Should I Share Photoshoot Locations?

I’ve recently found myself being more protective over some of the locations that I shoot at. I know some photographers might believe that is “gate-keeping”, but I want to talk about why it’s not.

I’ve tagged many places I’ve shot at or even the general area where I’ve shot. I’ve shared locations with a few people who have messaged me about them. I’ve shot at locations that thousands of photographers have shot at. I’ve shot at the same locations several times. But I mostly find myself wandering through the woods looking for places or spots that I love & that I know my couples would love. There’s a connection for me to the places that I shoot at.

I also recognize that the more known a location becomes, the more traffic that it sees. You might have shown up at some places like this, hoping to have the space to yourself and find that it’s crowded. I really want to offer my clients privacy so that they can focus on their time together, which helps to yield a more intimate & meaningful experience.

Heavy traffic does sometimes brings in people who don’t honor the principles of Leave No Trace. I’ve shot in places that have had graffiti sprayed on rocks, trash & clothes on the trails, & remnants of items from shoots photographers have set up. I think everyone should get to enjoy the beauty that the earth offers, but not at its expense. It it important to have discretion & care with the places we visit.

At the end of the day, the experience we offer is about our clients, not a location. For photographers, seeing the same location/shooting the same location repeatedly might not carry the same weight as what it did when it was new to us, but for our clients, it’s unique to them and it’s unique to their story. That’s what matters. Honestly, part of giving your clients an incredible experience is knowing the ins and outs of where you are shooting. You are their guide. So naturally the more familiar you are with a place, the more helpful you can be.

Being from Alabama & with about 75% of my work being local, I’ve had to be a little more strategic with finding locations to shoot in. Alabama doesn’t offer some of the terrain that other parts of the country has. There tends to be fewer parks & a lot of locations I shoot at are spread out. I’ve also had to realize that while I may not be able to offer the aesthetic of some of the beautiful places I’ve visited to my clients here, I can still offer them the same experience. I can still give them a good time & memories that will last for their whole lives.

Happy location scouting, friends!

XO, Dakota