Planning your Photos.

You may have read the title and thought, ‘What? Planning your photos?’ Let me take you through a real-life example. I’m off to Genoa and my time is, unfortunately, short. I want to make the most of my 48 hours in the city, I need to maximise my time so as well as taking some great photos I also have time to sit back and enjoy Genoa itself.

You know, pavement cafe, nice food and wine and see the most important sights!

I use a few tools to do this. Firstly, Google images;

Google Images

Firstly, I type in ‘Genoa’ into Google. Then click on images

Looking at the results, I look at the pictures I like and click on them to see where they are. You can usually chase the location down in a few clicks. With this in mind, I can see what other photographs are out there and try and think up a new approach or twist to make my photo unique.

Trover

Also, Trover is a useful tool I use – follow me @eccentricenglishman, Trover allows you to search by location. Available on IOS or Android it’s well worth downloading.

The ruins in the screenshot are near Christopher Columbus’ house. They are all that’s left of a monastery That’s on the list of things to see and I discovered that using Trover!

Whilst we are on Social Media, Instagram is also a useful tool. In particular, search hashtags of your location and you are sure to find some great ideas. The link to my Instagram is at the bottom of the page.

Google Street View

Next, when I have a rough list, It’s time for Google street view. I’ll use the area near Chris’ house as an example. The towers in the back of the photo are also of interest, completed in 1161 they formed one of the gates into the city.

 

Looking at the Street View I can see how to get there, what angles are available for photos and where the sun will be at a given time of the day. Sometimes street view can give you a lot more, sometimes it can’t, but it’s always worth a look.

Have a Map

I have an offline map on my phone of the destination I’m going to, just in case signal reception is sketchy. I use the App c:geo and download the offline maps from maps forge. It’s a Geocaching app because I’m a bit of a geek that way. If you haven’t got an offline map, take a photo on your phone of a map on your computer, that way you can zoom in if you need to. with a little time planning your photos, you can maximise your time!

I’ll edit this article with the best photos of my trip so you can see what I managed to achieve on my 48 hours in Genoa.

Edit: Photos as promised

See my Genoa photo gallery for more!

• Firstly, check Google Maps
• Check Trover and Instagram for ideas
• Make a list of locations
• See them on Google StreetView

Below is a selection of the actual gear I use. For the full list of equipment I use to take all these photos check out My Travel Camera Bag  

For all my tips and tricks see my Photography Tutorials page.

To see all my gear, check out What’s In My Camera Bag.

Below is a list of my most popular tutorials on photography.

They form the Basis of  My Top 10 Photography Tips

Click here for my Photography page with all the links on.

Disclaimer: In short, some of the links on this site are affiliate links. These means that if you click on the link and buy the item, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The money, of course, helps go towards the upkeep of the site – so it’s a win-win for both of us! Any videos used on this site if not my own, are, of course, used within Youtube’s sharing guidelines.

Planning your Photos