What are some considerations for shooting outside?

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What are some considerations for shooting outside?

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See also, Can I earn more momeny shooting outside?

ABOVE: Content shot outside is often rich in variety because there is more physical space for a model to move about in. Valeria’s pool shoot saw her naturalistically moving freely within the space – including through the water . The movements themselves were not complex but the location helped to elevate simple action, such as walking from point A to point B, making it feel special.

Tech Requirements when shooting outdoors

Lighting

When shooting with natural light for abbywinters.com never place a model in full/direct sun.

ABOVE: There are some lovely elements in Abbie and Ada’s Solo shoots but lighting is not one of them! Those harsh black shadows are never acceptable in an abbywinters.com shoot.

Direct sunlight:

  • Is not diffuse enough 
  • Can be unflattering
  • Causes hard and dark shadows
  • Makes models squint 

ABOVE: Danya posing just out of the bright sunlight and Anais V finding shade beneath the trees – excellent examples of lighting.

On bright sunny days, direct models fully into the full shade and keep them there!

ABOVE: Nandine was shot on an overcast day creating lovely diffused light. Excellent.

Overcast days are the perfect days for outdoor shooting as the clouds act as a giant diffuser, making the light soft and flattering

The downside to diffused light is that it can be a little flat. Work to introduce contrast from natural features acting as a “soak” (the opposite of a reflector) – trees, cliffs, buildings, or similar. 

More advanced, shooting in the late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky, the direct sun can be used as a backlight, reflected back into the model to front-light her (expose for her chest, not for the background).

ABOVE: Juniper J on the farm. Sun is low in the sky, in summer. Model has her back to the sun. A large reflector is beside the photographer. Some of the background is over-exposed a little, that’s ok. Some of her hair and edges of her skin are over-exposed, that’s ok. The photographer has exposed for the skin on her face, and it’s a successful image.

Exposure

ABOVE: Mercedes found shade and privacy among the trees in her second solo shoot.

It is often the case that in the search for privacy (and shade) you and your model may well find yourself amongst trees. This will protect the model from prying eyes and direct sunlight (great) while ensuring that there is enough light to expose the model’s skin correctly.  

However you need to make sure that the area you are shooting in is not so dark that you are unable to expose the models skin correctly! (ISO can be increased to 400 if necessary).

While electric lights are not needed when shooting outdoors, remember to pack reflectors so light can be bounced and a suitable exposure can be made. 

Look out for dappled light – patches of sun through trees (as can be seen above behind Mercedes) – these “blotches” of light must never fall on the model, because they are impossible to expose correctly for. There are ways to add reflectors to balance the image’s exposure better, but they are very difficult to implement without several assistants. Instead, just select a spot that doesn’t have dappled light.

ABOVE: Casey S. Shot under the trees, and  we see the “patchy” or “dappled” light on her (shadows of the leaves). Not good! There is too much contrast between the sunlit areas and the shaded areas on her body. The Shoot Producer exposed for the shaded areas (which are indeed exposed correctly!), but that meant the sunlit areas on the model are over-exposed, making for a low-quality shoot. Exposing for the sunlit areas instead would have also be a problem (the shaded areas would be very under-exposed!). Dappled light should never be used for abbywinters.com shoots.

White Balance

ABOVE: Estella Z looks amazing in this sea of green because a reflector was used to ensure her skin remained the correct colour. For this shoot an assistant was used to hold the reflector.

When shooting in an all-green environment, there is a risk that the greenery that surrounds your model may cast a green tinge onto your model’s skin, reducing shoot quality. Review the What are some technical considerations with White Balance, when shooting Outdoors? FAQ for context and solutions. 

Mind the background 

Seeing the effect of shooting outside is valuable, but managing exposure is difficult. The light falling on the model and the blue sky are of completely different brightness levels, so it’s difficult to have them both exposed correctly. If the sky is in-shot, it will tend be over-exposed and white.

ABOVE: Kenji’s Solo in the park. The photographer has framed out the sky, and the image is much more impactful. We still benefit from the effect of the sky – look how well her hair is back-lit!
ABOVE: An image from the same shoot, taken a few minutes earlier. The sky is in the shot and is necessarily over-exposed. It dominates the image, in a bad way. Don’t do this.

Audio

ABOVE: Shoot Producer Masie showing off her windjammer on the mic (the grey fluffy thing).

Wind – even a light breeze – rushing over the microphone causes a loud rumbling sound that is recorded to the soundtrack, that is impossible to edit out while still hearing the model speak. So, whenever shooting outdoors for abbywinters.com, it is essential to;

  • Fit a suitable windjammer to the video camera for the entire video portion of the shoot
  • Monitor the audio with headphones, with the volume up high, for the entire time while shooting, so issues can be heard and addressed

We strongly recommend testing in windy conditions in the days before the shoot, to ensure the results are acceptable.

Why abbywinters.com values outdoor shoots

The paradigm

Showing natural women, in nature, behaving naturally, is at the core of abbywinters.com’s philosophy. The company began in Australia and it could be said that, the glorious backdrop of Australia’s natural landscape was as captivating as the view of the beautiful models in the foreground! 

This element was partly lost during the company’s 2010 move to Europe and often disappoints customers – still! 

At conception, the idea for abbywinters.com was to offer an alternative to mainstream pornography offerings. Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, the norm  was to place models in sterile white boxes (in a photo studio), in heavy makeup and in a ‘sexy’ outfit.  

Compare that to a model in a natural environment with no makeup. There is an obvious difference and it is this difference that attracts (and retains) our customers.

ABOVE: Isabel’s whole shoot looks amazing, in part due to the natural green environment this redheaded model is posing in.

We know customers appreciate models nude in nature – so much so that we have two different fetish pages dedicated to this: FKK, outdoor nudist and Beach and River play.

Benefits of shooting outside for Shoot Producers

  • Most outdoor locations are free!
  • No need to bring heavy lighting equipment
  • Less set dressing required (often none at all)
  • More space to shoot
  • An excuse to get the long lens out for Stills – everything looks amazing on a longer lens! 
  • No need to carry heavy gear up and down stairs
  • Surrounding neighbours, roads, builders cannot cause audio issues during video (buuuuut, some new things can cause audio isssues)
  • Outdoor shoot bonus! (more info)

Suitable outdoor locations

Gardens

This could be your own private garden, the model’s garden or a friend’s garden. Historically, we have found that people who may not be comfortable letting you hire their home to shoot in, might let you use the garden. 

When shooting in a hired garden, it is important the homeowner is out of the house during the shoot (or that the garden is hidden from view from the house), so that the model has full privacy and feels comfortable. 

ABOVE: Holly V shot in a friends garden for her Solo. The garden is nothing special, but the Shoot Producer used it very well!
ABOVE: Lila shot in a private garden that the Shoot Producer hired, just outside of the city.
ABOVE: The owners of this location were not comfortable with shoots taking place in their house but were more than happy to let us use their garden for Alessia’s shoot.
ABOVE: The Shoot Producer shot Ophelia in their own garden.
ABOVE: Courtney C was happy to be shot in her own garden for her Solo.
ABOVE: Lucky Ella C was booked to shoot with a Shoot Producer who has a pool in their garden!
ABOVE: Vera V brought her skateboard to enjoy in her Shoot Producers garden.
ABOVE: Noelle never made it into the garden she shot on the porch steps (still counts as an Outdoors Shoot!).

Rooftops / Balconies 

Some “city” homes to have rooftop gardens and these can make excellent shoot locations. These locations can look very public while actually being 100% private. 

ABOVE: Carolina S posing on a rooftop over Melbourne.

ABOVE: Chloe B & Yale and Nichole and Renae D enjoy different seasons on the same Amsterdam roof garden.

ABOVE: Livia V taking a spin in the rain on a rooftop terrace in Amsterdam. there’s no guard rail, so the Shoot Producer was careful to keep the model well away from the edge for safety.

Found locations 

Most of the outdoor shoots produced for abbywinters.com are in outdoor locations that were found in free parks. A lot of these locations were found while Shoot Producers were out walking their dogs or enjoying their weekends. 

When shooting in public spaces, a Shoot Producer can never be certain of where the public will be, so they may need to arrive with a model to a generally good location and then take a walk within that area, until a final shoot space is selected.

Remember: paths are for the public; sometimes, simply stepping off or away from the path – perhaps through some bushes or greenery – can provide private pockets of space in which to shoot undisturbed. 

Some examples:

ABOVE: Stepping off the the path through some reeds allowed the Shoot Producer to find a private area to shoot Kylie H that was away from the main through route of this public park.

ABOVE: Ashley L’s shoot took place five minutes’ walk away from Shoot Producer Trainer Caroline’s house in Amsterdam, in some woodlands near where she walked her dog.
ABOVE: Poppy C was shot in the same area.
ABOVE: Lulu was shot in a patch of woodlands 10 minutes’ drive from Production Coordinator Izabela’s old house, just off a public path.
ABOVE: Mara’s solo and Nandine’s solo were both shot in the same location that Iva’s previously mentioned solo shoot was created, just further along the same path. This location was found by chance: there was a car parking area by the side of the road and Shoot Producers noticed a path that followed along the water if they jumped over the road barrier. abbywinters.com got many shoots done in this one location, which was really close to the city, in an area visited by very few people.
ABOVE: Nandine was really keen to shoot outside as she had always wanted to do a shoot in wellington boots with an umbrella. Fantastic!

The next set of images were all shot in the same park in Amsterdam. This is a fairly popular area but by taking a few steps off the main path, Shoot Producers were able to find private areas suitable for shooting in. 

ABOVE: Nichole moved through tall grass and water before ending up on a low hanging tree branch in her third solo.

ABOVE: A farmer came and took away the long grass we were shooting Kissa in mid shoot – but we made the best of it!
ABOVE: Kenzei shot in a patch of woodland a few steps off the path
ABOVE: Mirai’s archery hobby really shone in the woods.
ABOVE: Billie T started her shoot on a bench in a quiet area of the park (with lots of natural shade) – note the dappled light elsewhere in the image, but none on Billie T herself.

All of the above were made in or around Amsterdam, in one of Western Europe’s most populous regions!

Head out of the city

These shoots all took place in more remote natural areas that the Shoot Producer drove to with the model. Shooting in remote locations reduces the chances of being interrupted mid-shoot and are ideal options if you have access to a car. 

ABOVE: Cathy took a trip off the main track and into the wilderness in her Solo.
ABOVE: Emilie left the city behind and found some peaceful water.
ABOVE: Estefania hiked up a mini mountain to play her violin on the top of some rocks at sunset.
ABOVE: Faye’s outdoor trek took her through the bush and into isolated water.
ABOVE: Annabella hiked till she came to her own private forest bathroom and spa.

Shoot on the move 

When shooting outdoors the light changes as the sun moves across the sky (or clouds move across the sun). Similarly, members of the public who are in the area surrounding your shoot cannot be trusted to stay in one place. It’s also worth bearing in mind that you’ll be more likely to see dog-walkers and school children etc. at certain times of the day. For all these reasons it might be wise to use one area at the start of the day and to move to new more remote areas later on. 

Shooting in one location is not an issue but if moving through several spaces throughout the shoot day helps make the day more easy, that is fine too. 

ABOVE: The Shoot Producer for Poppy C’s shoot moved to a new location within one general area every few minutes.

ABOVE: Jay progressed through different parts of the woods in her solo before finishing up in a garden.

Health and safety when shooting outdoors

An additional set of Health & Safety considerations apply to every Outdoor Shoot: 

  • When shooting at a remote location, ensure you have a mobile phone, with good signal should you need help
    • Consider a satellite phone if you are somewhere really remote
  • Models need to be asked to bring sensible walking shoes before the shoot day
  • You must provide your models with access to clean drinking water, bug spray and sunscreen lotion
  • Be aware of any dangerous animals in your location – spiders, snakes, ticks, leeches, bears, wolves, bulls, angry farmers.
    • Have a plan for what to do if you encounter them.
  • We recommend asking for permission before making shoots on private land
  • Check the model is ok with a likely lack of proper bathroom facilities 
    • A “bush wee” is probably ok if the model is mentally prepared for it (ask if she’s ok for it to be part of the shoot)
    • A “bush poo” is likely less-preferred.
  • Check the model is ok with a dog walker or bike rider catching a glimpse
  • The general public:
    • It is not appropriate to shoot a model naked in front of an audience 
    • Always have a robe / blanket within easy reach in case you are discovered
  • Legal implications
    • What are the laws about public nudity in your area?
      • Familiarise yourself with these in case you need to know them

In our experience, the worst that has happened is a park ranger or police officer asking us to move along – so it’s a good idea to have a backup just in case. 

Outdoor specific content 

One of the best things about shooting outdoors is that it give SPs the chance to capture content that we know our customers like but that does not work well indoors.

Some examples:

ABOVE: Using outdoor-specific personal props such as a skateboard (Aletta and Harold) archery (Mirai), or roller skates (Mikki) …

ABOVE: …Swimming, like Sanella,  Sabina and Noore …

ABOVE: …Cleaning the pool (good MMaiA!), playing with pool toys, sunbathing as Ella C did …

ABOVE: …Climbing trees, Iva, Rosie B and Becs …

ABOVE: …Riding bikes, like the BMX Girls, Gina J & Immie or Ginny…

ABOVE: …Outdoor chores, Juliana and Paulina garden, Yale does the laundry and Luna sweeps up …

ABOVE: Why not place your model on a boat like Josie , Lizzie and and Darcie?

Pee content

ABOVE: Belen urinating on camera

Peeing is content that we know customers enjoy seeing and it is much easier when done outside (and can be a lot more natural) and means there is no messy clean up required – as would be encountered when this activity is done indoors. 

Shooting outdoors often means there are no bathroom facilities on hand, meaning that models will likely need to take an outdoor pee anyway throughout the day. However, we always accept that “no means no”, and never argue with a model who prefers privacy. 

ABOVE: Some great outdoor pee examples with Logan, Alessia & Anais V and Helen S.

ABOVE: … And, lastly, Danya’s solo (ooops, dappled light, but a great activity!) and Camping girls have some great camping based content.

Camping can be a great premise to build a shoot around in an outdoor setting.

Noteworthy: Camping activities and equipment:

  • Putting up tents will require sexy physical movement (MMaiA) 
    • Tents help create shade, but beware of colour casts: select tents with neutral grey fabric
    • Tents are an area for models to hide (should members of the pubic pass by.)  
  • Lighting fires to cook on can be great but you must ensure you do so safely and that fires are fully put out and cleaned up when you leave the area. 
    • Only do this activity if you have prior experience 
  • Set dressing
    • Seeing a model make a camp will help to personalise the wilderness into her own ‘home-like’ space
    • Seeing a model ‘set up home’ is very wholesome
  • Conversation
    • If the model is a seasoned camper, it is likely she will have some great stories from previous camping trips she can talk about on camera