Iconic locations
Every country in the world is bursting with amazing locations
The idea of ‘insert tripod legs here’ is something of a joke in the landscape photography community, which is used when discussing popular locations where most photographers essentially take the same shot. Some of these places are one-trick ponies where there’s just one viewpoint that provides an image, while others provide greater scope for finding more unique compositions.
Honeypot locations are incredibly popular, as the name suggests, and it’s safe to say that practically every country in the world has them, and their popularity has grown exponentially thanks to social media. This certainly doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of your attention, but it’s often difficult to take more unique shots of them. Well-known honeypot spots are popular for a reason – they’re classic locations where you’re sure to take a great shot if the light and weather conditions are favourable. The problem with these places, however, is that they’ve been photographed a million times before and will be shot a million times again.
It’s often said that in these honeypot locations, the best approach is to get the archetypal shot first so you have that in the bag, before moving onto more experimental compositions and approaches. It’s a logical way to work, because when you know you have ‘the shot’, you’re free of the self-imposed burden to produce an image that works and can let the creative juices flow.
Weather conditions can play a part in making shots of a specific location look different. Think about Corfe Castle in southern England, which is an incredibly popular spot on misty mornings – you’ve no doubt seen numerous images depicting this familiar scene. In situations like these, weather conditions become an integral part of the classic image, and sometimes simply shooting in different weather can be enough to create an image that’s unique. Here are just a few great UK photo spots to get you started…