One of the most difficult things for some photographers is finding great locations to shoot a portrait. When you are photographing one person, or even a couple, the world is your backdrop – you just have to look a little.

On a recent outing, I was looking for a new business portrait to use for a few new things we’ve been working on. So we thought it would be fun to show you how any location can become an amazing backdrop for you.

We started just a couple of miles from our home in a strip center mall on a Sunday so the walking traffic was at a minimum. Here’s the location we settled on:

Choose a location for the lines, columns, stairs, color and decorations. Because its winter, there are no flowers in the pots, and snow was lying around in different areas.

By concentrating on just a few of the areas, and watching the angles, we came up with dozens of different images I’ll be able to use.

Any location makes for a good backdrop – you just have to see beyond what most people see. The easiest way to “see” differently is to head out and practice.

Make sure you’re in a location where security won’t stop you – public places are your best choice. And have fun with it.