Trip Report #2: Scouting, Among Other Things.

Last night I had another chance to get up to Shenandoah National Park for a hike and some scouting for photography. I was hoping there'd be some clouds, but as the evening went on they unfortunately fizzled. That's alright, anytime getting out is good, and combined with scouting for compositions, it's a nice time.

Scouting is something that I have not really been great at doing over the years, but the more I do it, the more I realize the benefit.

The idea is simple: go to a location, check the area for compositions, get familiar with the place as far as the direction of the sun, etc. Then when conditions are right, you can head up and already have a scene in mind.

If you're new to photography, even if it's just something you want to do a little more of with your phone, consider scouting. That is, if you know you have the opportunity to return to a spot.

Scouting: The idea is simple: go to a location, check the area for compositions, get familiar with the place... when conditions are right.... you can head up and already have a scene in mind.

There's also tons of apps out there to help in the planning. Google earth/maps, sunset/sunrise predictions, apps that give the direction of the sun, weather apps; All of these come into play to help determine the best time to visit a location for whatever you're looking for.

And an aside to those non-photographers reading this. If you're wondering what a composition is photographically, in short it's just the arrangement of the elements within an image. If you ever wonder "why'd they put that there?", it's because of a decision the photographer made with their composition.

As for me, I'm kind of a bull in a China shop. Every outing is like it's the most important shoot of my life. And I can be all over the place. That's not a great way to go about it.

I was drawn to the peeling bark and the strange almost eye-like section on this Yellow Birch. I'm also a big fan of contrast of light and dark in images.

Along the way I remembered that I want to actually document my trips. So if something caught my eye, try to take a moment to shoot it. This ends up being almost a game, and also distracting and time consuming. But in a good way. It also made the pretty steep hike a little less painful on the knees.

Sun-stars are a favorite to photograph. Quick Tip: To shoot sun-stars, use a narrow aperture (f/16 or narrower) and slightly block the sun with something, whether a tree branch, or what-not.

Shenandoah itself is an interesting mix of flora, fauna, and geology. It's densely forested, yet you have access to see some interesting and amazing geologic features such as columnar jointing (think Devil's Tower in Wyoming, just on a smaller scale), and the many rock outcrops throughout the park.

Even so, I've always found it a challenge to photograph. It's a much more 'subtle' environment compared to more dramatic landscapes like the American west.

If I'm correct on the flower-type, Meadowsweet was prolific through the hike.

It was nice to see even into September that many wildflowers were still blooming. Yellow, white, and purple flowers dotted sections of trail.

A lone deer caught my attention. I spent just a few moments watching it as it crossed the trail behind me.

Birds sung in the trees, a deer, not bothered by my presence at all, slowly made its way through the woods. No bear today, but on my return I did hear a coyote howl not too far off.

Other than the deer, however, in my experience wildlife tends to make itself heard, but not seen. Maybe I just walk too loudly and scare them off. Very likely.

What I'm getting at is, what was going to be a scout trip really turned into something a little more enjoyable. Just time out in nature.

You might find it hard to believe, but I actually don't really like hiking in and of itself. Walking up hill on loose and uneven ground isn't the most fun option to me. But the sights and sounds, the quiet, the photography, the time alone with God, those I absolutely enjoy.

Finally at the top, I was able to take in the views, but also check out the interesting geology of the area.

What I'm getting at, what was going to be a scout trip really turned into something a little more enjoyable. Just time out in nature.

As I write this, trying to find the balance between helpful information and just sharing an adventure, might I add this. Maybe a take away from all of this, is that if you are scouting, that it shouldn't close your eyes to the moment. No matter what or when, there are images to be had. Maybe they won't be the next cover page of a Landscape magazine, but they still tell a story; a story of your time there. It's something I need to try to do more.

That really translates into life doesn't it? Food for thought, but basically, maybe we shouldn't get so caught up in the objective all the time, but recognize the journey as well.

Self-portrait at the top right at sunset. Used my phone for this one, not as great of quality, but felt it still tells a story.

And so, I guess that's what I'm trying to do here, is share that time with you. It wasn't an unusual outing to the park. Yet, I find in retrospect, it was its own little story. That said, I did actually have a successful scouting mission. Lord willing, I'll be able to return soon under more dramatic weather conditions. Until then I'll leave you with the photo of the evening.

... maybe we shouldn't get so caught up in the objective all the time, but recognize the journey as well.

What drew me was the texture on the rocks, and the way the sun lit them up. Finally, while keeping the horizon level, I tried to keep the full 'heart' shape of that one particular rock fully in the scene, without getting my foot in it as well, as I was straddling the rock infront of those, just outside of the scene. I'll just say I had to do some strange maneuvers to get the spot I wanted. Regardless, here's the image.