, season can determine how early and late this is, which, if you have a family might mean waiting till fall when the morning and evening times are more consistent with your routines. Or, it might mean adjusting routines and planning for an early or late session. Or, it might mean imagining a new setting. Mosquitos also LOVE those times of day (especially in early spring and summer months) so pack bug spray and or adjust your location preference as needed to consider this and if you forget bug spray I always have some along. A lake might have enough of a breeze to make it more tolerable, or the location choice sprays for bug control, but tall grass or woods might mean lots of bug spray, breaks, and low amounts of patience depending on the type of session you’re booking. Avoid high sun hours unless you are indoors or somewhere with big buildings but keep in mind shade areas get smaller with direct light and if you have a bigger group or young kiddos this will cause obstacles. Planning and preparation are key for the best outcome! I am happy to help and this leads me to number 5! 



Number 5. Communicate

It is my service to you to be helpful and assist in all the ways I can to make your session successful! Considering these tips will guide you in planning the dreamy photographs you are investing in. Putting together outfits and committing to a session is a big task, it can be exciting but also stressful; I understand this so please, use me as a resource and ask me questions! Let me know what you’re working with and let’s work together. I love being creative and am a great listener so let me help you daydream. Sometimes just sharing your lifestyle with me or your interests and hobbies is enough for me to choose an ideal location. Just remember if your preference is your cabin, depending on the time of day will determine if the background is the the lake, the woods, the road, or the cabin itself. My focus is on people, I want you to look good, and if the background can emphasize that; great! Overall, the main thing you’ll treasure about the photographs is the subjects in them and the togetherness you see. 


There you have it! My 5 greatest tips (in detail) about how to plan your next dreamy photoshoot with me. I hope this is helpful! I am so excited to assist in your investment as it is my ultimate goal to create quality time for you and your loved ones so that you can connect and create keepsakes of the beauty that is your life.

"Quality time is love language to the soul"

Kindly,


Katrina B


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Katrina Blocker

Wedding & Portrait

Photographer

I am a people-focused photographer with a kind, joyful personality that will make anybody smile. My style is true to life with a soft vibrance and bright, dreamy finish. When it comes to weddings I have a passion for a variety of types, intimate, micro weddings, tropical destinations, and traditional weddings. I also love capturing and telling a story about each chapter in the lives of my clients. I am located in Northern MN and available wherever love and togetherness takes me. 

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