Tell us why your “scouting” is useful

[Heroique]

If you “scout” for shots, I’d enjoy hearing about your experiences & learning from your tips.

I like to treat each of my photo trips as a scouting effort, too. Even as I walk to a destination – tripod in hand, composition in mind – I’ll look left, right, up, and down, searching for future shots.

I’ll even stop and look backwards!

Other times, I might head-out without gear – just to scout for a composition I don’t know is there, until I find it. Some of these “gearless” scouting walks are among my most enjoyable moments. It’s fun to hunt. And w/o the burden of gear, it’s easier to search a wider range of land. Sometimes there’s “nothing” to show for it – or maybe “something,” but nothing that strikes my fancy.

Other times, I’ll come upon a landscape too rich for my scouting ideas to exhaust. :)

Either way – with gear, or without it – I carry pencil & notepad to record ideas for the future, and my notes often prove useful. For example, I might sketch a scene or composition, and suggest focal length, filtration, plus time of day to return when light is best. In other notes, I’ve even recorded compass bearings or trail marks to return to a hidden spot that I might not find again otherwise.

— What practical hints can you share about scouting?
— If you scribble down impressions, what’s useful to record?
— If there are times when you don’t scout, please tell us more!

[Gem Singer]

I shoot 5x7 B&W. So I usually take a Mamiya 645, loaded with HP-5+ film, on my scouting trips.

The 5x7 and 645 formats have similar aspect ratios.

If the results look promising, I'll return to the scene, hopefully when the lighting conditions are ideal.

[Richard K.]

..... I carry pencil & *notepad to record ideas for the future, and my notes often prove useful. For example, I might sketch a scene or composition.....

*I hope it's a Moleskine (sic)! After all a proper sensibility is all a part of it....

[Heroique]

If only my sketching talents were better! I’d trade-in my spiral notepad for one. But my scribbled trees look like tall rocks, and my rivers like fallen trees. Usually, I’ll draw a “fish” in a river so I can recall what it’s supposed to be. But then again, my fish w/ a tail-fin looks like a deer w/ antlers...

Maybe an Instamatic would be a better (and light-weight) scouting tool! Minus the aspect ratio.

;)

[bvstaples]

I constantly "scout." I'm always looking for the next opportunity. I myself carry around an Olympus digital recorder. It's a dinky little thing that stays with me, and I can whip it out and record all manner of notes with it.

I find this easier than sketching or jotting notes down (though I do keep a written journal of my adventures), and I can inflect my personality into the descriptions of what I'm seeing. I can be as succinct as possible and ramble on and on. When I play back my recordings, I can usually see the scene in its entirety in my head. Digital previsualization...

Brian

[Gem Singer]

If you're shooting in color, a digicam can be very useful.

Location is the prime importance.

However, the best shooting angle for the scene and the time when the lighting conditions will be ideal are just as important.

[Robert Hughes]

Scouting Rounds a Guy Out! I learned to make fires, tie together lean-to structures, fire guns, hot wire cars, derail locomotives... all the things that mean something to a boy!

Oh, you mean photography scouting? Er, yeah, of course... I've got my cell phone camera and take pictures of things that interest me. If I like a scene enough, I'll visit again with a real camera.

I'll even stop and look backwards!
Kinda like, that inward directed sight? How cosmic! BTW Heroique has an eye that causes me to tremble in awe, you're so good!

[Laura_Campbell]

Scouting is loads of fun. I shoot 8x10, and since I sometimes hike to get my photos, scouting allows me to explore the possibilities before I hike with my equipment. I use a Canon Powershot when I scout and I make short movies of an area, or take stills. What's cool about the movies is I sometimes see scenes that I'd overlooked when I was at the location.

[sultanofcognac]

I wish I had the time to enjoy the luxury of scouting for shots. I have a few iPhone apps that take care of the 'recording' for me (the best one so far is from Lenny Eiger).

I do walk my dog four times a day and am always looking for new places to roam - on these walks I almost always carry a 645 or 6x6 (oddly enough, never digital). If I do happen upon something positive I return with the big guns (and a book)

[Rick A]

I'm usually wandering about with a 6x6 or 6x9 folder or one of my TLR's and if I find something real interesting I return with a 4x5.

[Thad Gerheim]

I see almost all my trips as future possibilities at a different season, angle, or light. I have one favorite place that I've been to at least eight different times in the fall and have taken three different and good photos of mostly the same thing, and I still keep going back. I just returned from a trip where on the way out (13 miles) I passed a beautiful raging and cascading stream with ideal light on it, only to sit there and enjoy looking at it. I didn't take a photo so I'd be sure to come back again! Pretty silly, I know.

[Heroique]

...I didn't take a photo so I'd be sure to come back again!...

That reminds me, scouting w/o gear provides me with good ideas for future shots, but just as often, it leads me to the “perfect” shot I can’t take. The composition is there. The light is ideal. The wind is still. And … I’m empty-handed. This happens a lot.

Unlucky? :confused:

Yes. But there’s more to it. I “see” more w/o the distraction of gear. A lot more. I think my “eye” appreciates this fun, liberating exercise. And the benefits seem transferable. Makes me better behind the ground glass. In the darkroom. Above the mat cutter.

And recalling the shot scouted, but not captured, gets me out again sooner…

[Leonard Metcalf]

I take lots and lots of photos without my camera, and keep them in my mind. Great fun, helps my photography, and some of them I go back too when the light is right and record them on film. I visit locations over and over and over. So each one is like scouting. As mentioned by Heroique it can be very disappointing not to be able to capture it because you don't have a camera. They say the best camera is the one you have with you. So I always try to have a camera with me, from my camera phone, or my small digital, to one of my large format cameras.

Some people scout a spot, mark it with their GPS, and then return before sunrise, and set up their tripod at their predefined location, and then bracket the sunrise as it happens in front of them. (Admittedly, I am not one of these people, but it is a valid technique)

[Alan Davenport]

Scouting helps me to be prepared!

[Vaughn]

I am one of the non-scouters, though I certainly enjoy seeing images that would have been fun to take if I had a camera with me, and I take mental note of any area worth returning to. But I do not go out with the purpose of scouting for future images. If I have my small camera with me (Rolleiflex), I take images meant for that format.

I am looking more for light than place, which means I often return to places I have photographed before, since the light is never the same. I have been photographing a stretch of Prairie Creek for 30 years -- never tire of it and no reason to "scout" it as I feel connected to it already.

Prairie Creek, 1980:

[John Jarosz]

I am looking more for light than place, which means I often return to places I have photographed before, since the light is never the same. I have been photographing a stretch of Prairie Creek for 30 years -- never tire of it and no reason to "scout" it as I feel connected to it already.


Same here. Different location. There's a barn in Iowa I've photographed a zillion times over the last 30 years.


After all, a shooting session that does not yield the results you envision surely qualifies as a scouting trip.

[Bill_4606]

As a few others have indicated, I like to take take my cell phone with me and a notebook. I discovered the value of the cell phone camera for recording notes and even grabbing an occasional short video as a quick way to reference things I see when scouting.

I haven't been able to master shooting and scouting at the same time. For me, it has to be separate trips. It seems that when I carry my camera bag, I become focused on a few things and miss the over all experience. This is especially so with my large format camera -- I'm seeing in Black and White and shutting down pretty much all my other senses. While scouting without my camera bag, I'm able to broaden my vision and open up my hearing, smelling, and feeling.

One new tool I've just started using is Google Earth (free). The satellite imagery is often good enough to recognize where you have been on field trips. You can add a point of interest to your map and save the location. The tool will record the longitude and latitude for you and provide other information like altitude if it's important to you. I've also been able to record a few notes in the location's description. I think you can also associate your own photos with the location though I haven't figured that one out yet. For example, last week I was scouting a nearby river-fed lake in my canoe. I didn't have a camera (not even my cell phone). I came upon a couple of eagles climbing a thermal. While watching them, I spotted their nest in some tall trees up stream. Back at home, I was able to find the nest location on Google Earth and determined the only practical way to the nest was by the river. I've recorded the location and will be able to return later with proper camera gear -- probably won't be my LF camera though.

Bill Riley

[Darren H]

Always have a pocket cam is the best scouting tip.

My scouting camera that is always with me is a Panasonic LX-3 digital. 24mm-60mm lens just about perfect matches my lenses of 75mm, 125mm, 210mm (4x5 format). It does RAW so I can tweak digital files. Does a great in camera B+W which is often useful, plus it can switch aspect ratio from 3:4 to 2:3 to 16:9.

Allows me to preview a potential shot. Awesome little camera that produces a great image in its own right. Since I always have it, I can scout with it and grab images. Gone are the days of "if I only had a camera"

[Rakesh Malik]

I hike/backpack with my 4x5, so I always have it with me in case I find a shot, but I've gotten so used to carrying it that it doesn't get in the way of simply hiking and looking. I've gotten past the feeling that I carried it all this way, so I should shoot something or all that effort is wasted.

Rather than sketches, I use a point and shoot to take record shots of areas that I feel are worth exploring for photographs with the right light.

The challenge comes from the fact that there are so many incredible places here. It's hard to find a place that I would NOT want to come back to around here. :)

[Caivman]

Two Words - Cellphone Camera

If i'm out and about and spot something worth shooting sometime, i'll stop and snap a few pictures with my phone from all angles, make a note in my notepad app, and mark my location on my map/gps. lol... sometimes a smart phone pays off.

[Drew Wiley]

Around here I'll combine scouting with the exercise regimen. Usually I want a steep
hill and the 8x10 to keep my knees and back in condition. But sometimes I'll want to
walk fast over longer distances, so carry a Nikon - which often obtains worthy shots
in its own right, but also allows me to preview LF possibilites and vantage points.
When I travel out of state, I often try to get breakfast at some little friendly hole in
the wall type cafe - I always sit at the counter and strike up a conversation with the
local ranchers, Indians, fishermen, etc. Learn about some interesting places and have sometimes been invited onto private property. Got turned onto something
promising like that a couple of weeks ago - and when I seached the area on Google
Earth when I got home, sure enough! Sometimes local will just stop and strike up
a conversation because they see me using a view camera. They don't know exactly
what it is, but know that it's some kind of "serious" camera. They are usually very
polite (there have been a few exceptions), and will be careful not to cross the shot,
and then wait till I'm done and ask to look under the cloth. I find this quite rewarding, because people are really part of the land too.

[Phil O.]

Maps of the county I'm photographing in are key to remembering the locations I've scouted. It may be months, or even a year or two, before the conditions are near the ideal I'm looking for, and I am able to be there for the shot.

I mark each location on the map with a few words next to a 'dot' to identify it. It may be something like, "barn, morning, clouds". That jogs my memory on the timing and conditions that are needed to get the shot I had in mind. Especially while I'm driving around chasing ideal weather conditions where there is a narrow window of opportunity. I'll look at the map in the area where I am driving to see what's closest, and what would work for the conditions. But I'm also keeping an eye out for a shot that I may stumble across.

Sometimes it's a clump of flowers that I'll make note of that only blooms for a short while each year. Other notes might be about fogginess, strong directional lighting, shadows on buildings, etc.

There is just no other way I can remember it all to draw on when the info is most needed.

[Greg Miller]

For many landscapes, position of the sun is critical in order to get the best angle of light. I always carry a compass with me when scouting. When I see a new scene, I decide where the sun should be in the sky in order to get the best angle of light. Then I make a note to come back during the time of year when the sun is in the optimal position.

In my area, the sun rises and sets 10 degrees north (summer) or south (winter) of east/west for each hour the day is longer/shorter than 12 hours. In other words, on the vernal and autumnal equinox (12 hour day) the sun rises and sets due east/west. On the summer/winter solstice, we have a day that is a little more than 3 hours longer/shorter than 12 hours, so the sun rises and sets about 30 degrees (3 x 10 degrees) north/south of east/west.

So when I see a scene, I can easily determine what days to go back and shoot. I also will take into account the type of weather that I want. For example, there are only a few days each year when the sun is position to get this rim lighting on the ridges.

For my local photos, I would rather shoot a scene at its absolute best, rather than shooting just because I happen to be there. That's one of the advantages that I have over tourists. An average scene in great light is better than a great scene in average light.

http://www.gregmillerphotography.com/HudsonValley/images/N000805.jpg

[jan labij]

Because I'm slightly handicapped, I do most of my scouting from my pickup. When I see something that gets to me, Icome back with my Ansco 5X7, tripod and emty 5 gal bucket to sit on. It usually takes me quite a while to get every thing set up to shoot. I don't remember ever taking more than two film holders with me. I normally take only one exposure, unless I screwed one up!!

[bobwysiwyg]

For many landscapes, position of the sun is critical in order to get the best angle of light. I always carry a compass with me when scouting. When I see a new scene, I decide where the sun should be in the sky in order to get the best angle of light. Then I make a note to come back during the time of year when the sun is in the optimal position.

In my area, the sun rises and sets 10 degrees north (summer) or south (winter) of east/west for each hour the day is longer/shorter than 12 hours. In other words, on the vernal and autumnal equinox (12 hour day) the sun rises and sets due east/west. On the summer/winter solstice, we have a day that is a little more than 3 hours longer/shorter than 12 hours, so the sun rises and sets about 30 degrees (3 x 10 degrees) north/south of east/west.

So when I see a scene, I can easily determine what days to go back and shoot. I also will take into account the type of weather that I want. For example, there are only a few days each year when the sun is position to get this rim lighting on the ridges.

For my local photos, I would rather shoot a scene at its absolute best, rather than shooting just because I happen to be there. That's one of the advantages that I have over tourists. An average scene in great light is better than a great scene in average light.

http://www.gregmillerphotography.com/HudsonValley/images/N000805.jpg

Greg, judging from your description of how you work, have you tried The Photographer's Ephemeris? I find it quite handy. I also find scenes from time to time that are not quite right based on lighting, either time of day or time of year. Based on TPE, I have a couple of reminders on Outlook for some local churches that will be better shot later in the fall.

[MIke Sherck]

I don't make trips specifically to "scout" for photographs; if I think that I might want to photograph, I drop the 4x5 or the 8x10 in the trunk. On the other hand, I make lots of trips where it isn't, shall we say, "politically desirable" to carry a large camera with me. In those cases, I either make mental notes to return later or sometimes let myself go a bit beyond the edges of the box and use the 35mm Yashica Electro that lives under the passenger seat of my car. Or I use the point 'n shoot in my pocket. Or I may have snuck in a 35mm SLR when She Who Must Be Obeyed wasn't looking. I may have gotten her trained to the point where now anything smaller than 4x5 doesn't register as 'camera' to her. :)

Mike

[J. E. Brown]

An average scene in great light is better than a great scene in average light.

Greg: I absolutely agree with that!


Great discussion about scouting. My own follow much of what others have commented on so I won't waste more unecessary typing.


Kind regards,

-JB

[Lars Daniel]

Like Darren, I like my LX-3. Plus off course my iPhone that always happens to be in my pocket. Sweet tools :-)

[FLC]

I use my iPhone's still and motion picture recording capability. Can also use it for GPS coordinates, maps, and dictating notes.

[BrianShaw]

I scout but shoot "for real" during scouting trips because too often the thing/place I scouted changes before I can return for the "real shoot".