Wherever I travel, I like to get that iconic, postcard shot. The Eiffel tower in Paris, or the medieval abbey of Mont Saint Michel. Even though these are common subjects, with a little care and preparation, they can make awesome images that will look great on the wall.
Before traveling, I do some searching of the internet for images of the destination city. I like using Google Image search as a starting point and identify prominent and photogenic landmarks and features. In our recent trip to Bordeaux, the Water Mirror struck my fancy. This is a fountain and very shallow splash pad that creates a mirror-like surface reflecting some beautiful old buildings.
The next step is to find out where the landmark is located and plan a place from which to take the picture. There are many apps and tools that can help with this. I fire up PlanIt! Pro on my Android phone. I’ll place markers on the map for the subject and camera locations. Then, if available in the area, I will use the built-in street-view to preview the location. I can set the date and time of day and check when sunrise and sunset will occur and see the positions of the sun and moon. Check the focal lengths guides, so you know which lens to use.
This is where I play around and try to visualize the shot I want to make. For the water mirror shot, I knew that the buildings are to the west of the mirror and they are illuminated at night. Shooting across the mirror into the sunset could make a spectacular image, with the fading, dark blue sky, and yellowy-orange illuminated buildings and depending on the weather, the sky could be dramatic too. This is my plan.
There is a saying “no plan survives contact with the enemy”. This is doubly true for photography! There might be construction, or road-works or scaffolding, or the weather can be uncooperative. Virtual scouting is no substitute for being there and seeing the place in person. If possible, I try to go to the location before my intended time for the photo and see the place for myself. This allows me to if the expected lens and pov will work. Checking things out ahead of time makes it easier later when setting up the shot for real under time pressure when the light is fading. If I have the time, I also try some different compositions or sketch images. Again, this allows me to play around so that I’ll be prepared and know exactly what I’m going to shoot later.
When the intended time comes for the photo, I make sure to get into position and set up a little early. You might think you have plenty of time, however when the sun is rising or setting, things happen far quicker than you expect. Being prepared ahead of time gives me the best opportunity to make the best photo I can. Patience is key. I take many photos and adjust the exposure settings as required. After travelling all that way, it would be a shame to just take one snapshot and leave and hope it’s good. I stay a little longer and take many images so that I can select the best later.
When I was taking the picture of the Water Mirror in Bordeaux, I hadn’t heeded my own advice. I hadn’t spent as much time scouting as I should have. There is a time during the fountain’s cycle when mist sprays up from the mirror. I hadn’t anticipated this and since I was using the XF10-24, which isn’t weather sealed, I had to pick up and my tripod and move it away to avoid the fine mist blowing around and return it into position after the mist stopped. In this case I was lucky that there were tiles on the floor and I’d made sure to align the feet of the tripod along the grout lines between the tiles. This made it simpler to return the tripod to the exact same position every time. Additionally, there were also a number of other photographers taking photos at the same time. It’s only polite to not hog a prime position.
