Reconnoitering

[Horatio]

Does anyone here routinely scout out locations, prior to photographing them?

 

[shimokita]

First impressions what they are, and since I have the time, I like to spend a few days or more at a new location... I will take photo on the first visit but do tend to revisit... sometimes years later and go deeper into the location (subject).

.

 

[Greg Maslak]

Yes. I often scout out locations and photo ideas when out and about for any reason. If I happen to have a note book, I’ll make a few notes of ideas so as not to forget, or I’ll just try to remember and plan for a return visit with camera. Other times, when I know I’ll be somewhere for another reason I’ll purposefully not bring a camera and instead plan out some ideas for a subsequent visit ment for photography.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Yes, I do all the time. While it is possible to stumble upon great photo subjects, the production of a deep, meaningful, coherent body of work takes planning and discipline.

 

[charjohncarter]

I do it all the time too. I have a place 4 blocks from my house that I've picked out, but there is always a car in the way or the sun is wrong. But I drive by every day; and I always have a camera with me. Ao, maybe someday soon I'll get it.

 

[Richard G]

I do it all the time too. I have a place 4 blocks from my house that I've picked out, but there is always a car in the way or the sun is wrong. But I drive by every day; and I always have a camera with me. Ao, maybe someday soon I'll get it.

I have often thought that in a magical world the latest Nikon would have a button to remove a car or two in front of a building.

So often your first visit somewhere, or even your first shot is best. My wife took a wonderful shot of a Japanese Maple in front of a lovely house. I knew the tree but had never seen it without a yellow and blue recycling bin behind it. No amount of walks past there offered up what she got. Subsequently whenever we walked together we never saw it without the bin either.

I used to take the same walk every Sunday afternoon. That meant everywhere along the route had been scouted. Even on grey (gray) days in the late afternoon, not so far from the sea here, the sun would at last come out under the clouds and cast wonderful light on the most commonplace subjects. I was able to exploit this for subjects I knew in advance.

 

[lynnb]

When I go out I always take a camera. Sometimes I see the potential for an interesting photo if the timing or the light was different, so in that sense, yes. My travel is restricted to close to home, so I don't get the opportunity to check out places further away.

It's a good idea. This is what location scouts do, for good reason.

When I had more freedom, I'd take note of places that had potential for portraits.

 

[markjwyatt]

i usually try and have a camera when I go out. Sometimes I shoot the same scene multiple times under varying conditions. For example: Two Trees

 

[Out to Lunch]

Does anyone here routinely scout out locations

All the time. I currently live in a very large city and in order to 'find' pictures, you'll have to scout for locations. Once you have done that, serendipity plays an important role. Happy New Year! Cheers, OtL

 

[zuiko85]

I see photos from my car while driving, unfortunately when returning it turns out the best composition will be sitting in a chair in the middle lane of I-5.

Oh, almost forgot, durning morning rush hour. That’s the best light.

 

[ulrich.von.lich]

Interesting question. I never do it. But it already happened to me to go back to a place I didn't have enough to photograph or to exploit.



It's a pity the substantive of reconnoiter isn't reconnoissance.


Filmmaking folks do reconnoiterings all the time. I believe it can even be a full-time job (called something like location manager I think). I once met such a guy and thought his job was pretty cool.

 

[benlees]

I'm always scouting, but I don't do it as a separate activity. The stuff I do, I prefer people not to be around, so if I see something that catches my eye in my day to day life, I'll go back on a Sunday or whatever. I often go back to the same areas regardless; one thing that photography has taught me is that change just happens and new opportunities are served up almost constantly- even for static things and places you've been to many times.

 

[KenR]

Google maps

Google maps

I often will scout things out while walking, cycling or driving. I then will check the area out with Google maps to figure out when the light will be best or, more practically speaking, where I can park the car when I go back.

 

[John Bragg]

For me its a mix of part researched and planned and part serendipidous coincidence. I have one place in particular that has been a long time on my to do list. It is a china clay mill in Luxulyan valley near my home. Huge drive shafts and gears on a once water powered mill. It is in a heavily wooded valley and is best photographed in winter as summer foliage blocks out the light. I think a frosty morning with a light dusting of snow may work well. Incidentally I recently found out that James Ravilious went there to photograph it.

 

[Takkun]

I see photos from my car while driving, unfortunately when returning it turns out the best composition will be sitting in a chair in the middle lane of I-5.

Oh, almost forgot, durning morning rush hour. That’s the best light.

More than once, I've found myself standing in the middle of the I-5 express lanes in the morning. Unfortunately without a camera.

😉

 

[css9450]

Often, the best light is the magic hour just before and just after sunrise and sunset, so in the name of efficiency it is helpful to have at least some pre-planning done ahead of time.

 

[Takkun]

For historic property documentation I've done very meticulous planning, down to looking up sun position. For one survey of an entire district I'd planned everything out to methodically work block by block to catch west facades in the morning and east in the afternoon. Then the weather got hot, the lens rental was late, transportation was wonky, and we ended up using Google Street View for the report, but I did get some 'editorial' type shots to sprinkle in.

Other than that, recon, yes, but not planning per se. I keep a collection of dropped pins in Apple Maps of places I pass by that I intend to return to, with notes, as I'm out and about. Then when I've got free time, I can pull it up and see what's nearby and suits the light.

As John said, in urban photography, it's being there + serendipity often times. Sometimes that serendipity is public transit cooperating with you. I generally have a camera with me always, and will take the bus or train by chance somewhere and see what I find. Did that a lot more in college than now though.

I'm lucky my family are painters, sketchers and photographers, and our get-togethers are often just picking somewhere nearby and going out for a drive to see what there is. Not always fruitful but always an adventure, and I think that counts as recon. We ended up going out to the SW Washington coast probably 3 times last year and I only shot much on the final trip.

 

[Richard G]

I see photos from my car while driving, unfortunately when returning it turns out the best composition will be sitting in a chair in the middle lane of I-5.

Oh, almost forgot, durning morning rush hour. That’s the best light.

Yes! It's amazing the wonderful views you get from the driver's seat of an ordinary sedan. You drive on and eventually pull over. Walk back in blazing sun and when you get to the same spot the magic has gone. You wait for a break in the traffic and stand where you must have been sitting, in the middle of the road, and nope, no good, nothing.

 

[teddy]

Yep! All the time. Reconnoitering is a great word - it describes me scouting around, thumbling with my camera around trying to find the best romantic F stop for a scene. 😉

 

[emraphoto]

Does anyone here routinely scout out locations, prior to photographing them?

Absolutely do it. Regularly in fact