Websites and apps for scouting photography locations
Asked 1/29/2013
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2 answers
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Is there a website or app that lets photographers share good shooting locations—ideally with a map, photos, and notes/reviews? I'm mainly interested in outdoor photography and location scouting.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
5
At least according to Wikipedia, these types of sites can be referred to as geolocation-oriented photo sharing sites.
Here is the list of what I use:
- Flickr Map
- Google Maps(Click on "Photos" feature)
- Photosynth on Bing Maps(I click into it from the PS site)
- Google Earth
- Panoramio(The same as the two above) - More info at StackOverFlow
- Stuck On Earth(iPad)
- Fotopedia Heritage
- Fotopedia National Parks
- SmugMug Map
- Globitude(I haven't actually used this one)
This next one gets it's own category, because it simply is indispensable for Landscape photography especially, and really any location scouting:
- Photographers Ephemeris(sun and moon calculator)
Also I know that I did not directly answer your question. It is hard for tool to answer the "best photography locations" question - because clearly for each individual the experience can be different. I wouldn't trust some "Yelp" or "TripAdvisor" like review site for locations, I want to see the photos! So to me the above fulfills that need. You can use the different tools to drill down into certain keywords or popular photos in an area, and simply find something that appeals to your eye, and not the text from someone elses reviews! Further - You are probably better off using something like TripAdvisor to just find global destinations to travel to, then use the above to find the actual photo locations that interest you.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—there are several map-based photo sharing and scouting tools that can help you find promising shooting spots. Community answers mention Flickr Map, Google Maps (Photos), Bing Maps/Photosynth, Google Earth, Panoramio, SmugMug Map, Globitude, Stuck On Earth, and Fotopedia apps. These can be useful for seeing geotagged images and exploring viewpoints before you visit.
For landscape work specifically, The Photographer’s Ephemeris is especially valuable because it helps you plan light by showing sun and moon position, which is often more important than simply knowing where other people stood.
That said, no site can reliably tell you the “best” location for every subject. A spot that works well depends on your goals, season, weather, time of day, access, and composition. In practice, these tools are best used as scouting aids: start with map-based photo sites to discover likely viewpoints, then use planning tools like The Photographer’s Ephemeris to decide when to shoot.
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