Tip for Photographing New Landscape Locations

Landscape Photography  •  Photography Tips

Location scouting and planning are too important for landscape photographers to ignore. However, in a real-world scenario, scouting locations may not always be possible. This is especially true whenever you visit a place that you’ve never been to before. So how do you go about taking photos when you are visiting a new location? Photographer Nigel Danson has one great tip for exactly this situation:

When you find yourself somewhere new, things can get pretty overwhelming. It’s natural for you to want to explore the place and take as many photos as possible right away. That’s okay if you want to take mediocre photos—but if you want to take dazzling shots Danson suggests the opposite. Instead of going around snapping as many photos as possible, concentrate on a couple spots where you can maximize your time.

By focusing on just one or two areas, you can invest your time and creativity in getting the best possible results. With fewer spots to distract you, you can invest more time in understanding the places you’ve chosen. Study how subjects interact with one another, how different landmarks look at different angles and focal lengths. As always, pay attention to light. And if you feel that your composition could do better in some other condition or lighting, revisit the place another day or move on.

The idea here is to be choosy with what you photograph, rather than be enamored by everything at once. This way, you can give your photographs the energy and attention they deserve.