What's Your Method for Scouting A Location?

[Wooglah]

Originally Posted by mslpics

One of my favorite was to find new and different places to shoot is to
1. Always carry the camera.
2. Walk in a big loop and never use the same path to return to the starting point.
3. Repeat the loop but go int the opposite direction.

You might be very surprised at what you will see.

I walk a lot and this is exactly what I do... Even if it happens that I don't have camera with me, I try to remember location and concept and then come back later with camera.

[oxfordy]

I have spent a lot of time driving around looking for a location to photograph. It's time consuming and not necessarily very productive. There is another challenge that I am enjoying - pick a location (almost any location) go there and don't leave until you have found at least some of the photos that exist there. It's not always about 'location', its often (mostly?) about 'vision' (and an awful lot of luck!). I would never have set out to capture this ...

[gbtalley]

I am primarily into landscape photography and combine two of my favorite hobbies. Offroad Exploring via ATV and Photography. I recently picked up another hobby which also combines with the ATV/Photography combo, Geocaching which fits right in and gives me yet another excuse to "get out there". Riding responsible and staying on the legal established trails of course.
"Tread Lightly" and "Leave it cleaner than you found it".

[RuthCT]

I never write in a notebook Wouldn't help me at all.

I scout out local spots because of the composition it brings.
Sometimes its the light that attracts me to a scene, other times the light stinks but I know it has potential if I come back either early morning or the last light of day.

Not only do I always carry my camera with me, I use my GPS. I mark all the spots I've photographed or want to go back to photograph just by saving the location when I'm right there. I have every Bucks County covered bridge, lakes, streams, historical spots and sometimes just an amazing tree I drove by knowing I need to return.

Then when driving around my area, I can see what type of light is happening, I can quickly check my GPS to see what scene am I closest to that will benefit from the lighting. Its how I get most of my local scenes. I'm very picky about light. I have been to some spots more than a dozen times hoping to capture the moody end of day light that illuminates scenes.

[JerBear]

I am lucky, I make my living shooting so I always have my camera with me. When I see a area that has a burst of color, I will pull over if I have time and take a walk...., if I am short on time, then I make a mental note to come back that way when I do have extra time.

I also think about the time of year, weather, etc. and will drive those areas if I think there may be a bloom of color.

good shooting

JM

[rahsoft]

i don't know about you , but i use my camera phone in areas i know to capture a moment or to give me some possible ideas. i then return later with an idea in mind , whether its night shots, sunsets, sunrise or weather etc.

of course you have to know where you are. if you don't then you need to note down where you are. carry your camera when you can. if too heavy then try a point and shoot.

sometimes the sheer value is because you capture a moment and know you will probably never find that spot again. live for the moment.
regards

[pjl]

I have both a blessing and a curse from my job.

Windshield time.
Schedule/locations vary; day to day, week to week.
Lots of road travel to get to job sites; I put 30,000 miles on my van last year.
Been all over Nor, Central and close to So Cal.
A lot of places I'll most likely never get to again. (Cedarville, CA; Tehachapi CA, etc...)

Soooo, I always take my camera.
When I have enough time, I'll drive around the area and snap pics.
Got some great shots in Chico last week.

Another vehicle of choice is my scoot.
Nice day, ocean or Sierras within an hour or two; tons of back roads to get there.
(Yet another reason I won't live anywhere else but NorCal...)
Camera/lenses in their backpack and off I go.
It's easier to pull off narrow roads on the bike to grab pixels.