{"id":128015,"date":"2019-06-06T11:17:33","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T10:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=128015"},"modified":"2019-06-06T11:21:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T10:21:31","slug":"finding-perfect-location-landscape-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/latest\/photo-news\/finding-perfect-location-landscape-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding the perfect location for landscape photography"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Looking out over Tryfan and the Ogwen Valley at sunrise on an autumn morning. Sony A7R III, 16-35mm, 5sec at f\/13, ISO 100. Credit: James Abbott<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

There comes a time in every landscape photographer\u2019s journey when they outgrow their local patch and feel the pull of more distance locations. While having local spots to visit is essential to take advantage of last-minute weather conditions, travelling further afield will take you to amazing places that expand both your portfolio and your creativity.<\/p>\n

The world is full of famous locations, and there are some that are so popular you\u2019re unlikely to ever have them to yourself at the optimum shooting time. The lone tree at Llyn Padarn in Llanberis, Wales, is one such location, and on a typical sunrise you can expect anywhere between four and 20 photographers to be lined up along the lakeshore. One reason for this could be simply that it\u2019s a truly iconic sunrise location, but the fact that you can park just a 30-second walk away from the tree has to be a significant factor in its popularity.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Sunrise at the lone tree on Llyn Padarn. Credit: James Abbott<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Finding locations<\/h2>\n

Finding famous and indeed lesser-known locations is easier than ever before, thanks to the internet and social media apps such as Instagram, where many photographers tag the locations of their images. The simplest way to discover new locations is to perform an internet search; you\u2019ll find blogs, outdoor\/walking websites and sites such as ShotHotspot<\/a>, which is a user-fed location-finding website.<\/p>\n

Another option is to perform an image search based on a location or area, and while this may not necessarily show you great images, it could still provide inspiration and links to useful websites.<\/p>\n

As photography increases in popularity, there are more and more location guidebooks being published, covering much of the UK and further afield. The publisher fotoVUE<\/a> and photographer Ellen Bowness (whose books are published by Long Valley Books<\/a>) produce the best location guidebooks available and provide an excellent starting point for exploring the UK with your camera.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say that any location that you can find in a book, on a website or when using a search engine is popular to varying degrees. If you can find reference to a place, you can be almost sure that you\u2019re not the first person to discover it. So if you\u2019d prefer to discover more unique images, the only way to do it is to simply go out for a walk in an area that\u2019s known for the type of landscape you\u2019re interested in capturing.<\/p>\n

You could use famous spots as a starting point, certainly, but do aim to take yourself away from the beaten track. And don\u2019t forget to look behind you as well \u2013 sometimes the best shot can be found looking the other way. Not to mention, good old-fashioned luck should never be underestimated, and word of mouth can be invaluable.<\/p>\n

One of the easiest aspects of landscape photography is arguably finding locations before you head out, thanks to guidebooks, maps and a range of websites. But finding the location itself for the first time may not be quite as easy, especially when you\u2019re racing against the clock to be ready for sunrise or sunset.<\/p>\n

Photography location guidebooks provide detailed directions, and often basic maps, to help you to find locations. But when it\u2019s dark, particularly before sunrise, it can be difficult to identify key markers of the route and navigate successfully using the guide alone. So how do you ensure that you\u2019re on track?<\/p>\n\t\t

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Winskill Stones in the Yorkshire Dales at sunset. Credit: James Abbott<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Navigation on location<\/h2>\n

The best way to learn the route to a location that\u2019s hidden away is to do a daytime recce before you intend to shoot. This way you\u2019ll be able to see clearly and will be able to learn the route with ease. Of course, this isn\u2019t always possible because of time constraints, so you may have to simply arrive with extra time to spare and take a risk.<\/p>\n

To mitigate the risk, it pays to plot a route using a paper or digital map service when you\u2019re at home, so you have at least some idea of the lay of the land and where you need to be heading. An even better option, however, is to do this and to have a paper map or a digital map app on your smartphone or a smartwatch with mapping or even a dedicated GPS mapping device. Just be sure that you download offline maps when using a smartphone app such as OS Maps Premium or ViewRanger, to ensure mapping and navigation will continue in the absence of a mobile internet connection.<\/p>\n

With these apps and devices, you can often plot routes before heading out and use live GPS to determine your position in relation to the planned route. An alternative is to download a GPX file from walking\/hiking websites if one is available for your chosen location. A GPX file is simply a file format that stores recorded or created routes that can then be loaded into mapping apps and GPS devices, and will sit on the map when loaded so you can follow the route.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Long exposure at the Fairy Glen near Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia. Credit: James Abbott<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

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Essential apps for landscape photographers<\/h2>\n