I had the best time hanging out with Kirsty and Kelly around Palo Alto! There are so many beautiful places here, and we only knocked three off my list.

Tips for location scouting

Plan, plan, plan!

Before going on a scouting day, there are a few questions you should answer:

Where do you want to go?
I am so glad we chose locations that were near each other, especially in the afternoon. If you’re going for the whole day, and the locations are within 5-10 miles of each other, I would recommend 2-3 places.

What time of day do you want to scout?
Many photographers scout locations at the golden hour or whenever they usually hold sessions. I don’t mind shooting during the day (actually, I’ve grown to love it!), so we checked out Shoreline Lake in the early afternoon. Plus, it’s easy to get an idea of where the sun will be later in the day, so we still marked a few spots. If you want to pick out exact locations for a shoot, you should definitely go during the time of day the shoot is planned for.

Do you want to get test shots?
It really helps to bring a model or photog friend with you! I got quite a few portfolio shots from our scouting day. Asking a model to come with you could cost you some $$$, but it’s well worth it if you know what you’re looking for. Alternatively, ask a blogger, drag a friend, or bring a tripod to get the most out of your day. I recommend getting a few test shots – you’ll be able to use these to recommend potential locations to future clients.

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Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with you if you’ll be out all day. Other necessities could include:

Dry shampoo
Comb/brush
Tide-to-go sticks
Change of clothes
Extra camera batteries
Extra SD cards

Where we went

Shoreline Lake

Arizona Cactus Garden

Elizabeth Gamble Garden