How do you find good locations?

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by Dr. WooD

I talked to my wife earlier about shooting there, and she said if I get arrested for trespassing she wouldn't bail me out of jail.

I'm pretty sure she would, but I bet I'd be spending a few days/weeks sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms.

I don't have that problem as there's no tresspass law in Scotland. I can go pretty much anywhere I want.....Scottish Outdoor Access Code

[WooD]

Originally Posted by daft_biker

I don't have that problem as there's no tresspass law in Scotland. I can go pretty much anywhere I want.....Scottish Outdoor Access Code

That's an odd law. If you owned a big farm or had an estate overlooking a nice lake or ocean you would have to make sure others had access to it, plus the government can come in to make paths on it, except for areas you might have crops growing.

Looks like you still wouldn't be able to shoot in an abandoned school thou according to Section 2 number 5 of that law.

The main places where access rights do not apply are:
• houses and gardens, and non-residential buildings and
associated land;
• land in which crops are growing;
• land next to a school and used by the school

[StephenSr]

I am a driver but still dealing with similer sort of thing but I try to force myself to think different, think If I have been there, have I seen all the angles to the features?

If you see something and think to yourself nope, nothing there, a flag should go up and make you rethink your view, what would it look like if I layed down, if I got on top of something? Moved the other corner of the street? What would stand out if it was in Black and White? Sepia? etc.

I have a habit of something catching my eye, taking a look at it, and overthinking it, and not taking a shot cause I think there is nothing to it.... Hope this helps some.

[anthonybeard]

now i officially envy you, ginger! i live in boring suburban indiana, and to get anywhere halfway interesting takes at least 45 minutes in the car. FLAT landscape, very few wooded areas (with the exception of Hummel park... thank goodness.)

I guess the positive to living here is that it forces me to focus more on technique than on subject.

[Trevor.Dennis]

Not sure where the OP lives, but try the local What's on guide for events etc. Even if you are not interested in the main subject matter, you can get some great people shots on such occassions.

Build up a mental database of locations, and guess when the light is going to be best, and go back then.

Look through your favourite flickr group for inspiration. Even the best photographers steal an idea or two - but try and make it their own.

Table-top can become an absolute obsession, and has limitless potential. Go to your $2 Shop and look for packets of colour. Tip the contents onto your table-top, and play with the lighting. Use glass with a diffuser underneath, and light from below. Put your main light behind, and reflect some of it back - this works well with transluciant subjects like flowers.

Set your tripod up at the end of your street after dark, and get some light trials. If you can find a high vantage point above an intersection, you can get some great shots. Try setting up before dark, and getting a twilight exposure, then get the light trails after dark, and combine in photoshop using the Lighten blending mode.

Make yourself a DIY light tent. I used end of roll newsprint from the local newspaer office - just a few dollars for a huge amount of paper. You can hardly go wrong with a light tent, and can take some amazing shots of shiny subjects, like wine bottles etc.

Check out the Light Science & Magic book and/or flickr group. The things you can do with some of those techniques are awsome, and VERY easy when you know how.

I think I could go on like this for hours.

[sallylou92000]

Guess it depends on what you want to photograph.

It only takes a small tree or green bush to make a great portrait background. What's in your garden, or the neighbours garden, or on the street.

Sit the subject on the grass and shoot from above. Doesn't matter that you are standing on a step ladder and the road is only inches away.

I read in a magazine a while ago about a challenge - peg out a 2m x 2m square in your back yard and take 100 photo's. these would be macro photo's but it's amazing what you can see when you change your perspective.

Or pick a spot, any spot, and then challenge yourself to take 100 different photo's without moving from that spot. This forces you to "see" what is there rather than just saying "I have nothing to photograph".

This can apply inside as well as outside.

Good luck. Happy shooting

Sally