Where We Shoot Matters — Here’s How I Pick the Spot

Choosing locations for sessions has become one of my favorite parts of the whole process, mostly because I don’t really look for “perfect spots” anymore — I look for places that feel like the people I’m photographing. Sometimes that’s a quiet wooded area where the light drips through the trees in that soft, golden way Kansas does without even trying. Other times it’s a field that most people would drive past without noticing, except something about it makes me think, Yep… that’s the one.

I usually start by paying attention to the season we’re in. Kansas has a way of changing its personality every few months, and I love leaning into that. Some evenings, the tall grass looks like it’s glowing from the inside out. In winter, the bare trees make everything feel a little moodier, in a good way. And when the wildflowers decide to show off? It’s game over — that’s our spot.their real selves come forward instead of the camera-version of them.

But honestly, I don’t choose locations just for the scenery. I choose them for how people can move in them. If there’s room to walk, run, twirl, spin, or breathe without feeling watched, that’s usually where we end up. I want places where a couple can be goofy without worrying someone is judging, or where a family can laugh loud enough that the whole field hears it. Candid photos are born in comfortable spaces, and comfort shows up in the weirdest places — a backroad ditch, a gravel pull-off, a spot by a lake that isn’t even technically a beach but pretends really well.

One thing I’ve learned is that locations don’t have to be pristine to photograph beautifully. I’ve used abandoned roads, patches of rocks, open farmland, and tiny pockets of shade beside an old fence, and they’ve all turned into galleries people love. The secret isn’t the background — it’s the way the light hits it, and the way the people in front of the camera feel while they’re standing there. If the light is pretty and the clients feel like themselves, the photos will work.

Sometimes clients ask me where we’re going, and I’ll be completely honest: half the time I don’t know until I’m on the road. I drive around with my windows down, scouting little corners of Kansas that feel right for that specific session. A soft field for a couple who wants gentle, romantic photos. Rocks or tall grass for seniors who want something a little more adventurous. A calm lakeside spot for families who just need room to breathe. It’s a mix of instinct, experience, and a little bit of whimsy — the good kind.

At the end of the day, the location is just the setting. The people are the story. And when I find a place that lets their personality come forward without fuss or pressure, that’s when everything clicks. That’s when the session feels effortless and true. Those are always the galleries I end up loving the most.