I read a lot of posts on this local thread I’m a part of on THE FACEBOOK about people asking for great locations to photograph people. I think they are focusing on the wrong thing. As a professional photographer (someone who makes a living photographing), one should be able to make any location, any lighting situation work. With that said I’ve photographed in some places I didn’t necessarily look forward to, but still managed to capture given the circumstances. One photographer I follow is Sal Cincotta who says he doesn’t always photograph weddings in wonderful and pretty banquet halls but yet he attempts to make it as enjoyable and beautiful as possible. I think also the focus of the question of “great locations” tends to put more focus on surrounding and less on subject. Ideally the location serves to put the subject at ease, make it enjoyable, etc… and remains important in some respects, ie shooting a rancher at a RANCH, doctor in operating room, and etc… But ultimately the focus remains on the subject itself regardless of setting. I think the intriguing part is to make something work in any given circumstance, which is something that I strive for in my photography. For instance this photograph was taken with the subject standing in the parking lot of the Central Public Library in Corpus Christi, Texas amidst oil stains, dusty cars, and to be quite honest transients. The Central Courthouse is just about a 1/4 mile away too! Can you tell? NO! It could’ve been photographed in Miami for all you know, in FACT maybe it was LOL.
I encourage everyone to explore your surroundings and make the best of them, and ultimately learn to take control of them (your surroundings). Oh and for all the expensive lighting equipment I have, I used a 20 dollar silver “faced” reflector to fill her right profile.
MD Photography 
