Intentional Insights

August 26th, 2025

Insight

Last week's shoot had us sleeping in some pretty crazy spots.

We could point the camera in any direction and still get great shots.

I just finished clipping the footage this morning and it reminded me that the best way to get better footage isn't the camera, isn't the lens, or even that fancy new piece of gear or camera technique...

It's the location.

Over the years I've been on a ton of shoots where we are working our butts off to create a good image.

Trying everything we can think of to make the angles work and have the shot look interesting, only to have a mediocre shot at best.

Thinking "I know how to light things, I can make the shot interesting with camera movement, I can fix it in post....", but that only gets you so far.

It's like working the 80/20 rule in reverse.

Fighting for decent shots in a bad location instead of letting a great location make your job easy.

This is equally important for shooting inside or in the mountains.

Don't get me wrong knowing the other stuff is still crucial and you don't always have the ability to choose your locations, but if you do, spend the extra time to pick the best spot.

It won't guarantee a successful shoot, but will get you a hell of a lot closer than having a crappy location to start with.

Resource

Shadowmap - App

This app lets you see exactly where shadows will be for any location or time of day. Whether you are shooting in a city and need to plan around buildings or are in the mountains, this is an invaluable tool for planning your next shoot.

Action Step

Don't just settle for the location. Choose it intentionally.

Tools to help:

• Shadowmap - Plan lighting conditions
• Google Maps - Street view and satellite imagery
• Location scouting - Visit beforehand if possible

Choose the spot that does most of the work for you.

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Until next week,
Cobi

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