🗺️ Creative Ways to Think About Your Session Location

One of the first questions I ask when planning a photo session is:
“Where would you love this to take place?”

Sometimes people know right away. Other times, they pause—worried about choosing the “right” spot, or thinking they need to find something epic or Pinterest-perfect.

But here’s the truth:

The best locations aren’t always the most scenic.

They’re the places that mean something to you. That feel like home. That hold a piece of your story.

Here are a few creative ways to think about your session location—whether you’re planning a family session, solo portraits, or a shoot for your small business.

🏡 1. Start Close to Home

Some of the most beautiful sessions I’ve photographed have happened right at home.

Think:

• Reading stories in the living room
• Making pancakes in the kitchen
• Gardening in the backyard
• Hanging laundry on the line
• Playing in the mud, chasing the dog, or gathering around the table

Bonus: you and your kids will be more relaxed in your own space.

🌲 2. Choose a Place You Return To Often

What spot in Southern Vermont do you find yourself going back to?

Maybe it’s a favorite walking trail, a swimming hole, a pocket of woods behind your house, or the corner of a downtown café where you always write.

When you already feel connected to a place, that energy comes through in your photos.

💼 3. Let Your Work Lead the Way

For branding sessions, I love photographing people in the places they actually work.

Whether that’s your:

• Studio
• Kitchen
• Farm stand
• Market booth
• Shop
• Office nook

I’ll document the real textures of your life: the tools, the mess, the motion, the in-between moments you probably don’t even notice anymore.

☀️ 4. Think Seasonally

Your location can shift with the seasons, and that’s part of the magic.
Each time of year brings its own colors, light, and feeling.

Some ideas:

• Spring: trails with blooming wildflowers, gardens coming to life
• Summer: creeks, picnics, berry patches, lakesides
• Fall: foliage walks, apple orchards, woodstacking days
• Winter: snowshoe trails, cozy indoor corners, making soup on the stove

🧺 5. Let the Activity Choose the Space

Instead of asking, “Where should we go?” try asking: “What do I want to be doing in these photos?”

Once you answer that, the location often reveals itself.

For example:

• If you want to bake bread, we’ll stay home
• If you want to pick berries, we’ll head to a local farm
• If you want to hike with your partner, we’ll choose a favorite trail
• If you want to sit and sketch, maybe we meet at your favorite café or studio space

💬 Still Not Sure?

That’s okay! Part of my job is helping you figure it out.
You don’t need to know exactly where or what—just bring your story and your curiosity. We’ll shape the rest together.

👉 Reach out to start planning your session
Or take a peek at my giveaway entry form if you’re here during the spring session giveaway—there’s a question on it just like this one.