Photographers, have you ever felt like you’ve shot at every single place in your city and there is nowhere new to explore? I’m going on my fourth year of photographing weddings and lifestyle sessions in the Northeast Wisconsin area and as an on location photographer, that hunt for new and awesome spots is always in the back of my mind. Even though I absolutely adore my city, there are days where the familiar city streets and parks just don’t give me that same spark of inspiration. Instead of pining for the places I wish to someday visit and photograph at, I found new ways to reignite the love for my city all over again. Once you see the beauty, finding perfect session locations will be a breeze!

I pass this location almost everyday, but when I went for a walk and saw it at sunset, everything changed for me! It’s gorgeous!

1. See it at a different time of day
Nothing changes your perspective more about a location than lighting! Visit your city’s downtown district or it’s historic buildings at sunset and see if you notice anything different. I get the warmest, fuzziest feeling at sunset and everything always looks so beautiful to me at that time of day. Maybe everything will look beautiful to you too!

2. Explore 30 minutes outside your normal shooting area
By expanding your shoot radius even just a little bit, hundreds of new locations can appear to you! For me it was a small town just east of Green Bay. Only 25 minutes away but I never thought to check it out and I’m so glad that I did, it was full of new and interesting spots that Green Bay just didn’t offer. Take a mini-road trip one day and check out the cities in your surrounding area, you might be surprised by what you’ll find.

3. Act like a tourist in your own city
Slow down and really look around in your own city! Go for a pedi-cab ride or a segway tour and see your city in a whole new way. Act like it’s the first time you’ve ever seen it. What I like to do is go for a walk, at sunset of course, with my headphones on, listening to something on Pandora like Hipster BBQ (it sounds hilarious but it actually has some good music.) By walking through the city instead of driving around like normal, it forces me to slow down and really take it all in. Almost immediately after I start walking, there is a little pep in my step, I’m enjoying my surroundings and I feel like a character in a quirky Zooey Deschanel movie (or maybe that’s just the Hipster BBQ.) Either way, I act like I’m seeing everything for the first time, not the five hundredth time. I notice new and interesting areas I have never noticed before!

4. Write it down!
Whether I go out location scouting or I’m just running to the grocery store, I always have my notebook or my phone handy just in case I find a new awesome spot. I write it down immediately! If I can, I even snap a photo. Even if I write something vague like “cool alley by coffee shop on Main” this will give me some different options in the future when I’m stumped on spots to shoot at.