How do you scout new locations?

[KmH]

Did you know there are people who make a rather good living by location scouting ?

Location scouting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bentcountershaft]

I'm a Bing maps convert. I still use Google maps as well but for whatever reason Bing has better, more detailed shots in more areas I'm interested in. Can't beat Google's street view though.

 

[gconnoyer]

Just from driving mainly. I try to take different routes, or if I get a hunch or slightest thought something might be a good spot, I'll drive by and check it out on my way home from work.

I have an awesome App on my phone called "Pin Drop" just for this. It allows you to add pictures to each pin, a description, also group pins together. I have landscape, portrait, and car locations.

 

[suzie_c]

I just bring my camera with me and think where the next location will be after my last photo shoot.
Something that will be different from the previous.

 

[Joves]

App "photographers empheris" and google earth, once you scout a location, check for sun and moon angles. Sometimes I will revisit and and shoot a location 10+ times before "nailing" the shot.

I just bring my camera with me and think where the next location will be after my last photo shoot.
Something that will be different from the previous.

Pretty much both of these with me as well. I always have my camera in my travels anywhere I go.
I do return to places all the time as well. I kind of have a belief that each place has its own little money shot, or shots that work well for it. It really depends on where you live, and how far you are willing to travel in my opinion. For example right now I am back east taking care of my mom, to me this area sucks for shooting, but I know I will adapt to it. It is much more difficult that it was finding great places in Arizona to shoot. In Arizona I was lucky in that my job took me all over the northern half of the state, so I could scout locations out on my bosses dime. Another thing about Arizona is that most of the lands up here are public lands, and here it is just the opposite. I find old abandoned places all of the time, but they are fenced in with No Trespassing signs, so I cannot get close enough to get around obstructions to the shot. When I eventually get back to Arizona I am not putting off shots, that I figured I had time to get to when I was there. But here like there I drive to try and find something that makes me want to shoot it.