tography is to find an epic location near
your home and return there several
times. Shoot the same location before
and after the sunrise, and before and
after the sunset. Examine the area during
different lighting conditions, different
seasons and at night.
This “study” of a single scene will
help you hone your craft and prepare
you for making an incredible photo-
graph once you’ve taken the plunge
and traveled to a far-away location.
It doesn’t cost any more these days to
take tons of photos with digital cameras,
and you just might surprise yourself by
making an iconic photograph of your
home area.
The Early Bird
Sunrise isn’t just a great time for outdoor
photography. Getting up well before the
crack of dawn can help you get some
awesome interior photos, too. If you want
to photograph historic sites and tourist
hot spots, get there well before opening
times so that you can be the first one in
line when the venue opens. You may
get only one good shot without people
in it or you may get a whole bunch. That
depends on the venue and time of year.
Even if you get only one great shot, it
will be worth it.
The photo of the Bramante Staircase at
the Vatican Museum in Rome is a great
example of this. I get my Italy photo tourguests VIP access at the Vatican Museum
so that we can be the first ones into the
museum as it opens. This gives us a brief
chance to get this iconic photograph with
no people in it.
Always be mindful of local laws and
customs, and if you’re on private property,
be sure to get the permission needed to
take photos. Knowing your rights can help
you if you get stopped by police or secu-
rity. Oftentimes, they don’t know the laws
and how they apply to photographers, so
have a copy with you if you think you’ll
be in a situation where you may need to
share these details with anyone else.
Asking permission ahead of time—
when possible—is never a bad idea.44 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com