How do you find good locations?

[yalborap]

So, I've been photographing for a few months now. Love it, been improving fast and working hard and getting a new lens for Christmas hopefully, etc. etc. etc.

However, I've been getting a big problem. Namely, I have a hard as HELL time finding good locations to do some photos, especially for portraiture and stuff.

How do you guys handle this? Do you scout around and jot down good locations? Do you just wing it? Do you use Google Maps? Or do you have some other method to go by?

Thanks in advance for any tips or ideas you might be able to offer.

[kencaleno]

Originally Posted by yalborap

So, I've been photographing for a few months now. Love it, been improving fast and working hard and getting a new lens for Christmas hopefully, etc. etc. etc.

However, I've been getting a big problem. Namely, I have a hard as HELL time finding good locations to do some photos, especially for portraiture and stuff.

How do you guys handle this? Do you scout around and jot down good locations? Do you just wing it? Do you use Google Maps? Or do you have some other method to go by?

Thanks in advance for any tips or ideas you might be able to offer.

Surely you have some ideal locations near you? how about an old brick wall,a nature reserve,a public park, a railroad track,etc.,Ken

[yalborap]

Well, that's the tricky part. I know there're some good locations, I just don't know a way to FIND them beyond just driving around blindly.

Which, as you can imagine, frustrates the parents, as I can't drive.

[Bluenoser]

Grab your camera and walk or bike around your community. There are literaly 1000's of photo ops out there.

[daft_biker]

I don't drive either....I've got legs that work so might aswell use 'em while I can

Just charging some batteries before I take the camera for a cycle ...1st stop cake shop

[yalborap]

That's the other thing. I'm in a cul-de-sac that takes a good 10-20 minutes walking to exit, and once you get out of that, you have another 20-30 minutes walking space of businesses.

This makes finding cool things by foot difficult as hell. The only thing I have to work with as a nice general environment is the local park.

[marcal]

you don't find good locations, they find you !

[oldwolf]

maps.google.com might help

go to satellite view. you'll be able to find railroad tracks and depending on how current the pictures are, possibly some old buildings or industrial areas. just be careful around the old buildings though.

it will at least give you an idea of where to go to look so you don't wander aimlessly. always scout out the areas before you send a client there. makes it look more professional.

you can also look on your town's chamber of commerce page to see if they have pictures of buildings that you can scout out for cool backgrounds. (i.e. brick buildings, old signs, etc.)

finding good locations is a matter of investing time to go out and look. it's tedious at first but pays off in the long run.

now if it comes down to what makes an interesting background then look at other people's examples on the web. not everyone has the same tastes but you'll get an idea of what you like and what you don't like.

[Laurence]

Some of my best shots are in my own backyard. Look on the internet for points of interest in your area.

[Ginger Pixie]

I guess I am lucky living in Cornwall, I'm spoilt for choice - we have beaches, cliffs, woods, mountains, quarries, cycle trails, rivers, stone circles, castles, disused mine workings, ramshackle farm buildings....

Why not contact your local tourist information place? or google country walks with good views in your vicinity?

I bet there are hundreds of amazing locations really close, you just don't realise it yet.

Maybe you should get out more?