When selecting a location

When selecting a location, always look at the way you can prepare that location

within a frame. If the scene is flat overall (as an interesting uneven wall),

it will affect the way you shoot, prepare your image, and pose your client.

Ideally, you would look for environments with leading lines and depth.

Leading lines serve as a way to lead viewers’ eyes to the center of interest in a

photo. The most prevalent example of a leading line would be a stream in a landscape,

guiding viewers’ eyes throughout the scene. Leading lines are important

compositional elements in fashion photography as well. Although these are not

typical leading lines, the two stone walls converge to do something as visual leading lines

in Figure 2. 5.

Chapter 2 ■ Shoot on Location 25

Figure 2. 5

Leading lines are a powerful

visual tool that can draw

viewers’ eyes to the subject.

If you are enjoying a video image, you may think about a background with video

patterns, bright colors, or little depth. This allows you to focus primarily on

arrangement and color theory.

If you are trying to tell a tale, you may want to choose a place with

depth. To have depth, you are looking for a foreground, middle ground, and

background. By adding depth, you add reality to the scene and invite the person

to feel as if she is living in the world of this environment, not just an

element in front of a background.