Revisiting The Same Location To Improve Your Landscape Photography
Why You Should Photograph The Same Location Again & Again
Do you shoot the same location over and over, or once and never go back?
Of course this can depend on the location and your ability to return. It’s very different if it’s somewhere relatively close to home as opposed to somewhere on the other side of the world.
If possible, many photographers will keep visiting until they get the conditions that they are looking for.
“It’s amazing how differently you can see something after leaving it alone for a while and then revisiting it later.”
~ Rachel Wolchin (American Author)
Other photographers will only visit once and they are done. Or, they won’t even visit famous locations as they believe there is nothing new or unique to be found there.
Many of you will recognise the location above and, for those who don’t, this is the classic shot of the 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road of Victoria, Australia.
In reality we can’t always be travelling and seeing new, exciting locations. To be out photographing regularly we need to be revisiting the same locations – some of them over and over again.
I for one believe that visiting the same location numerous times has many benefits.
This post aims to help you see value in revisiting the same location more than once – multiple times even!
Different Times And Seasons
No location, yes even landscapes are the same throughout the year.
As months, weather, lighting and plant growth change, the landscape also changes throughout the seasons.
Autumn and winter are probably the most common examples of this, but don’t discount all the new plant growth and life that starts in spring.
It can be a great project to take the same shots of a location across the year in the different seasons to really showcase this.
Every visit will be different in some or many ways, and every shoot will show you something new and different.
With seascapes, the tide can have a dramatic effect on your photos. If you’ve only gone to a location at high tide, go back at low tide to see what I mean here. Quite often you will only see certain rock formations, or even changing patterns in the sand when the tide is low.
This is also true of the position of the sun. Knowing the position of where the sun will rise and set in relation to your location really changes your sunrise and sunset images.
Many photographers plan their shoots out months in advance on the position of the sun. While they can’t control the actual conditions of the day, where the sun will rise and set can be planned. The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a great tool to help with this.
I will mention astrophotography here even though it’s really not something I do. The position of the milky way also changes throughout the year which totally transforms the night skies.
Increasing The Chance Of Amazing Conditions
You may get lucky, but the reality is that it’s very rare you will get the perfect conditions at a location on your first visit.
It usually takes several visits, and still not guaranteed unfortunately. I’m sure we all have a location that we have visited numerous times, and are still to walk away with the image we were hoping for.
Having said that, each time we revisit the same location, we are increasing our chances of getting ‘that’ shot.
The conditions are different every single time. Yes, you can use various weather apps and tools that help predict this, however none of them are one hundred percent accurate.
If you have found one that is, please let me know!
This can be incredibly frustrating, particularly where time and effort is required, but the reward can be ever so worth it.
Even when you do have a shot from a location that you are happy with, going back can still be fun. There will always be different conditions and who knows, you could take an even better image!
New Gear
While gear isn’t the be all and end all (honestly), having the right landscape photography gear really can make a difference to how you photograph.
This is no different to when it comes to photographing the same location again (ok, and again lol).
Whether it’s coming back with a new lens, tripod, or even filters, this can change your experience dramatically.
Having a tripod or filters can open up lots of new possibilities and possibly some long exposure photography if that’s new to you.
A new lens can also totally change your perspective and compositions. That could be a wide angle lens for the grand vistas, or a telephoto to get up close and personal.
New Techniques
Along with new gear, can come learning new techniques. This doesn’t mean you can’t learn new techniques with the gear you already have.
Even if you just have a tripod you can learn new compositions and start with longer exposures than you could do hand held.
This alone will help make photographing the same location that much more interesting.
Techniques can also include those that are completed in post processing (or editing).
You may wish to learn focus stacking or exposure blending for example. You will need to learn the techniques from shooting the necessary base images, and then learn the blending techniques in your post processing.
The options really are endless here and it’s not necessarily about buying new gear – sorry, not sorry lol.
Improvement In Your Photography
The photography learning journey is never over, so each time you revisit the same location, your vision and skills will be different.
This is particularly true when the time increases between each visit.
Particularly as a beginner you can be disappointed with your first attempts at a location. You might get home, or realise later as you learn, and see how differently (or ‘better’) you could have photographed the location.
It can be very beneficial to look at your photos and ask if you could have done them any better. There are many factors here of course, but a few things to consider could include –
- Composition
- Shutter Speed
- Aperture
This is the perfect example of where going back to the same location again and again can help improve your photography.
This self-critique can be very helpful for not just visiting this location again, but for all future shoots.
Revisiting can also give you opportunities to try different compositions as well as techniques you may not have time for with just one visit.
Previous Experience
No matter how much research we do, it’s impossible to predict everything when we visit a new place. The weather apps will only take us so far.
We also have to decide what equipment to take and what to leave at home so we can actually still carry our bags!
So it’s inevitable we will wish we brought a different lens, filters and heaven forbid we could have forgotten our tripod.
Another advantage of revisiting the same location is that you learn the area and the terrain itself. Ultimately, this will make it easier to discover more unique compositions.
It really can take time and patience to become familiar with a location. You can only do so much research beforehand in your planning.
And to be honest, it can be nice going somewhere that’s familiar, particularly when it’s in the dark before sunrise. You know where to park, roughly how long it takes you to get to where you want to shoot. Even more importantly, you know where to find the best coffee afterwards!
When we first go to a new location, particularly a famous one, it’s natural to go for the obvious shots. There’s nothing wrong with this – there is a reason they are iconic locations!
But, once you’ve got those shots, you want to be able to look around and try and take your own original images.
This is not always possible in just one visit, so going back to the same location again and again can really give you some unique images.
Showing Others The Location
When you have friends, especially other photographers, visit your area, it’s great to take them to a beautiful local spot. They will also really appreciate the local knowledge you’ve built up by revisiting several times.
You never know, they may return the favour when you visit their area.
Another benefit of going with other photographers is that they will see things that you may have missed. They will have fresh eyes and may even give you some ideas you haven’t considered.
Conclusion
Seriously, do you need any of the above reasons to return to the same location? Being out in nature is always time well spent, and you can never have too many photos right?
Do you have a favourite location that you have visited over and over? Do you think it has helped your photography? I’d love to hear from you, so please comment below.
I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this post.
That’s it for now – Keep clicking and stay caffeinated
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Here’s some more articles and resources I think you’ll like:
- Planning A Photography Shoot
- Essential Landscape Photography Gear
- Sunrise and Sunset Photography Tips
- 7 Important Things That Nobody Tells You About Photography
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Note – This post does not contain any sponsored or affiliated links. All suggestions and opinions are mine. Unless otherwise stated, all photos are mine and remain my copyright images – Sam Wilson Photography.
