Travel photographers are frequently on the move. After all, there are so many places to go and so many things to shoot. As a result, we can sometimes find ourselves at the right place at the wrong time. Poor light, poor conditions, too many people, too few people. poor access – these are just a few of the problems that poor timing can create for the photographer. A bit of advanced planning can help minimize, or even eliminate, problems of this type. There are ways that you can improve your chances of “success”, which in this case means arriving at a location at a time when conditions are more favorable to good photography. As with so many endeavors, timing is very important in photography.
Fortunately today, in this internet age, there is lots of information available to help make this planning not only easier, but also more precise, and ultimately more satisfactory. Let’s look at two conditions where good timing can help the photographer shoot a better image and two internet / app solutions –Sea Conditions, and Natural Light Conditions (sunlight/moonlight).
Sea Conditions – I had never really given much thought to the impact of sea conditions on photography prior to my travels to Japan. As I prepped for that adventure it became clear that one of the locations I really wanted to visit and shoot was the shrine if Itsukushima-jinga on the island of Miyajima off the coast south of Hiroshima. The island is beautiful and the shrine is striking. Built at the water’s edge, it’s most notable feature is a large vermilion gate, the O-torii, which “rises grandly out of the sea” as the guide books say, to the west of the shrine. Some have referred to Itsukushima-jina as the “floating shrine.” The view can indeed striking, with the sea lapping up to and under the walkways and buildings of the shrine and the O-torri standing tall in the water marking the approach to the shrine. It is really quite a lovely place. This ideal view is, however, not always available. It only occurs during high tide. When the tide is out, the shrine is basically surrounded by a rather drab brown expanse of muddy sea bed. The shrine is always lovely, but it seems that it is truly at its best with high tide. Knowing this (advanced research helps discover these things), I checked the internet and consulted tide tables for the area. If I were writing fiction here, I could now say that this allowed me to take the “perfect” photos of Itsukushima-jinga. Alas, I live in the real world, and due to other commitments there was no way I could extend, advance, or otherwise modify my trip so I would arrive at high tide. The accompanying photos are “low tide” views. I ended up shooting in a manner that didn’t accentuate the low tide aspect. Had it been “high tide” I would have shot very differently. But, even though I couldn’t be there at the “best” time, at least I knew what to expect and planned accordingly. I “shot what I got” on that occasion (which also included very cloudy, almost foggy weather conditions I must say.)
Tide tables can be helpful when you are doing seaside photography. I would give you links to tide tables but they are very specific for the region you are visiting and they are constantly changing since tides are associated with the moon’s gravitational effects on the oceans. An internet search for tide tables for your area of interest will give all the information you need.
Natural Light Conditions – Timing is also important if you want to arrive at your shooting location when the light is best. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles (click here for Related Article) , morning and evening provide the most favorable lighting conditions for your photos.
That’s a good place to start. But for those of you who are really into detail there is an even more precise way to plan and anticipate lighting for your location. The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a website and tool devoted to providing photographers with detailed information about sun and moon positions and how these will impact your photos. You can input the exact location on the earth where you want to photograph and the exact time of day you want to take a photograph.
The program will then provide you with information about exactly where the sun / moon will be and how the light will fall on your selected area/subject. You can also adjust the time and see how the fall of light changes. It is really very interesting. The developers describe it as a “tool to help with the planning of all types of outdoor photography, but particularly landscape and urban scenes. It is a map-centric sun and moon calculator: see how the light will fall on the land. TPE’s map-based approach means you are not limited to a predefined list of locations, which often don’t include the places many photographers go. Instead, search for any place on the planet or position the map pin exactly where you want it. Advanced features including automatic time zone and elevation detection, correction for atmospheric refraction and height above the horizon, ensuring that you have the best possible information for planning your shoot. You can even determine when the sun or moon will be visible behind nearby hills and mountains.”
If you want to plan your next outdoor location photo shoot with precise information about lighting conditions related to the sun or the moon, this is something you are going to want to use. And now it is available as an App for the iPad – The Photographer’s Ephemeris App . At $8.99, it’s not the cheapest app you’ll buy. But it really provides some amazing information.
Now that I have extolled the virtues of pre shoot planning, I guess that I have to admit that I am more of a spontaneous shooter. I’ll do a bit of planning as I scout my trip itinerary. But for the most part I like to shoot on the move and take what I find. For me, that’s part of the adventure. Still, I try to keep in mind that pre photo planning can pay off in helping me shoot some very nice images. If you have the time, patience, and inclination to do detailed planning, your photography will benefit as well. The apps and programs mentioned above can help you make the most of your planning.
Let me know how you pre plan for your travel photography. Have any other App suggestions?
Until the next time…………..Enjoy The Adventure!
Dr.B, The Photo Trekker
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