Develop a love relationship with your most cherished shooting locations and you’ll never run out of photographic material. As with any loved one from whom you can’t stand to be away from, falling in love with Location A will drive you to keep going back for more. With photographic subjects, there’s the luxury that polygamy is acceptable. Having a love relationship with more than one location is totally welcomed and even beneficial as subject matter changes throughout the seasons as does the practicality of visiting certain places easily and cost effectively. The more local the place the better, but just as long distance people relationships evolve into marriages, long distance photo relationships can develop, grow and prosper.

Get to Love Your Subject #1: Is your loved one a morning person or a night owl? The photographic connection here is learning whether the area you love is more appealing in sunrise or sunset light. It may be obvious that the iconic shot in your cherished place works better at sunrise or sunset so you make that photograph. But in order to grow the relationship, other options need to be explored. If the icon is captured at sunrise, go back at sunset to investigate the possibilities. It may take a few outings, but that’s the beauty of developing a good relationship. Look for options, investigate the possibilities and be sure to have fun in the process. Let it evolve and find an additional iconic sunrise shot and then one at sunset. Continue to enjoy the process and fall more deeply in love with the location.  

©Russ Burden

Get to Love Your Subject #2: Is your loved one a planner or more on the impulsive side?  The photographic connection here is do you simply jump in your car and head to a local loved place or do you need to plan out the shoot? Regardless of the two choices presented here, as with all good relationships, spontaneity can be a good thing as can the opposite. If you’re a planner, make an impulsive decision and just go. If you’re impulsive, plan a two or three day outing to make pictures at your favorite location regardless of the weather. Even if the forecast is not favorable, make the trip as you never can predict what you will get. In that you already have a relationship developed with the area, you’ll know what to do and where to be based on the conditions. Take advantage of not so optimum circumstances and exploit them. If you don’t try, you’re guaranteed to not get the shot.

©Russ Burden

Get to Love Your Subject #3: Does your loved one prefer fast cars or long walks in the park? The photographic connection here is to continue to explore the depths of your loved locale. Use your vehicle to drive around to find new angles. The benefit of the car is a lot of territory can be explored in short spans of time. Use your feet to take long walks. Move slowly and intimately learn the more subtle aspects of your place. You’ll more obviously see its nuances at 2mph as opposed to 40mph. Finding the intimate landscape within the big picture often nets rewarding images.

©Russ Burden

As evidenced by the images that accompany this article, three of my favorite loved locations are Grand Teton National Park, the Oregon coast, and some local duck ponds close to my home. The Tetons are a nine hour car ride, the Oregon coast requires a trip to the airport and most of the ponds are within a twenty minute drive from my home. I can, and have, applied each of the three scenarios in this article to each of these locations. Develop your own love relationships with your locations so you can enjoy the same feelings I’ve established with mine.

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Nature Photo Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, email me to be placed on my Tip of the Week list and to receive announcements about upcoming tours specials or to pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.