How to read the scene
Locations are so important to the landscape photographer that we likely spend more time seeking them out than we do shooting them. A large amount of brilliant images you see in the media, and especially social media, were not taken by chance – even though there is an element of luck involved – it all comes down to planning. With each location, whether it’s the rural countryside, mountains, seascapes, cityscapes or woodlands, prep is paramount to reduce the variables in order to come away with stunning shots – failing to plan is planning to fail.
Researching locations is just as much a part of the image-making process as the end result. It’s not the same if someone gives you all the vital information about a location so all you have to do it turn up and press the shutter. Learn as much about a location yourself as you can. This will not only improve the overall experience, but you will also improve as a landscape photographer.
There are common tools to use when researching every location, such as Ordnance Survey maps, Google Earth, apps like PhotoPills, Dark Sky and Photographer’s Ephemeris. These will aid you in determining landscape features, weather conditions and direction of light. However, each type of location has it own unique aspects that are essential to understand in order to help create spectacular images. Let’s take a look at these aspects so you can increase your success rate and get some astounding natural landscapes.
RURAL COUNTRYSIDE
Most of us live within a short drive of the countryside. Even if you live in a city, it’s almost always possible to find some rural landscapes close by, even if it’s a city park. The countryside is full of photo possibilities, such as a lone tree in the middle of a field; a winding road or river leading into the scene; old barns or churches within the landscape; fields of wildflowers; the possibilities are endless.
Go local
While travelling to distant locations around the world may sound enticing, it can end up being very expensive. So why not work
