Sometimes there are excellent locations and backgrounds right there in your neighborhood, you just don’t know about them.
With these tips you can make sure you’ll find a good spot for your next shoot. And when you do, don’t forget to keep track of them for the future – you can never have too long of a list of these!
Leave the car at home
When you walk, you see the cracks in the sidewalk, the nooks full of graffiti in the small alley behind the shops, or the vantage points that can be seen at eye level. Changing your perspective is an instant way to re-evaluate your surroundings. If you’re not able to walk, consider riding your bike. It’s still a more leisurely way to explore the details than by car would be, and it’s much easier than a car to stop repeatedly and explore.
Ask
Most of us will search online, scan the forums and Facebook groups, and explore on our own. All this, we do instead of simply asking those around us. Next time you go into a small local store, ask the clerk if they have any favorite spots for photos, or ones that offer a fantastic view. Reach out to other local photographers you know; ask them if they have any locations they love going back to time and time again, and if they would be willing to take you there sometime. Ask your friend or relatives if they have any spots in town that they’ve always thought would be great for photos.
Create an assignment
It can be overwhelming to just get in your car and drive without knowing what you’re seeking. To make things easier, give yourself a specific type of location that you’re looking for that day. Perhaps you want to find a beautiful skyline view of your city, or you want to find a wall that has colorful graffiti for a backdrop. Maybe just give yourself a theme – industrial buildings, or lush bright flowering landscapes, or open pastures, or patterns.
Yes, asking Google can help, too
Do a bit of online research, keeping in mind some parameters for what you’re seeking. If you’re looking for old industrial buildings, be sure to enter that into your search. Be as specific as you can be, then get more general as needed to widen the net. There are also a good number of websites and books about “weird places” or “abandoned places”, all of which would have loads of appeal to photographers. If you do seek out abandoned or off-the-beaten-track locations, be sure to take all safety precautions possible to ensure a safe return.
Read more tips over at Digital Photography School.
Source: Digital Photography School
If those wheels will still move that looks very dangerous