Location location location …. It’s like being the prime real estate agent in the 757 area! Sometimes you might think how in the world does my photographer decide where to hold sessions it’s not as hard as you think but there are a few things that you may not be thinking of when you contact your photographer and want to schedule a session at a particular spot. Let’s take a walk through some of the wonderful Coastal Virginia locations in the lovely Hampton Roads cities, perfect for your family photography, your business and personal branding and just for fun memories. 

We all love the idea that we live close to the beach however sometimes the beach just isn’t the best place to find your session for the day. Beaches are crowded ,the sand is hot, and sometimes there’s no shade for that prime part of the day that you have for your family to get their photo moments. So you need to think about a few other places that you can maybe catch those moments and memories or your business branding so that you can accommodate for that hot hot sand full sun kind of day. Hmmmmm…. But where? Isn’t it funny how the brain works sometimes just when you need a plethora of options you can’t think of even one! That’s where your photographer’s expertise comes in. Professional photographers consider lighting, walking distance, climate, temperatures, they are like a meteorologist/ artist rolled into one.

Falling Leaves FriendsOak Grove Lake Park, Chesapeake, Virginia Best Friends Fall Fun Session

Down the rabbit hole we will go and start in Chesapeake just because they have several parks that are wonderful for family photography, your business branding, and for just those all around fun sessions. One of my favorite fun sessions are best friend sessions. You can grab those over at Oak Grove Lake Park in the fall and it’s wonderful. You can play in the leaves or maybe check out Chesapeake Arboretum one of my favorite trees is located right there when you enter the park. These are great places to go for middle of the day sessions. They have a little bit of shade, it’s not dealing with hot sand and it also is free to use. Yes!!!! there are some parks in our area that your photographer is required to pay a usage fee or pay to use; therefore, if you’re trying to get your family photos on more of a budget using those places and locations that do not charge your photographer is probably your wisest choice. 

Ft. Monroe Hampton, Virginia Branding Photography Hampton, Virginia

Now let’s take a trip across the water and head through one of those tunnels and get over to Fort Monroe. Yeah, it’s a beach and you can go out on the beach if you want but one of the great things about Fort Monroe is it offers many different textures and feels to give your portrait session a wonderful historic look. A beautiful gazebo adorns the grounds, the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in the background and you don’t even have to truck through the sand to get that water shot.

Neon District Norfolk, VirginiaCity Vibe Branding Photography in Norfolk, Virginia

Now let’s head over to Norfolk and the Vibe district in Virginia Beach to get more of a city feel. We have a beach here a beach there everywhere beach but sometimes you just want that city look!  Norfolk offers The Pagoda Garden and the Neon district which extends great images for your photography session and if you’re looking for a little bit more of those art murals Virginia Beach has a great opportunity in the Vibe District. So here we walked 4 of the 7 cities of the Hampton Roads area that offer great locations for your family photography, business branding & headshots, or just for a fun day to get photos done.

Some other things to consider when scheduling your family or branding photography is time a day. Different locations have different opportunities for those times so if you’re heading out to the beach we definitely want to get that early early morning or that Golden Hour  in the evening when the sun is going down. If you’re heading into one of the parks in Chesapeake you can probably find some shade and get a session anytime of the day to accommodate your family or your business schedule, same goes with the city shots. Often you can find great locations that offer a little bit of shade so you don’t the heat of the sun beating down on you. 

Now there are also some great opportunities for portrait sessions that come with an additional usage fee. If you’re looking to add a little bit of extra $$$ to your portrait session places like Botanical Gardens in Norfolk, Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, and several others offer so many acres of wonderful photo opportunities; however, there is a professional photography usage fee so you want to include that in your budget when you’re planning out your session. Your photographer is responsible for paying that fee so you want to expect that to be included in your price. We’ll visit the topic of why your photographer charges what they charge another day!

Sunflower Mini Session Goldpetal Farms Virginia Beach Sunflower photography sessions in Virginia Beach

Now if you are looking for that wonderful beach location there are several wonderful Hideaway getaways that When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise can accommodate that are less crowded, with not so much hot sand and can even offer a little bit of shade but I’m not telling anybody where they are you’ll have to schedule your session to get that inside info!

When you’re ready to get that photography session scheduled give me a call, send me a text, or hit me up with an email LET'S CHAT!. Be sure to check out my color palettes styling guidance as well as my private client closet full of tutus, dresses, bowties, jewelry and everything to spiff you up for that wonderful session that you have planned! And don’t forget the dog! We offer a full closet of props & accessories for your pampered pooch too! Many locations mentioned are all pet friendly so we can include your family pet in your sessions or even your branding session. Whether you’re looking for Maternity, Holiday Family Photos, Branding Your Business and social media photography marketing strategies we can include all the props and everything you want in your session.

As always YOU make ME happy when you choose When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise!