Photo shoots traditionally are done in beautiful locations, whether indoors or outside, to highlight the subjects' own beauty. That doesn't mean they always have to be shot in such locations. Unusual settings can give a wide variety of striking images. The cliche in choosing such locations might be to "think outside the box," but the reality is unusual locations allow you to create your own worldview.
Black and White
Old, abandoned houses can make good settings, especially if you are photographing a rock band or an artist. Old houses also can work for glamor photography as well, however, because of the stark contrast between the crumbling beauty of the house and the shining beauty of your model.
Shooting in black and white gives greater contrast, too, between your model and the background. Use the background, though. Look for the peeling wallpaper, the rickety stairs, the ragged, tattered curtains. Place the model at the window looking out and shoot from both inside and outside the house. Have the band members stand on different steps of the stairs in vague tribute to The Beatles from "Magical Mystery Tour." Show the artist contemplating old, half-hanging art. Use the widow's walk and even the dungeon-esque basement.
Use the Crowd
Public parks may seem traditional, but a busy one can make for an interesting moving-through-the-crowds photo shoot with lots of extras. Be careful not to get clear shots of the people you're not intending for the shoot or be prepared to get them to sign release forms in order to publish or sell the photos.
Shoot with a telephoto with narrow focus on your models, however, and you will get the other people just a unrecognizable blurs. Use the parts of the park not usually seen in wedding photos. Look under the bridge and away from archways and trellises.
Junkyard Beauty
Junkyards are the most unglamorous locations, yet using one for unusual shots can work. Get permission to do the photo shoot from the owner.
Use the jagged edges of scrap metal and the stacks of automobiles as contrasting backdrops for your soft models. Use the automatic contrast between soft human beings and the uncompromising hardness of refuse.
