Using the Internet to Scout a Location
One of the key aspects of successful landscape photography is preparation and planning. Even for those photographers who like 'mindful' photography still choose where and when to go somewhere. In 'olden times', planning meant an Ordnance Survey map and a sun compass, which was obviously good enough for a whole legion of landscape photographers but the Internet now provides us some stunning new tools to plan a photography trip.
In order to illustrate how we can use these new tools, I'll use my up coming trip to Eigg as an example of how I use these tools..
General Overview
The first thing I did was to take a general look around using Google Earth. This first shot is just an overhead view, the same as you would get using Google Earth so no big shakes yet.
The next is a 3D shot showing the way you can position your point of view. Here I've gone for the 'standard' Eigg Laig shot with a slightly higher angle as a bonus.
The next shot gets a little more interesting. Google Earth has had sun simulation for some time but it's only recently had the ability to change the date so you can see where the sun will set and also, more interestingly, where your twighlight glow will be..
Another program that does the sunrise/sunset thing (but has a lot more features) is the Photographer's Ephemeris by Stephen Trainor. This is a stunning little peice of software is simple to use and gives you nearly all the information you need.
As a quick aside about this program, click here checkout this blog post from Stephen explaining how you can use his program to calculate the relative angles between different locations to see just when the sun will crest that mountain. This is not straightforward to do but is invaluable when planning a particular shot or ensuring you are up the mountain at the right time. I've just used it to find out that the Sun will scan over the tips of the mountains in Fairy Pools, Skye starting at 9.30am (where actual sunrise is 7am). Anyway - on with the story..
However, as I was looking around the island using Google Earth, I noticed some interesting looking lochans near the Sgurr and Google Earth shows lots of shots from Panoramio (Google's version of Flickr).
I took at look at the 1:50,000 overlay map overlay (available from Gavin Brock's website and not officially licensed for Google Earth but it works unofficially very well indeed.
So this looks like somewhere nice to camp out overnight so I tried out another useful tool called 'Hey What's That?' which can show you the view on the horizon from any point. I set it up to look at the view from the lochan I was interested in. This clearly shows Rum and the other small islands as well as the fact we can see the far mountains on the horizon. The 'cloaking' view shows in red the areas where you can see from the top of the island.
I can take a more detailed look at the area with Multimap's new OS button that gives you interactive access to the OS Explorer 1:25,000 maps.
One extra tool that I use to take a wander around an area is called Geograph. It's an open source attempt to get a photograph for every square kilometer of the UK. However, it's already managed most kilometer squares and in some places is going past that to 100m squares. Here is a sample area covering Goredale Scar in the Yorkshire Dales.
Which you can plugin into Google Earth by downloading the KML file (just click on the KML link of the Geograph home page). I've also added flickr images to this Google Earth view around the Sgurr of Eigg. The red dots are flickr pictures, the tiny thumbnails are geograph pictures, the blue dots are panoramio pictures/
Finally, with the proviso that some people may not like this bit, I like to use Flickr, Alamy, Corbis and Google image search to browse around items of interest around a target location. This gives me an idea of potential features, geography, etc. I stress that I don't use this to plagiarise compositions although I won't avoid a shot whilst I'm on location because I'm reminded of one I saw previously.
These are some of the results for the area around the peak I'm interested in on Eigg.
by Sue White
This is just a quick overview of the tools I'm using to plan trips out, if you want to ask any questions or have any additional online tools you find useful, let me know and I'll expand on this article a bit..
Don't forget though, there is nothing more important than legwork once you are out there. I'm hoping to camp in the hollow near the small lochan at the north end of the ridge, having taken some sunset shots and in preparation for some dawn glow around the geological features that surround the area.
If anybody has been up to this ridge, I'd love to know your experiences and any tips!
ADDENDUM: More pictures in another blog post
Highlight this Comment Neil Bryce23/08/2009, 11:04
Hi Tim, you techno geek you. I hope you're not planning to take your LF gear and camping stuff by yourself, I hope you can spread the load between others as it is quite a slog. I'd recommend cadging a lift to the track south of the Sgurr and walking in from there as there is a decent footpath. If you were planning to walk in from Cleadale it could take most of the day and is very boggy especially after rain on the rough terrain north of the Sgurr.
I haven't done sunrise or sunset from up there but I feel it may work a bit better as a morning location.
Good luck, it really is a fantastic location, you'll be going back for more.
Highlight this Comment Issa farhoud24/08/2009, 09:03
Tim I look forward to seeing the finished articles, neil is spot on, " techno geek"
Have agreat time, also look forward to seeing Dav and Mr Arthur photos too.
Highlight this Comment Adam Long24/08/2009, 17:55
Distances aren't too far on Eigg so walking shouldn't be a problem unless you're in a rush; you'll probably break a sweat on the way up the hill from the ferry though! An alternative is to camp in the nice spot overlooking the bay by the ferry pier. Spent two five day trips here in in 01/02 whilst on a climbing trip, magical place. I meant to, but never did, make it over to the Bay of Laig - to my serious regret since Joe's book came out!
You've done well spotting a great area though north of the Sgurr, of all the places I've been its one of the most enchanting. The landscape here is on a peculiarly human scale, like the Scotland's great glens reduced to legoland scale. Worth reading up on the origins of the name Loch nam Ban Mora too...
I've been using Google Earth to scout locations too, due to the overhead photography it does have limitations in areas with a lot of vertical relief though - unfortunately the mountain and cliff areas I tend to be after. Maps suffer from the same problem - contour lines overlapping are always tantalising but offer little idea of what huge overhanging cliffs actually look like (check maps of Yosemite or Harris' Sron Ulladaihl).
Highlight this Comment Struan Gray25/08/2009, 13:00
Of all the various tools available now, the one I actually use the most to help my photography is computerised tide tables. Once in-place I tend to tune in to the local rhythms and I just know where the tide is going to be, but for short trips, or if I want to know the state of the tide at sunset on my first few nights, the computer programs are a big help.
I mostly use Google and the like for looking up place names after the fact.
Highlight this Comment Doug Chinnery25/08/2009, 14:16
Tim Outstanding information in this blog - you have shown me stuff I never knew existed. I now have to download and play with all to see how it works in reality.
I have the feeling my trip planning is now going to take longer, but will be more fruitful.
I especially love the app which shows the dawn glow on different dates. Now that is powerful in getting the ultimate image.
I shall be linking to this from my blog, if that is okay with you?
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin25/08/2009, 14:35
@Doug: Link away!! Don't forget to blog about how the results compare with the planning though :-)
Highlight this Comment David O25/08/2009, 19:40
I'm going to get through this without calling you a G££K! (which would seem fair as (i) it's your site and (ii) I haven't met you....I reserve the right though if I do meet you!)
Very useful info but I wld make the point - not strictly the subject of this blog - that has been asked elsewhere....... whether to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail and whether preparing too much may hamper creative spontanaeity. I would hope to be somewhere in the middle. I suspect that, if I was on a solo trip, I would look at Google Earth, tide timetables and perhaps an OS map of local area. I would also use Flickr to give me a view as to what is obtainable and if all I can manage is the "tourist" shot, then so be it and better luck next time. I have noticed however many references to a site that offers photographic guides (http://www.freephotoguidesuk.blogspot.com) which looks useful and informative but I haven't actually used it yet. It's aim seems to try to cover as many places as possible, even worldwide.
So, if I do what I would normally do, that gets me to about checkpoint 1 or 2 of the 6 or 7 checkpoints to which you refer in your main blog. I hope it isn't laziness on my part but, on the balance of probabilities, I would not look at websites that can reveal incidence of light on local topography as I would fully expect not to see the sun at all if I were to go to Scotland! My point is that I will determine many months before I make a trip when I will go and this time will be fixed, so I will have to deal with whatever the weather is at the time. There is a feeling of a "just turn up" approach and "deal with it" but I do enjoy photography on that basis and if I manage to "find an image", the sense is overwhelming. I suspect though, without doubt, that, over time, your approach will yield "better" and more novel/original results....nothing ventured nothing gained after all. I will certainly make use of your very useful tips.
Don't forget your 5D Mk 2 on your trip (I presume you a strong chap) and I would be very interested to hear whether your research/planning give you the results you must be hoping for.
Rgds
David
Highlight this Comment Charles Twist25/08/2009, 21:18
Hello Tim,
Very generous of you to share all this information. I do worry about over-preparation, but if time is in short supply and/or you have a long hike, then I see the point. The biggest difficulty is finding good foreground material. I suppose you could pull it from an existing picture and stick it to the Google Earth pic - paint in some sky (I am sure there is a fractal program somewhere to do it for you) and you can save yourself the night in a tent. You know it will rain, don't you? This is your chance to create theoretical landscape photography - cheaper and less strife. Tempted?
Only other websites I can think of are Rent-a-Sheep.com for the essential ovine in the foreground. Or if you're a stock photographer, there's Hire-a-Hiker.com. Not to be confused with Hira Hika - the chap behind JVC which started off as the Japanese View Camera. Bet you didn't know that!
Best regards, Charles
PS Bring on April 1st, 2010...
Highlight this Comment Richard Childs26/08/2009, 08:31
Hi Tim
the pinnacle you wish to visit is on the amphitheatre cliffs behind Cleadale directly above the cottage i stayed in when i first visited in 2005. There are actually quite a few so you will definitely be able to make a different image from here. It can be climbed up zig zags at the northern end of the island or off the road before it descends to Cleadale. Stick near the edge to avoid wet ground. Also walk to the far end of Laig bay and have a look in the gorge behind the farm to view the waterfall then climb the hill through a narrow cleft into lichen dripping forest. I will email a couple of images to illustrate views on and around An Sgurr too.
Richard
Highlight this Comment Tim parkin26/08/2009, 08:39
Many thanks Richard! Coming that way should save some time and I wanted to check out the coast there anyway (there are also some abandoned croft houses on the south west of the island below the ridge that look interesting). Is it OK to post some pictures on this web article if I credit them?
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin26/08/2009, 12:04
Hi Charles,
I should have pointed out in the post that this isn't the amount of preparation I do for every trip. This process is really useful if you are looking for subjects 'off the beaten track'. For instance, without the google information, I'm not sure I would have gone to the top near the Sgurr as it's a long way to go ans stay for the night with the risk of it just being an exposed lump of rock with no view of Rum (for example).
I would always check the sunrise/sunset times and when twighlight starts/ends as I like to arrive in time to make the most of the increasing light (or decreasing) - If you are in the mountains and just use the satndard times, you might find you are in a shaded valley until midday!!
As for checking other photographs, these are mainly jus to get an idea of what the landscape looks like. The geograph photos are mostly artistically appalling but for providing information about tree species/variety, undergrowth, possible views, etc the information can help you make an informed choice between multiple locations. For nstance, when we go to Argyll in October, I would never have considered visiting the Wet Plantation in Saddell had I not scanned the pictures along the coast in geograph/google earth and seen some very nice old growth forest.
As for rain, the landscape is stll there, you just have to work it differently. Worst case scenario is to use Google Earth to find the areas of intimate detail (there are abandoned croft houses I found on the south west of the island for instance and wet weather always makes rocks look nice and shiny!)
Presumably for rent a hiker, you pay more if you want a red jacket? (national geographic joke) You forgot to mention rent a landscape prop too! (see my flickr account).
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin26/08/2009, 12:10
Hi David,
Don't get me wrong, I still go out often with no partcular plan apart from a walk with a camera. For instance I'll take a drive over to Keld Head Scar (Twistleton) and then just walk around looking at places I've been before and branching out now and again to look at new bits of limestone. This sort of walk needs some familiarity though. Just driving to some random place at any old time and walk aroundfor a few hours isn't probaly going to be particularly productive. My minimum planning would be a check of an OS explorer map or Google Earth.
And yes, I will be taking my 5Dmk2 and hope to bring back some interesting stuff (video and photos).
Highlight this Comment Tim parkin26/08/2009, 12:11
@Struan - Tide tables! I kept on thinking I'd forgotten something. I'll add that in too.. Important for Bay of Laig too!
Highlight this Comment Richard Childs26/08/2009, 20:35
No problem. Just scanning some 6x7 trannies of Cleadale to show you.
Highlight this Comment Tim Parkin31/08/2009, 22:06
@adam - it will be nice when they get street view for walkers! ;-)
Highlight this Comment Antony Spencer07/09/2009, 21:01
Wow! That photographers ephemeris software is absolutely superb. A massive thanks Tim, will be using this a great deal in the future!
Highlight this Comment Adam Long09/09/2009, 16:39
Unlikely I think!!
Rest assured the view from the Sgurr is one of the best on the west coast. Rather more photogenic than most mountain-top vistas too - the narrow columns of the pitchstone make for great foreground.
Highlight this Comment jason theaker09/09/2009, 19:58
Oh My GOD!!! Man olive, you really have some research there. fantablous work Tim... By the way have you considered stellarium?
Highlight this Comment Craig Weldon19/10/2009, 10:58
Good grief... my legwork consists of other people's pics, a map, and imagination!
There are still quite a few imaginary pics I haven't taken yet - for example the Cobbler in winter from the Luss Hills opposite, the snow dawn pink. it is the only viewpoint where the horns of the Cobbler will appear perfectly symmetrical. One day, perhaps.
Highlight this Comment Douglas Griffin26/05/2010, 08:59
Great post, Tim - some wonderful information here.
Thanks too for a tip in the notes to one of the photos in your Gallery - I had just been planning a summer trip to Rum, but I recently upgraded to a full-frame DSLR and my widest angle is now 24mm, and it sounds like this isn't quite wide enough for the standard Bay of Laig/Singing Sands shots. I'll have to wait till next year, by which time I'll hopefully have saved enough for a wider-angle camera!
Cheers - only just discovered your Blog, it's fantastic.
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