How do you scout new locations?

[batmura]

I am interested in learning how you guys scout new locations for your photography? I am mostly talking about landscape work. How do you find certain locations? Do you guys have your own methods like using Google Earth? If you're curious about where a certain photo was taken, what methods do you use to find out? What kind of preparations do you make before travelling to a new city or country? What online sources do you consult?

Thanks!

 

[480sparky]

I generally just drive around in my truck.

 

[Tom47]

I also drive around looking for areas. I explore the state forests and game lands and talk to people that hunt and fish. Sometimes there is something in a photographic magizine that provides information on areas the photos were taken. Sometimes the location is a few hundred miles from home and may make a day trip.

 

[MiFleur]

I also drive around, and visit State parks, National wildlife refuge, and back country roads.
I easily talk to people, I don't know why but it happened several time that people that were seeing me with my gear were giving me various useful information:
Did you know that there is an eagle's nest 3 blocks away from here... Have you ever been on that road, the point of view is beautiful. Or when on vacation I have asked the hotel front desk for places that were interesting to photograph, I got lucky! But random driving is what I do most of the time.

 

[pgriz]

I belong to a photo club with about 140 members. Club members often organize trips to various local interesting spots, or give workshops, or talk about their favourite locations... so you get a pretty good overview of what's available locally. It also doesn't hurt to look at Google-Earth's Panoramio layer to get a sense of the kind of images possible in that location. If the position of the sun or moon in the scene is important, then using TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris/(The Photographer's Ephemeris) will show the times and angles of the sun/moon setting/rising from whatever point on the globe you choose. It also shows the height of the sun (altitude) at various times of the day.

There are websites like Everytrail (EveryTrail - Travel Community, iPhone Guides for Sightseeing, Hiking, Walking Tours and more) where people record their GPS trails while walking/hiking/boating/biking/etc. often with pictures along the route - that gives you an idea of what you can see on many popular hikes or trails.

 

[Light Guru]

I usually start with flickr maps to get ideas. Google image search and google maps and street view can also help. Once I find a area that interests me I do more research on the web about the area best times to visit etc. I then plan a trip.

The first day if the trip I drive around as much of the area as I can to get real life idea of things. The first night I then plan out where I want to be for the am and pm golden hours of each day.

 

[KmH]

I keep a notebook in each of my cars so I can note potential locations as I encounter them.

I make sure to use different routes in my regular travels too.

 

[Light Guru]

I keep a notebook in each of my cars so I can note potential locations as I encounter them.

I make sure to use different routes.in my regular travels too.

I like to snap a photo with my phone as it will get tagged with the GPS info, and then also use the notes app.

 

[KmH]

I been using cell phones since 1990.

I also make a quick image with my cell phone and saying I keep a notebook in my cars is a figure of speech.

Did you know that most people only use a small number of the apps they download to their phones

 

[batmura]

Great ideas, everyone! Thanks so much for the links, pgriz! Very useful. The idea to drive around taking different routes and making (mental) notes is also great.

 

[JTPhotography]

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.

 

[sm4him]

A lot of my spots are found by just driving around and/or someone local telling me about a spot.
But two things I haven't seen mentioned that I also rely on:
Facebook. I "like" several nature-related FB pages (Tennessee Birds, Tennessee Naturalists, Great Smoky Mountains page, etc). If I see a picture there of a particular bird I'd like to find, or just a beautiful landscape, I'll ask where it was taken.

The other website I really rely on is the website for our state's wildlife resource agency, TWRA. tnwatchablewildlife.org has a map showing all the national refuges and wma's in the state, along with directions to them and information about what you're likely to find there. I often use that when looking for a new place to try out.

I also drive around, and visit State parks, National wildlife refuge, and back country roads.
I easily talk to people, I don't know why but it happened several time that people that were seeing me with my gear were giving me various useful information:
Did you know that there is an eagle's nest 3 blocks away from here... Have you ever been on that road, the point of view is beautiful. Or when on vacation I have asked the hotel front desk for places that were interesting to photograph, I got lucky! But random driving is what I do most of the time.

I *don't* really talk to people easily, especially when I'm out taking photos--but I've found that the bigger the camera and lenses, and the more equipment you carry with you--the more people will just offer up this kind of information. That was actually how I found the bald eagle's nest that is just down the road from me. The first couple of people had told me the general area, then someone else told me which end of the road, and then some 85-year-old man walking down the road showed me where they usually perch.

 

[TheFantasticG]

Recently riding the back roads on my motorcycle. Learned of some great areas to pull off and shoot incoming storms.

 

[Tailgunner]

Drive around
Google Earth
Photography clubs

 

[Overread]

One thing to remember is when you do think you've found a spot take a shot - then walk around. Often if the scene is good and strong there is more than one angle and if you just take the first shot you'll miss other angles - other angles that everyone else also walks by and misses.

Spending time at a location and moving around - even just changing the angle you shoot at can produce some great and different results.