If you fall in love with your treasured photo hot spots you’ll never run out of photographic subjects. As with any loved one from whom you can’t stand to be away, falling in love with a special place will drive you to go back for more. With photographic subjects, polygamy is acceptable. Having a love relationship with more than one location is welcomed and even beneficial as subject matter changes throughout the seasons as does the practicality of visiting certain places easily and cost effectively. The more local the place the better, but just as long distance relationships may evolve into marriages, long distance photo relationships can develop, grow and prosper.

Get to Love Your Subject #1: Is your loved one a morning person or a night owl? The photographic connection here is learning whether the area you love looks better in sunrise or sunset light. The iconic shot in your cherished place may work better at sunrise or sunset so you make that photograph. But in order to grow the relationship, other options should be explored. If the icon is captured at sunrise, go back at sunset to investigate possibilities. It may take a few outings, but that’s the beauty of developing a good relationship. Look for options, investigate other possibilities and be sure to have fun in the process. Let it evolve and find an additional iconic sunrise shot and then one at sunset. Continue to enjoy the process and fall more deeply in love with the location.


Get to Love Your Subject #2: Is your loved one a planner or more impulsive? The photographic connection here is do you simply jump in your car and head to a local loved place or do you need to plan out the shoot? Regardless, as with all good relationships, spontaneity can be a good thing as can the opposite. If you’re a planner, make an impulsive decision and just go. If you’re impulsive, plan a two or three day outing to make pictures at your favorite location regardless of the weather. Even if the forecast is not favorable, make the trip as you never can predict what you’ll get. In that you’re already enamored with the area, you’ll know what to do and where to be based on the conditions. Take advantage of not so optimum circumstances and exploit them. If you don’t try, you’re guaranteed to not get the shot.

Get to Love Your Subject #3: Does your loved one prefer fast cars or long walks in the park? The photographic connection here is to continue to explore the depths of your loved locale. Use your vehicle to drive around to find new angles. The benefit of the car is a lot of territory can be explored in short spans of time. Use your feet to take long walks. Move slowly and intimately learn the more subtle aspects about your place. You’ll more obviously see its nuances at 2mph as opposed to 40mph. Finding the intimate landscape within the big picture often nets rewarding images.


As evidenced by the images that accompany this article, three of my favorite loved locations are Grand Teton National Park, the Oregon coast, and some local duck ponds close to my home. The Tetons are a nine hour car ride, the Oregon coast requires a trip to the airport and most of the ponds are within a twenty minute drive from my home. I can, and have, applied each of the three scenarios in this article to each of these locations. Develop your own love relationships with your locations so you can enjoy the same feelings I’ve established with mine.

Visit www.russburdenphotography.com for information about his nature photography tours.