3 Things to Watch for When Shooting Photos Outdoors

Are you the friend with the camera?
Tomorrow I’m taking some business headshots for a friend’s mom. She wrote to me, frantic, saying it was an “emergency” and that she needed business headshots ASAP!
Of COURSE I said yes! The weather is gorgeous, and we can shoot outdoors.
Plus, not only will it be fun, but if she signs a model release, the photos will make for a great combination of two subjects that sell well as stock:

1. Baby boomers
2. Business

That is, if the photos are stock-quality.
Lots of friends and family need photos, and since you’re the photographer friend, we have the perfect set-up for a win-win situation, here. First, see if they’ll sign a model release so you can use the photos for stock.
Then, make sure that you shoot with stock in mind, meaning:

1. Look for good light. If you’re shooting outdoors, look for even, open shade — maybe from the side of a building. Or shoot on an overcast day. If you’re shooting indoors, find a good window and shoot there, making sure to turn off the lights, so you don’t mix light colors.
2. Go logo-free. Ask your subject to wear clothes with no logos. And while you’re at it, go for solid colors, rather than distracting patterns.
3. Watch your backgrounds. If you’re shooting in someone’s home, ask him or her to clean all of the clutter out of the room. And if you’re going outdoors, watch the background in the frame of your camera. Make sure not to include cars, other people, the fishing boat in the driveway, etc. Look for even, non-distracting settings, like trees, leaves, or solid colors on the side of a building.

Finally, when you’re doing all of this, check your photos as you go by looking at them in the back of your camera. Zoom in to make sure you’re getting the shot in focus.
Now go find a friend or family member to photograph in their business clothes!
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]