Photo Active

10 things you can shoot and edit this month, from aviation and wrestling action to creating pop art

1. POTRAITS

The beauty of outdoors

Kat J Ehlers shares her tips for on-location portraits that capture the essence of your subjects

Shooting on location offers endless possibilities for how you can compose your photos, or how you can pose your model. Back when I started to photograph people, my family and I used to live in Bristol. With so many amazing locations for photoshoots, the city makes a perfect backdrop.

However, starting out as a portrait photographer had its ups and downs. After taking photographs of architecture for a while, I struggled to make connections with other people in this field. One day I discovered the Purpleport.com modeling website: there I met like-minded people and started gaining confidence. I had more and more photoshoots, and I was building my contacts and location database.

I would always suggest just starting with a freelance model who is confident to style the shoot, then slowly add on the hair and makeup artist, stylist, retoucher, model agency, and so on. We need to feel comfortable before we do something new.

The good thing about photography is that there is no right or wrong. My camera is my drawing tool; by taking photographs, I am freezing a moment in the past that I will never get back.

1 Start with the idea

It is important to know what exactly you would like to achieve with your shoot. One way to help everyone on a team to understand your visual aesthetic is to create a mood board. Whenever I plan any photo shoot, I always start with Pinterest, an amazing online platform where you can gather together so many fascinating ideas with ease.

2 Scout for a location