How prepared are you when you head out for a photography outing?
I remember a time when I would just get in my truck and decide my photography destination as I was driving along. This was not only poor planning but also selfish for not letting others know where to look for me if I didn’t make it home on time. I had to find a way to let my wife know where I was and also be able to get help to my location even when I am out of cell service.
I found out about a product and service called SpotX. It’s a two way satellite messaging and SOS device. I love it because I attach it to my camera backpack and by just pressing a button I can send a message to my wife’s cell phone and it also shows my location. I also use a web app called The Photographer’s Ephemeris. It’s a map/satellite view that when you place a marker over the location you are going to, it shows the time of sunrise and sunset plus angle for knowing when to be there and if the subject you want to shoot will be backlit.
One more thing, don’t forget to check the tide chart before you head out for a beach shoot. There is nothing like hiking all the way to a beach to photograph and find it’s full of water. The day I took this photo, I didn’t check the tide before hand and walked out to Suquash beach and found the tide high. I managed to find a couple of boulders for a photo. It’s a timed exposure of one second to get the motion of the water effect.
Douglas Bradshaw has lived in the North Island for 33 years. He is a Landscape and Wildlife photographer based out of Port Alice B.C. His website is portalicephoto.com follow him on YouTube and Facebook at Port Alice Photography, Images by Douglas Bradshaw