Where to start? I have lived in Scotland for over a year now and I’m loving it!

I have done more photography in this past year than I have done in my entire life.

I have done landscape photography and wildlife photography so much now that it is becoming second nature to know what settings to use for each scenario and to be able to judge when the light and landscape is going to make a great picture.

Now, exploration for new locations is the life blood of landscape photography because it keeps things fresh and new.

In my article ‘How to Plan a Landscape Photography Photoshoot,’ I wrote that the first step is inspiration, and that is what exploring new locations does; it provides inspiration and helps you to plan for the most amazing image.

So, we know new locations are great but photographers, in general, first explore their immediate area and once they find a location that is close to home, its easy to keep going there until you get the image you want.

But after a while you think you have photographed that location too many times. Is that even possible? 

Imaginary Scenario

Imagine that you are at home, you’ve been busy all day doing normal stuff: housework, shopping, cooking, etc., but the light changes and the most dramatic sky has arrived for a month.

The question comes to you: Where should I go to make the most of this amazing light?

A lot of photographers will have scouted the locations near by and would have a few select spots that are particularly photogenic, and they will head straight for that spot and take an amazing picture.

But this is where the dilemma comes in, after you have taken that picture, you keep returning to the same location capturing different angles and light, mainly because it is conveniently located to you.

But can you ever get bored of photographing that location? Personally I am of 2 minds about this. 

Loch Morlich

That location for me, at the moment at least, is Loch Morlich near Aviemore, Scotland. A beautiful location that I have photographed many times in different compositions.

It is absolutely fantastic, with the Cairngorm Mountain range in the background and plenty of objects to provide foreground interest. It’s south facing which means it gets amazing sunrise and sunset light, making it a very versatile location.

You should check out my article ‘Location Guide: Loch Morlich’ where I explain the different spots that I have used to get different pictures.

If I put together all of the pictures I have taken at Loch Morlich there are not many that have the same composition. You might be able to notice that they were taken at the same spot, but they look differently aesthetically.

This is because I don’t want to keep creating the same image only with the light and weather conditions different.

Instead I challenge myself to find new compositions.

But it can become a struggle.

And this leads me back to my 2 minds about whether you can get tired of a location. 

2 Minds

Firstly, I think it is important to have a location near by to where you live that you can dash out of the house and get a picture when the light is absolutely amazing.

If nothing else it provides you with the opportunity to practice your skills.

In the best case scenario you will manage to get a new picture that is beyond anything you have ever taken before and is simply the best picture you can take of that location.

That being said I do think it is important to at least try and come up with a new composition each time, again because it gives you the opportunity to hone your skills for when you go to a new location and need to find a composition.

Otherwise you end up with a library of the exact same picture just with small variations in the weather. 

On the other hand, I think that going to the same location again and again can become monotonous and boring. It becomes a struggle to find those new pictures and you end up not being inspired by that location anymore.

You end up comparing your past images with the image you are trying to capture in that moment and you find that moment lacking in some aspect for whatever reason.

Or you can’t find that all important new composition and you don’t want to take the same image again, so you leave that beautiful light and feel frustrated and annoyed by the location.

So this is the big question, is it ok to take the same composition over and over again of the same location just because it’s convenient? 

Back to Creativity

The answer to that question lies with you alone. Some people are happy to do that, because it shows how the location changes in weather conditions, whereas others are not because they want something new.

In the end it boils down to what you want your images to say.

The biggest part of photography a lot of people overlook is the fact that it is a medium to tell a story, as is all art. Each image we capture should tell us something about you or the location, and what you are trying to say will inform whether you will take an image of the same location, in the same angle, multiple times and be happy with what you produce.

Some photographers want each image to be unique and to show the different aspects of beauty that location has.

Others want to capture the same view on multiple days and in differing conditions to show its beauty is the same yet different depending on the weather. Both are admirable approaches to photography.

This all leads back to Creativity in Photography, and the way photographers try to use images to evoke emotions and the way photography can be used as a documentary medium. 

Conclusion 

To be honest, I am getting a bit bored of Loch Morlich for photography.

I wish I wasn’t, but I am. It is such a beautiful location, but I have taken its picture so many times.

I want to try and find something new and interesting that is also close to home.

I will continue to visit the location and the idea of capturing its beauty in different weather has intrigued me, but I am going to focus on finding new locations as well.

It has moved from an inspiring fantastic location, to a location of convenience for when I have nothing planned. Its a shame but that’s the way it is for me.

But to be fair all 4 images in this article have come from Loch Morlich and shows how conditions and inspiration can affect a location.

Whether or not you get bored of a location is entirely up to you, I know there are many photographers that would disagree with me and that’s great! I want people to disagree with me and tell me to shut up and take the god damn picture.

I want them to tell me that I am crazy for getting bored of such a glorious location that they wished was on their doorstep.

But until I find new inspiration for Loch Morlich, I will only take pictures of it when I have nowhere else to go or on a day that I have been busy with other stuff, and the sunset is just beyond everything else I have already captured.

So the big question remaining is: do you get bored of photogenic locations?

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Written by Daniel Long

Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.