The most common question before a shoot. A short breakdown without "it depends".

Studio

Full control of light — from soft beauty light to hard fashion-editorial shadows. Independent of weather and season. Cons: rental cost adds to the budget, and all expression comes from the model, light and styling.

Outdoor

Living texture: city, architecture, movement, strangers in the background. Natural light at sunrise and sunset is free and beautiful. Cons: weather, light changes every half hour, winter is cold and summer noon gives harsh shadows.

How I choose

For beauty and face-focused portraits — studio. For lookbooks, street style and city-mood stories — outdoor. For love stories — almost always outdoor or interior: a living environment helps a couple forget the camera. In doubt — combine: an hour in the studio plus an hour outside nearby.