A good location portrait is the successful combination of a number of factors — lighting, wardrobe choices, props, location choice, and more. This excellent video goes behind the scenes of just such a set of portraits to discuss how all these factors come together to make successful, compelling images.
Coming to you from Gavin Hoey with Adorama TV, this awesome video tutorial follows him on a location portrait shoot with a variety of props, designs, and lighting choices. I often see such portraits in which the image itself is technically sound, the lighting is spot on, and the post-processing is great, but the photo just isn't compelling. Location portraits are about more than just putting your subject in front of something visually interesting. They're about creating a cohesive narrative that either blends the subject, props, wardrobe, and location in a convincing manner or juxtaposing all those elements in a visually interesting way that captures the viewer's imagination and plays them off one another. This is one of the reasons planning shoots in advance is so important, as it allows to ensure that you bring everything together in the best possible way. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
