You might think that everything has already been photographed. In the end, there are millions of photo uploads every day on Instagram.

But, if you look carefully, you will see a lot of repeats. Many pictures use the same locations, compositions, and often the same lighting and editing settings. It is possible to find fresh photo locations today. Here is how to do it.

It is OK to go to common photo spots. Everybody usually starts with some of those before they go to a new place. To get a better image, consider doing some research in advance to understand the good times and angles to visit, the direction of the sun, and other critical areas. So once you get there, you need less research, and you can start working right away.

But taking pictures of those locations can get tedious, and it can be challenging to snap photos that stick out. Many photographers require specific conditions for that, like the weather. This might work for you are any place on the planet. Though, being really honest, nobody often meets such circumstances for photography while traveling. So you’d better set aside some time to scout out new photo locations to still produce images that are worthy of your portfolio.

Looking for New Photo Destinations

Before we go any further, let’s clarify what is a "new photo spot": it’s a location at which you could only find a few photos on the web or no photos at all. Locations that have their hashtag on Instagram don’t fit into this category. 

So, how do you go about finding such places? If you enjoy topographic maps, you might start there and look for views that might provide picturesque panoramas. Alternatively, you can fly virtually using Google Earth. That allows you to cover a lot of ground. For hilly regions, an app like PeakFinder will help a lot. If you want to see secret coves, sea stacks, and islands, you’d better zoom in on Google Maps’ satellite photography.

Doing the research, however, is only the first step. It’s not a good idea to travel into the unknown with a bulky camera bag to capture a sunrise or a sunset when you have no clue whether there will be a picture to snap. Keep in mind that traveling is time-consuming, and beautiful light is uncommon. Scouting the locations you wish to shoot in is crucial for making the most of your photo sessions. Furthermore, it sometimes requires walking farther distances to reach distant photo locations.

Survey Run 

Have you ever heard about Zone 2 heart rate training? If you are the one who is into active sport—I give it a shot. At first, you might not even consider how staying healthy could help your landscape photography. But you can cover distances of 10 kilometers or more without becoming exhausted thanks to the moderate intensity of this sort of endurance training. You can do such a run in the morning and still trek to a photo location in the evening.

How does this affect our photography now? This instruction is excellent for checking out new shooting locations. During such a run, you keep a slow pace that allows you to take in your surroundings and cover distances that will get you to the points of interest that you already identified. You simply need your phone and a bottle of water for a longer run. 

Almost every modern cell phone has a wide-angle lens, which makes them perfect for discovering compositions. Additionally, you can use PhotoPills Field of View mode. Thus, you may examine how various lens lengths would capture a scene there, which helps you to choose what lenses to bring to a shooting. If the location of the shot is high on a mountain, for instance, this can be highly useful. 

You might want to spend a few days in each location before moving on for it to work while you are traveling. You may then make a couple of scouting trips, and if you discover anything worth photographing, you can come back when the light is favorable.

Here is an interesting example of how something unusual can be found during your scouting, however the research didn’t show you anything worth looking at. Let’s say you found a cove while traveling in Corfu through Google Maps, so you went there. You pass this woodland halfway through the run. Corfu is home to many lovely olive trees, yet it might be challenging to locate a picturesque forest. Frequently, there is too much mess or the trees aren't shaped in really attractive ways.

When you come across such places, you stop running, take your phone out, and begin hunting for compositions. To decide if you should bring back your photography equipment, you evaluate the scene's photographic perspective. It turned out to be the case with these woods, so you promptly gave it a star on Google Maps.

When it comes to scouting, not every run is successful, but eventually, you will come across more regularly such locations. If you currently run, see if you can include site scouting in your workout routine. And if you don’t yet, this combo could inspire you to start. Try a quick jog if you are not ready to run. 

Save your time 

Those testing runs aren't only useful for discovering new sites. They might also save you some time. It was already said that you don't just stop at well-known places when you travel, you also travel to lesser-known places that you discovered during your research.

Such a spot might be a stunning olive orchard on your way to the cove you discovered through the maps. You would not know it for sure as the satellite imagery is intriguing yet not complete to understand if it provides any captivating compositions. 

If you arrive at such locations for dawn or sunset without beforehand exploring the area and discover little photographic potential, you lose your precious time that you could have spent photographing another location. Even though, spending time in the outdoors is never wasted. However, it is if you are a travel photographer who depends on the images you capture. 

It doesn't imply that you should never take your photo kit into an undiscovered area. You might not always have the time to do the research. You'd better go for the riskier option if you have to choose between staying indoors and exploring an uncharted area.

Another good example, if you’d go hiking in the highlands of Crete. The day's high winds and expected thunderstorms could prevent you from scheduling any shooting. However, the wind and swiftly moving clouds were all that remained.

Even though going there was risky, you can be rewarded with a ton of subjects and fantastic light at dusk. Would you have gone there instead if you had a scouting location handy that day? Most of you would not, would you? But without it, taking a chance was unquestionably the best strategy.

Keep the joy in your heart

Running and scouting go together naturally for many people just because they like it, but what if that’s not your favorite? Just keep this in mind: having fun with photography is essential for success. The same stands true for scouting. You probably won't switch to exploration mode and discover interesting themes along the way if jogging becomes a hassle because you hate it. 

If you've never tried running, why don’t you give it a try? Perhaps you'll enjoy it. And if not, take a little stroll, as was said above. The other activities, like hiking or being outside in nature, are things you like if you are a landscape photographer. 

Even if you don't jog, occasionally leaving your bulky camera equipment behind on a research trek might increase your effectiveness and allow you to cover more land. During such a walk, you risk the chance of missing a photo if the light suddenly improves, so you must decide whether the faster pace is worthwhile. Well, the faster, the fitter.