>>2975093Some trips I plan out quite well, some I really wing it. If I'm going to be spending a week somewhere, I will often try to do some online research and find a few good places to start, then I'll look at those locations on Google Terrain maps to see if it's a sunrise or sunset spot. Sometimes I'll use The Photographer's Ephemeris to look at angles of sunlight but not often as topographic info and is really all I need. When venturing into wilderness areas you often cannot find good photos from other photographers, so I'll look at topo maps and google the lake or mountain name and the location and see if I can find any hiker blogs. Many places have at least been poorly documented by an ultra-runner with an iPhone so you can at least see what the landscape looks like. Instagram and hashtags are also a very powerful research tool as you can see current conditions at various locations.
However, sometimes you just have to wander. If I'm looking for intimate scenes I'd rather not do any research. Sometimes I don't want other photographer's interpretations of a landscape to taint my vision before I get there, I want to feel it for myself. Often with national parks I try not to look at too many photos first for that reason, otherwise you just end up finding the tripod holes from other people.
Sometimes I go to the same place over and over, like some of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. I've been to some of them dozens of times but every time is different and eventually you wind up with something special.
Pic related, probably the 30th time I've been to that lake, but that morning was really wonderful and stands out. Provia (I think)
