Boulders on the beach on Cape Cod Bay at the Center Hill Preserve in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Last summer, I did a couple of days of shooting for our friends at the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts (see Exploring New Places Courtesy of the Wildlands Trust.)  At the time I wrote of the joys of shooting in new places, and I said “I can photograph these smaller, little known
places without any preconceived  photos in my head, forcing me to spend
more time getting to know the place and letting my creativity take
over.” That is truly one of the joys of my job.

Recently, I returned for another day of winter shooting.  This time around, with only a day to shoot, I was able to use my past experience in these places to pick and choose the hot spots where I knew I could make some good photos.  I didn’t necessarily have pre-conceived images in my head, but I knew exactly which spots I wanted to shoot and when I wanted be there. Having been there before, I already had an understanding of the landscape and how the light effects it, letting me relax and think of the best compositions possible given the circumstances.

Though my two experiences sound contradictory, I think both are important scenarios for making great photos.  Visiting new and exotic locales can spur creativity as your brain processes all of the new and exciting information, while visiting nearby places repeatedly so that they become familiar gives you the opportunity to really learn how light and landscape work together in different seasons and different times of day.

Here’s a gallery of some of my favorite shots from the preserves of the Wildlands Trust: http://ecophotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/Wildlands/G0000sMlauqVhC1Q.

Until next time…
-Jerry