Choosing Your Oklahoma Photo Shoot Location: Urban vs. Nature Spots | Norman & OKC Metro Portrait Photographer

Are you having trouble choosing a location for your photo session? There are many things to consider when picking a place for your shoot, but you shouldn’t have to worry or obsess over it.

In this blog, we’re going to look at many the factors that go into choosing the best place for your shoot, including details about:

• Urban locations,
• Nature locations, and
• More!

Let’s begin!

Urban & city-based locations

Locations that have more urban and city-type areas offer more crisp, unique places and styles to your pictures. With cleaner and more structured buildings and backgrounds, urban locations will look classy, modern/structured, and elegant in your portraits.

Not every urban location, however, will have the same style. For example, the buildings on OU’s campus have a different and more regal look than many of the modern skyscrapers in Downtown OKC.

Even though some locations will have a mixture of architectural styles and looks, it’s important to know which places align more with your preferences.

Urban locations are most likely going to be impacted by local events. For instance, OKC is very busy during Thunder games, big concerts and performances, and more. Some places also require paid parking, and will take some time to walk from where you park to your location (some city spots, however, will have lots of walking involved regardless of where you park).

You can learn more about some of my favorite shooting locations in my best-of OKC and Norman blogs!

Now let’s look at locations with more nature and foliage.

Nature & garden-based locations

Locations with more nature and foliage tend to be softer, more colorful, and will have more bokeh in the backgrounds of your images. From green grass to blooming flowers and eventually to trees changing color in the fall, nature-based locations offer lots of options and beautiful scenery for your portraits.

The OKC metro has many wonderful gardens and parks that are great for photo sessions. The gardens tend to have more flowers and walkways, while many of the parks have wide open fields and tall trees. So, each spot has its own special features to consider.

Gardens, like the Myriad Gardens and Will Rogers Gardens in OKC, tend to attract more crowds during high school proms and other similar celebrations (sometimes even weddings!) because they’re such great picture spots. During the spring, photographers will flock to many of these places for portraits because so many flowers are bloomed.

Pro tip: keep in mind what time of year you want your pictures taken when selecting a location.

Not sure whether you want to get your portraits taken in the spring or fall? I wrote this blog just for you!

Now, let’s review our location options.

Choosing what’s best for you

It may seem overwhelming picking just one or two locations for your photo session when there are so many to choose from. That’s okay! I want to help you find a location that best fits you and your personality.

Many of the best locations around OKC and Norman have a mix of both urban and nature spots. Even though some places are predominantly more nature- or city-based, you’re very likely to find a spot nearby that has a mixture of both or the opposite look.

Let’s look at some examples:

• In Downtown OKC, Scissortail Park has a nice combination of foliage and urban looks. Nearby, the Myriad Gardens have more foliage but there are also many skyscrapers and tall city buildings right across the street.
• In Norman, OU has lots of neat buildings, but you’ll also find lots of trees and flowers across campus. Across the parking lot from the football stadium, you’ll find the Duck Pond, which has large grassy fields, tall trees, and bridges over the pond.

Overall, the location you choose for your shoot should be one that you like and are excited to get your pictures taken at. If you don’t love your location and how your personality and outfits are complimented by it, then you most likely will not like your portraits. Picking a location that you love will make your session more fun and relaxed.

Some other things to keep in mind when choosing a location are the time it will take you to drive there, how much walking you’d like to do (especially considering your footwear), and the color of the outfits you’re going to wear. These may seem like small details, but they will impact your experience and final images.

What now?

Choosing your photo shoot location shouldn’t be a burden. Instead, I hope it’s a little easier after reading this blog!

For every photo session, I give my clients a location guide with my favorite locations, including lots of information and examples for each one. This way, I can offer them advice and helpful tips in picking the best location for their shoot.

Are you ready to be confident and relaxed at your photo shoot location? Inquire now to book your session today!