I tend to hit the same handful of local spots over and over. However to be honest that's not because they're all that special, they're just pretty much all that's available without a more serious road trip, i.e., several hundred miles each way. I'm in the deep south US (Louisiana) so the landscape within a ~350 mile radius has a very high 'same' factor no matter where one goes, with minor variations: Densely undergrown pine forest, swamp / lake, mega-scale flat farmland or cities / towns. Yes, there's the Gulf of Mexico ~180 miles south, but since we're an alluvial / delta environment there's really not much in the way of real shoreline -- It's just gets gradually wetter until you're in the water. 🙂
Thanks for the video. Really nice subject. I have several thousand pictures out my shop door and around my little town. We have a couple of mountain ranges nearby and a river just a ways away (we have some meander land on our property) - lot's of birds and lots of sunsets. There's always a good chance on any given day of a stunning or at least charming sunset. The cloud formations are always interesting because of the mountains changing the formations in dramatic ways.
So true and so well explained mate. Personal local knowledge is worth more than the fuel needed to find something specially different . One thing I would add is coastal areas seem to offer more variations than say the outback ; but then on the other hand I have have made 1000s of "the same but different" photos within 10-20 ks of home because anything really different is 3-4 hours drive away in any direction. One thing about clouds ; they are never the same and it's basically impossible for more than one person to have the exact same photo as can happen at "the tourist photo spot". I could end up in the snow country very soon; that doesn't mean I will get any WOW O WOW photos because I'm way out of my comfort zone for just a short time .
Thanks mate. The main thing I've learned over the years when I am somewhere new is to not overthink it and to trust what my eyes are being drawn to. :)
Envious of your location, We stay there regularly and know exactly what you mean, I live in the Blue Mountains & have a go to location Hawkesbury Lookout about 10 mins from home. Sunrise only, it has bush the Nepean River with expanses of still water, lowlands merging into sparse residential with Sydney in the far background. Between the light & fog the colours and shades can be amazing and sometimes families will arrive on a freezing morning with breakfast to catch the sunrise, I've captured this with there silhouette ,and I haven't mentioned the birdlife (400m handy) overall love the process & great practice if nothing else.
Hi Andy, I don't really have one local location, because there is nothing in the Stockport, UK, area to compete with the variety of opportunities to be found in Gerroa beach! I tend to use a variety of local woodland locations, or a few locations in the North West of the Peak District. However, I always prefer day trips or short breaks in my heimat of North Wales, with its ridiculously photogenic beaches, lakes and mountains...luckily it's only around 90 minutes to 2 hours drive away, depending on the exact location...
''because there is nothing in the Stockport'' --- I think Andy could find 100s of photos 🤗 . Look inside the big picture for the 100s, if not thousands of little photos inside that big photo. Landscapes can be actually damn hard to get right as there are so many different variables that need to come together before you even start worrying about settings ;)
I'm sure you have something special near you that you have never considered . Be a tourist in your own area . Find that special area that you can visit when the tourist don't ---- most tourist are active 10am to 4pm . Ask "authorities" if you can have special access. Bribe them with a few photos . There is always something different to photograph. Go one stop up . Instead of just seeing the photo ; notice an object as photograph then make that photo .
