google quietly released a new update to google earth recently (this week?) and one particular feature has great potential for photographers of all kinds. anyone that ever works outside knows that weather is typically the first obstacle and given that, light will be next in the trouble line.

applying your bag of tools and using google’s new sunlight feature you’ll definitely have a plan of action. i’m using this already to scout locations as we can finally have an idea of what the light will be doing without relying solely on maps or scouting pictures. here’s what it does if you’re standing north of Mt Hood, OR.

Took me at least 10 minutes to get to the office this am – the sidewalks were icy and I was walking. Had to head down valley to find a few parts I needed recently. Couldn’t shoot a few weeks ago as an Arctic front moved in and the temps dropped way below zero (both c & f).

Gotham it’s not. But working as a location photographer some distance from anything of standard metro value really suits me. Aside from the obvious choices for quality of life, family, space and a ginormous spectrum of recreation the people and pace make a difference.

The way the blogs roll these days it’s hard to not to hear about everything that’s happening. Sure, I know folks that don’t have an email address but it’s for the right reason and suits the lifestyle just fine. My Mac tech on the other hand has an iphone, two old school cell phones and a server farm that registers a noticeable percentage of energy consumption on the local grid.

But I’m down with these discrepancies and I know I’m not the only one. As my office is booking regional and national accounts for the year it always amazes me who chooses to look beyond the options in front of them and who doesn’t. I’m thankful for each client that I get to establish a relationship with but I don’t think they have it too bad either if they get to come visit the Rockies for a week.

With everything from cajun to sushi and amenities that cater to those with means beyond most of us the possibilities for a damn good time are endless (as long as you don’t stay for more than a week). Location wise there the opps are endless – a national park, a lake larger than any freshwater west of the Mississippi, ski resorts, wilderness, Native American communities, vast fields, mountains, and more.

And the thing that ties it together and always brings the greatest of color into my shoots are the people. It’s amazing how rock solid people still are. Access to almost anything here in the northern Rockies is a simple polite question away.

My point is, look around. It’s way too way too easy to get caught up in the latest fads and the current homogenous mindset. It’s common sense to be in touch and up on the latest but that shouldn’t be at the expense of what’s right in front of you. After all, the real adventure consists not of seeing new sights but in seeing the sights around you with new eyes.

“Make visible that, which without you, would never have been seen.”

Robert Bresson