One of the hardest things about photography is making that crucial decision that this is the place you definitely want to shoot. The difficulty of it is probably the reason that so many photographers gravitate toward studio work — it takes a lot of that stress away. With studio work, you’re always facing forward and everything can adjust to you. It’s a whole different beast finding a great angle and a well-lit shot out in the big wide scary world with a few billion options on every street corner. To me, navigating the real world and finding a spot to shoot in is a far greater photography skill set than learning studio lighting or even camera settings — and far less discussed. Even with a great location scout, it’s still on the photographer to figure out the right angle, composition and light.
So, for this little journey, I’m going to discuss the five ways I’ve learned to recognize a great scene when I come across it. Or to find it in just about any scenario. Later I’m going to cover how to make a great scene from a not-so-great spot — but for now, here’s how you know you’ve found yourself a great place to shoot:
