Where Should I Shoot?

This isn't a big deal for photographers in big cities like Miami or Orlando. They have lots of options when it comes to locations for their shoots. However, in Gainesville, photographers have to get creative. Here are some locations I have scouted in the past that make a wonderful background for your photos.

The Swamp (a.k.a Ben Hill Griffin Stadium)

This is honestly one of my favorite places to shoot and not just because I'm there every Saturday. The Swamp has bright Orange walls to make your photos pop. It also has lots of different lighting options depending on what time you go and where you take your photos. Play around by shooting the stadium in different places, it's interesting to see the different shots you get.

Plaza of the Americas

The Plaza of the Americas has always been such a beautiful background for photos. Now, with the recent renovations, it has more sidewalks and grass areas to shoot on. With Library West in the background, this is a perfect place with lots of different rustic, brick areas to give your photos an older feel to them. 

Paynes Prairie 

Photo by Wikipedia

Everyone in Gainesville knows the big docks that are open to the public to view the gorgeous marsh that is Paynes Prairie. This is a great place to go for a wildlife shoot because I always see birds flying around and wading in the water. You might also get lucky and be able to capture a real-life gator! It's also a really fun background for night shoots, but we will talk about that a bit later when we get to the topic of lighting. 

The Graffiti Tunnel 

Photo by Brittany Rouille

The graffiti tunnel, located under 13th street by Broward Dining, is actually one of my favorite places in Gainesville. The graffiti always changes so it makes an ever-changing background. I love shooting portraits here a lot because the lighting during the day is always cool to manipulate. A piece of advice though for the newbies out there, check out what kinds of graffiti there is beforehand. You don't want to start shooting photos to realize the colors aren't right or there are words/drawings you don't want in the background! 

Also, check out this article about things you should consider when finding a location to shoot at!