• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Tips
  • History
  • Photographers
  • Gear
  • Locations
  • Free Cheat Sheets

The Photo Argus

Fresh photography ideas, useful tips and creative inspiration.

10 Valuable Resources for Photography Scouting and Planning

November 30, 2016 · Marc Andre

Location scouting and planning can be a critical part of your photography. Whether you are traveling to a new location to shoot landscapes or looking for the best place to take outdoor portraits in your local area, research is a key part of getting great photos.

Fortunately, there are many different resources that can be extremely valuable for your own planning. Here we’ll take a look at 10 resources that you should consider using.

Photo by danfador
Landscape Photographer

1. Google Earth

Google Earth is an incredibly valuable tool that allows you to learn a lot about a location without ever having been there. You can see when the sun will rise and set, where it will rise and set, see the shadows it will create on the landscape, and plan your compositions. You can get a great deal of information about very specific locations.

Learn more by reading How to Find the Perfect Photography Location Using Google Earth.

2. The Photographer’s Ephemeris

Like Google Earth, The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a highly valuable resource for scouting and planning. You can use it on a desktop or use the mobile app to see the position of the sun or moon at any location and any given point in time.

Learn more by reading Location Scouting with the Photographer’s Ephemeris.

3. Flickr

Anytime I am planning a trip to a new location, or a location I have visited several times for that matter, I do a search on Flickr to see other people’s photos from that location. Flickr is such a huge community that you can find photos from just about any location. These photos can serve as inspiration, show you interesting points of view, and give you composition ideas. Be sure to read the descriptions of photos that you like, many times the descriptions will include information to help you find the exact location of the photo.

Try searching The Photo Argus group at Flickr.

4. 500px

Like Flickr, 500px is a great site to search and browse photos of a specific location. The quantity of photos at 500px is much smaller than Flickr, but the quality of photos is generally much better. You can get some great ideas and find places to take your own photos.

5. The Best Places to Photograph in Each State

If you’re looking for photography locations in the United States, Loaded Landscapes has compiled an extensive list of the best locations in each state. Some states have as many as 50 different locations listed, and each state has its own map to show where each location is (even more locations are being added). This is a great way to find interesting places to photograph near your home or near a place that you will be visiting.

Find the directory for each state at Loaded Landscapes.

6. Photo Pills

Photo Pills is an extremely powerful app for the iPad or iPhone. There are many different features and functions that can be useful for scouting and planning. You can get detailed sun, moon, and Milky Way information. Explore and manage locations to plan your own trips. One of the coolest features is the augmented reality that makes it easy to visualize the sun, moon, and milky way position.

7. ShotHotSpot

ShotHotSpot uses photos from other sites, like Flickr, and makes it easy to find interesting places to photograph. Just search for a destination and see what comes up. The photos are somewhat organized and can help you to find specific points of interest in a general location that you will be visiting.

8. Scoutt

Scoutt.com is a newer site that takes a community-based approach. You can create an account and upload photos from a specific location. You can also search for locations and browse photos from other users. Since it is community-based, some locations have more photos than others. Hopefully, with time it will become more popular and include more photos.

9. Stuck on Earth

Stuck on Earth is an app (for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android) that lets you search any location and view sample photos, along with their specific locations on a map. You can create trips and save photos to a trip, which makes the photos accessible offline so they can be viewed even when you don’t have an internet connection.

10. Ask Locals

Websites and apps are great resources to have, but don’t let that overshadow the value of the knowledge of others. Just talking to locals and asking about locations can be a great way to get invaluable information. If you’re at a national park or state park be sure to talk to park rangers and get their insight. They will know the area as well as anyone.

Another way to get feedback from others is to use online forums. You can post a message on a forum asking for the best photography locations in a particular area, and you’ll probably get responses from several people who live in that area or have visited in the past. You can also search forums, as many times your question will have already been asked by someone else, and you can see the responses right away.

Filed Under: Resources

From Our Partners

BONUS: I've got something special for you on the next page...

Do you like the idea of having a photography training bootcamp in your camera bag? Or would you simply like to improve your photography by way of a tested training method? One that thousands of photographers have used successfully? Take a look at our best-selling Snap Cards: Essentials: 20 printable key photography lessons that you can take with you anywhere.

If you missed out on your set last time. They’re available again, and on sale right now. Plus it includes two bonus video tutorials for free.

Click below now, to read about it on the next page…

→ NEXT PAGE

Continue to next page »

You may also like

  • 2019 Photography Challenge: 52+ Photography…
  • 30 Popular iPhone Photography Apps You Need To Try
  • 30 Beautiful Examples of Lifestyle Photography
  • Skylum imgmi Review | AI Powered Photo Editing On…
  • 25 Landscape Photography Portfolios Worth Your Attention

Primary Sidebar

Download Free Photography Cheat Sheets

3 Free Photography Cheat Sheets That Will Help You Understand the Basics

Popular Content

  • Berit Alits - Courtney 30 Fantastic Examples of Fine Art Photography
  • El Capitan 22 of the Most Famous Mountains in the World to Photograph
  • Matte Action 100+ Free Photoshop Actions and Presets
  • Vintage Cameras Face Mask 53 Unique Gifts for Photographers
  • Hypholoma fasciculare, (Sulphur tuft,) 32 Weird and Wonderful Fungi Pictures
  • Paul Shears - Autumn Abstract 40 Beautiful Examples of Abstract Photography
  • How to Capture the Perfect Street Photography Shots: Techniques and Tips
  • Bokeh Photography 40 Beautiful Examples of Bokeh Photography
  • The Power of Color: Using Color to Enhance Your Photography
  • still life lenses on sheet music 35 Superb Examples of Still Life Photography

© Copyright The Photo Argus · Contact · About · Privacy Policy · Support