Horicon Photographer Joel Nisleit on the Benefits of Environmental Portraiture

It's been said creating a studio wherever you are is the new trend. I don't know if that's true, but it feels like it, especially with Professional Photographers of America reporting that home studios are doing better than Main St. studios. I like to think that's because getting out is the same as getting innovative. Although some would argue the studio is the best place to get shots, I say why limit yourself? The best place to get shots is where you have the best quality of photographic elements. With the proper gear and creativity, I can create fantastic results almost anywhere, without the overhead and hassle of a studio, and often more easily than in a studio with heavy gear. Going out for photos is only natural. Do studios have their benefits? Sure. They offer a controlled, comfortable environment in which to consistently create great shots. But they come with steep overhead and maintenance and are a bit intimidating for you, the client, which is why many are floundering, according to PPA. Look at the image below. Was it created in a studio with a nice backdrop and big lights? Not even close. I made it in a worn-down barn in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in which my brother-in-law works with his father and two other brothers to run their landscaping business. It's filled with tools, machinery, parts and bad lighting. One of the few available spaces to shoot with a clean background was in front of their old wooden door. The texture and color is something photographers would pay a lot of money to recreate in studio, and best of all it's a piece of my subjects' lives. A studio can't provide that. You can bring in props, clothes and backgrounds, but you can't bring the environment your subject grew up in, worked in, created memories in. Those are things you can capture only when you create a studio wherever you are. Also, look at the way the couple is engaged with each other. They felt at ease because they were in a place they knew and so they just started playing around without me even directing. Rather than me getting upset or trying to get them back on track, I snapped the shutter and ended up with some of the best images of that environment. It looks almost as though the couple is sharing a completely private moment, even though there's a camera and light set up around them. And now they can look back and see their environment and themselves in a new and interesting way. The studio will always have its place, but let's not think that it's the only place to make great photos. Great images are everywhere. You just have to know how to capture them. Give me a call and let's talk about how great you can look on location.