Well, I have in my portfolio many portraits. They are travel related rather than formal; however, I have developed a habit I would like to share.  I keep a little pocket notebook and pen with me all the time. When I notice some place which just seems like an especially interesting background for a portrait, I write down the location & details. I find it also helpful to note the light direction, and what it is I find special about the place or why I have noted it.

Later, sometimes days, sometimes weeks, or (to be honest) sometimes longer, I get to take advantage of what I saw there.  More often than not I end up creating something other than a portrait in addition to my original intention.

I am reminded of this because this morning, while I was walking early in Balboa Park, I noticed a set of steps going down to one of their many nature trails.  Just off that path there was a large trunk of a banyan-like fig tree.  Actually as I am writing this occurs to me that I have time in a few hours to go back to that spot and photograph that truck.  The light will be terrible then, but you will get the idea of why this spot would make an ideal backdrop for figure studies. I guess my age is showing that I do not automatically think of my phone as a camera.

Anyway,it's all just part of the photographer's first rule: Keep Your Eyes Open.