Should you not plan your photographs?
You have a trip ahead. Or want to shoot locally.
You think of all the options for planning the shoot.
You might get overwhelmed by it.
You consider not planning at all...
but the thought of coming away with nothing scares you.
This is what I’ve felt too.
I do plan... but to an extent.
I feel I plan much less than other landscape photographers out there.
Today, I’d like to share the reason why you should consider planning less. And the system I use to do so myself.
After today’s Letter, you will:
have the 3 best tools for planning
be able to get the best shots possible
have more fun planning AND shooting
know whether you should scout locations or not
have a system for storing all ideas about what to shoot
Let’s start, my friends.
Should you be specific when you're planning?
In my opinion, yes and no.
It depends.
Let's say a client has hired you. And thus you have high stakes of getting the exact shot. Then absolutely. The better you know what you're getting into, the better. You don't want to disappoint the client.
However, if you're not shooting for anyone else, I'd argue sometimes you can plan too much...
How I approach planning
I like to know something about what I'm getting into.
This includes:
possible subjects
the possible weather
and maybe have some photos from others to refer to saved on my phone.
That's it when it comes to figuring out what to shoot.
95% when I go shoot, I only know the 2 first on that list.
Why don't I plan more?
I've found out it's good to leave jiggle room.
Sometimes, you spot something AMAZING on the way to the main spot. And now, you're faced with a hard decision:
Whether to shoot this and miss the main spot - or to continue forward?
This shot could be magical. But you might be so fixated on that original shot you had in mind, that you might miss this shot.
And often, these random photo ideas, are unique photos you can make.
They've not been photographed much. And thus, can make for more interesting photos.
The importance of being flexible
I tend to do minimal planning last minute. I've found that works fine for me.
Right now as of writing this, I've arrived in Finnish Lapland. I'll be here for 2+ weeks.
Have I planned out my entire trip? Nope haha.
2 nights ago, I started planning more in detail. (We'll get into what exactly I write down when planning in a bit.)
I have 4 locations written down. And I know what I could shoot there.
This makes me more open-minded.
If I spot something on the way, I might shoot that and not finish the hike.
If I notice the original subject doesn't work, my day isn't ruined. It was only 1 of the possibilities.
This is the thing with landscape photography especially:
Light plays a huge part.
Sometimes light is better in other directions you didn't think of photographing.
It's foolish to not photograph that if the shot looks amazing.
Like Nigel Danson, an amazing British photographer said something like this:
"If you keep waiting for the best shot, you might end up with no shot. Rather take great shots, than chase for a perfect one and get nothing."
The same thing with the Northern Lights.
You can plan all you want, but they "decide" in which direction they'll be in. You need to adapt and change your composition & possible subject.
Adapt. I feel that's the keyword for planning.
Be prepared. Know what you're getting into. But be open-minded and flexible.
RARELY do I know what exactly I'm gonna shoot. Most often it goes like this:
I have an idea
Once at the spot, I realize it doesn't work like I thought
Think and try out different compositions
Land on 1. Shoot it.
Sometimes I plan on shooting with my telephoto lens (Sony 70-200mm F/4), but then I realize it doesn't work.
I need to be flexible and know what to do if the sh*t hits the fan basically.
And this gets easier over time.
In the beginning, you'll have a hard time coming up with good compositions. And seeing patterns such as leading lines and repeating patterns in photos.
But the more you practise, the more you'll improve. And the better you'll be able to adapt.
Most of my best photos are not what I set out to get.
Let's take Love is in the air as an example.
I knew:
I'd be shooting the Northern Lights
I could have myself in the image
The shot would be wide-angle
That's basically what I knew.
I had this one composition in mind from a Star Wars show haha. I knew I could use it as inspiration (which I did.)
From The Book of Boba Fett by Lucasfilm
But I did NOT know:
What direction would the Northern Lights be
How long of a window would I have to get the shot
What settings would I need to use
Once I spotted the Lights, I adjusted. And got one of my best shots to date.
The same story is true with many photographs, such as my most famous shot Lost in the middle of nowhere. (Read more on how I made that shot here.)
Being flexible, patient & determined are the keys to getting a good shot.
Have a story in mind
Most of my photos are wide-angle shots and have a human in them.
Why?
Because that helps me tell the story I want to tell.
I want to show we're insignificant when it comes to the entire universe. And showcase how gorgeous nature is.
Having a small human, it giving scale to the wonders of nature, achieves this story.
When you know the story you want to tell, you can come up with a composition faster.
Such as last night when I was shooting Auroras.
(Learn more on how to shoot them here.)
We had, literally, a 1-2 minute window when the sky opened up and saw them. And it opened up in a completely different direction than I had planned.
But I knew the story I wanted to tell. So I asked my dad to go to the photograph and had him as the small human.
And it worked.
Focus on knowing the story you want to tell before the shoot, and your life will become easier.
Hugo, do you scout locations beforehand?
For those who don't understand what this means, it means do I visit locations before I intend to shoot them.
The answer is... 99.99% of the time, no.
Why?
I don't find it fun. And I am so busy - so I don't want to do it.
Would it be beneficial?
Yep.
But it's not beneficial enough for me personally.
How I approach scouting is, that I arrive earlier.
I don't arrive just when I need to shoot.
I arrive 15-45 minutes earlier so I'll get to have a look around. For sunrises, this can be a bit longer (as you'll often get the best light immediately when the sun rises.)
This keeps photographing much more fun for me and works for me.
Often, I do indeed know the possible compositions and subjects beforehand, so I don't feel it's beneficial to hike the same place twice. Or drive a lot twice.
Now, at times I do it. Such as 2 days ago, I was thinking of hiking a fell during the day so that I know better how to compose at night.
If it's pitch black and you have no idea what could you photograph or have as a foreground, it's very difficult.
So in that case, yes, it makes sense. And is much safer that way too.
But most often, I don't scout as I feel I know enough what I'm getting into already.
3 Tools for planning
I use tools to plan my photos at times.
I use them on-field - but at home too.
This saves me time. And allows me to take better photos.
1) Photopills is an app many photographers use.
It's paid. But it's amazing.
It gets you to see many things, such as:
the position of the Milky Way and sun (in advance)
The exact times for golden hour, blue hour and so on
and other stuff I never use, lol.
2) Another tool I recommend is Photo Ephemeris.
This is free on the computer. But paid on the phone.
I only use the computer version.
There are many things this allows. But mainly, I use it to see what direction is the light coming from, if I don't know already.
But, this said, it is close to Photopills.
I prefer it when it comes to seeing where the will sun be. But that's about it.
Lastly, the app that can help you come up with the most unique shots...
3) Google Earth.
Some of you, are now confused about how on Earth (no pun intended) it helps planning.
Well... let me explain.
You write a location you want to go to.
Then, it'll take you there and have a 3D map for you.
It's not good for finding specific things in the foreground. But you can get an idea what the place looks like.
What this is AMAZING especially for is drone photography.
The view you're seeing from Google Earth, could literally be your photograph!!
You get to see your drone photo in advance!
How crazy is that?
This same can be used for high-altitude shots, of course.
But what else this can be used for is finding new locations.
You have satellite data of basically the entire Earth.
So you can sit at your computer, and just find interesting things.
At times I discover cool mountain ranges, rivers and areas that have not been photographed.
Google Earth is free. Use it, my friends.
Using other people's photos as inspo
When I see a photo I wish I had taken, I save it to my IG folders. Or just screenshot it for later.
This will give me an understanding of what's possible at a location. And serve as inspiration for my photos.
I like to do this before I embark to a new location, just checking IG.
I type in the name of the place and see what others have done there.
BUT! At times I intentionally don't do this.
Why?
Because if you see what others have done, you'll have a harder time making it your own.
You'll be drawn to take the same shot as they do. And you might oversee the unique photo opportunities.
Beware of that.
The exact info I save for planning:
Destination or route name
Length of a hike in km
Length of the hike in time (i.e. 1 hour one way)
Driving distance to the starting point
Starting point address
What direction to drive to (if I have a base, I find it helpful to write a note of this)
Circle route? (Yes or no)
What to see and photograph
Importance of visiting (rating from 1-5)
Recommended by someone?
Photo inspo (link)
And I mark if my access to the spot was denied later on.
This will give me all the information I find useful.
And it all is in 1 place.
This said I have an exciting announcement.
For the 1st time in the history of The Saturday Creative, I have a free download for you!
I have copied a Google Sheet and made it available for download.
It has all these points written down. Feel free to take advantage of this.
(You can of course use it as an Excel too if you prefer.)
Download it from here (clicking doesn't start the download. It'll take you to another page.)
Last words
Hope you find this helpful. :) Was fun writing this, as always.
I'd recommend planning something and knowing why you're going to shoot, and what. But do your best to not get too fixated on photographing 1 thing. Being flexible with your subjects will make your life so much easier. And you'll get photos you would not get otherwise.
Right now I'm in Lapland as I mentioned, I'm excited to see what can I capture and share with you.
I do believe I can write Newsletters weekly here. But in case you won't hear from me, it's because I've been focused on shooting (I mean... hopefully that'd be the reason instead of everything that can go wrong here lol.)
Till (hopefully) next Saturday,
Hugo
P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
#1: Ready to crush it on social media in 2024? Click here to apply to my Social Media Coaching Program.
#2: Have you seen my YouTube channel? I'm putting stuff out there too. I bet you'd find it valuable. Check out my latest videos and come give me a like and subscribe. :)
#3: I offer 1-1 Photography Coaching. This is for those serious about improving the fastest. If interested, respond to this email and let's chat about how can I help you.
