What time do you start your photography day?

[Betty LaRue]

I wonder what time you get started on a shoot these days. I used to hustle, be out the door early, even before coffee. Take advantage of the gorgeous morning light.  But those were the days when I got really nice prices for a license which was extra motivation.

As I get older, and of course with my recent health issues, I just can’t seem to find the energy to get up and gone at sunup. Actually, I find it difficult to get gone, period. My mind goes to my gas tank every time. And I just can’t hoof it.

How about you?

[Dave Richards]

5 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

I wonder what time you get started on a shoot these days. I used to hustle, be out the door early, even before coffee. Take advantage of the gorgeous morning light.  But those were the days when I got really nice prices for a license which was extra motivation.

As I get older, and of course with my recent health issues, I just can’t seem to find the energy to get up and gone at sunup. Actually, I find it difficult to get gone, period. My mind goes to my gas tank every time. And I just can’t hoof it.

How about you?

Most of my days shooting are in London. I am fortunate (old enough) to be able to travel free on the transport system (tube and overground trains, busses) after 9 a.m. so that is as early as I would leave home now. I don’t use the car to travel to other places specifically to shoot for stock, the payback for fuel cost is too big a gamble these days.

[Ed Rooney]

 

On my feet, walking -- shooting Alamy Stock in the city, I follow the light, control the frame, and pay attention to the colour. (I also pay attention to the color.) The biggie, of course, is what's happening with the subject.

 

Normally, I get up at 7 AM, fix breakfast, and head out. I don't shoot much in the middle of the day when the sun is overhead. I might go out again in the afternoon and sometimes at night. I plan to do more night shooting and do some more inside the many Liverpool museums. 98% of what I shoot now is handheld.

 

Covid interrupted me getting my bus pass. I've yet to see an interesting snap of Strawberry Fields or Abbey Road. Still, one day I'll bus out there. 

 

 

 

 

[Allan Bell]

After a lengthy breakfast I leave about 9.30 - 10am ish and walk up the hill to catch the free bus into town.  Note this is not every day as I have other things to attend to back home.     LIKE?  Processing images, housework, washing, getting meals, etc, etc.

 

Cannot do late or night photography as the last bus back to the village is 6.45pm and not paying for a taxi and a bit too far to walk back when I have been on my feet all day. Also will not use car and park in town centre car park either so I can get night shots. Just have to wait till the nights draw in enough to do night shooting and still catch the bus back home.

 

Just about to leave now to photograph the start of the Steampunk Festival in Lincoln, which goes on for four days but only shooting today and hope I get enough.

 

Allan

 

[Inchiquin]

When you get older you start your day when your body is ready to survive a couple of hours without attention.

 

Alan

[Michael Ventura]

In my youth and when fees were good for stock, I would get up well before sunrise and be somewhere, while the sun came up.  I still get up early but I have my leisurely routine of coffee, newspaper and some breakfast before getting on the computer to do any editing.  The only way I am out the door early is if an assignment makes me do that.

[Sultanpepa]

1 hour ago, Inchiquin said:

When you get older you start your day when your body is ready to survive a couple of hours without attention.

 

Alan

 

Usually late afternoon. 😂

[spacecadet]

None of the above..

[Steve F]

I don't have a fixed time I go out shooting. I wouldn't get up super early because I don't do 'fine art' landscape photography. If I'm going out for specific photo shoots, I'd be looking for suitable weather/light and to go out at the time of the day that the subject is lit from the best direction by the sun. If I'm doing night shooting, I keep an eye on sunset times and get there early for the 'blue' hour.

[sb photos]

What time do I start my photography day depends upon many factors, I've no single answer. If I'm combining a sight seeing trip with photography I may conduct a final check of my photographic kit at 4 or 5am before setting off via car. If what I was planning was to start later I may set off at 7 or 8am. Yesterday I planned to shoot something local, and to avoid shooting into the sun I set off around 3.30pm. If I'm traveling by train to photograph an event that starts at a fixed time, I simply set off in enough time to get there 15 - 20 minutes early. Other times if there may be something interesting in the area I'm visiting I'll arrive earlier still to shoot some stock first. If there is rain, over powering contrasty sun, darkness or whatever I have to make the best of it, there's no waiting for ideal conditions. For me it all depends.....

[Ed Rooney]

 

Stephen, when I was doing travel marketing trips, the corporate people who hired me often thought I worked 9 to 5 and took weekends off. I did eat and sleep, but every other minute involved photography.

[Michael Ventura]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Stephen, when I was doing travel marketing trips, the corporate people who hired me often thought I worked 9 to 5 and took weekends off. I did eat and sleep, but every other minute involved photography.

 

Back when I was doing primarily travel photography (in the 80's and 90s), if a PR person was arranging a trip and wanted to set you up with meals, they rarely understood that I didn't want to to eat dinner at the  hours around sunset.

[John Mitchell]

Just now, Michael Ventura said:

 

Back when I was doing primarily travel photography (in the 80's and 90s), if a PR person was arranging a trip and wanted to set you up with meals, they rarely understood that I didn't want to to eat dinner at the  hours around sunset.

 

I found this one of the most annoying things about press and "fam" trips. We would often be sitting around restaurants eating and yakking during the best times for photography. Another pet peeve was scheduling visits to important places like archaeological sites at high noon, the absolute worst time for photography. Mind you, I really miss those trips now...

[Ed Rooney]

2 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Back when I was doing primarily travel photography (in the 80's and 90s), if a PR person was arranging a trip and wanted to set you up with meals, they rarely understood that I didn't want to to eat dinner at the  hours around sunset.

 

80s and 90s -- film, Michael? And you mentioned doing sunrises. A sunrise is such a different bag of tricks than a sunset. And much faster.

[Michael Ventura]

42 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

80s and 90s -- film, Michael? And you mentioned doing sunrises. A sunrise is such a different bag of tricks than a sunset. And much faster.

Correct on both.  Shot film for 30 years before going digital and yes, sunrises seems a lot faster.

[NYCat]

My trips to Africa were with photosafaris.com and we got up in the dark and were brought two cookies and coffee or tea so we could leave in the vehicles in time for sunrise shots. We finally ate a boxed breakfast at around 9 or 10AM. I don't eat meat so I was always trading my sausage for yogurt. The yogurt in Africa is delicious. ... as are all the soups. The soups seem to have the influence  of India.

 

Paulette

[John Mitchell]

Generally speaking, I've always preferred late afternoon and early evening for photography. However, when travelling, I always scope out locales for "morning shots" and get myself moving accordingly. Also, early morning is usually cooler in tropical climates.

 

That said,   I'm not doing much snapping these days for a number of reasons, so my "photography day" tends not to start at all. 😴

[Bryan]

I've just checked and found that I have fewer than 10 genuine sunset/sunrise images in my collection of over 13,000, and several of them were taken on the same occasion. Not sure if any of them have ever sold. I normally get up at around 6:30 and could be up and about early, but there is nothing in my immediate suburban vicinity that would justify an early start, while, as has already been said, I can't justify the cost of using the car for photo trips. I guess that I could cycle to the coast, about 10 miles away, but the chances of seeing a colourful sunrise are slight and the effort involved too great ! As the long nights approach the temperature drops and I don't do cold, so the later starts don't help. 

 

I am considering a bus/Metro trip to Newcastle to shoot some specific subjects, combining that with a shopping trip for my wife, but the 9:30 start of our bus passes means that an early get away is not possible. 

 

Let's face it I just don't have the motivation. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Bryan

[Broad Norfolk]

I'm afraid I do not go out to specifically shoot Stock these days. The low returns from this work from a business point of view do not justify to continue to work at a loss. However, I do 'arty' stuff which is aimed at work for National and International Salons which I enjoy and find far more relaxing and in doing this and other related work there are still opportunities for identifying Stock subjects which is still active but not now a prime work area. This, then, is where I am, and the result is less submissions but substantial cost savings. 

When do I start a shoot? Well, for a pre-planned shoot for work other than Stock, it will normally be an hour before sunup or at the other end of the day a couple of hours before sunset.

 

[spacecadet]

5 hours ago, Bryan said:

I have fewer than 10 genuine sunset/sunrise images

Thankyou for mentioning this, as a check of my port reveals that I have been roundly abusing the term since 2009. I now have slightly under 10% tagged as such.

[Allan Bell]

I am lacking in the sunrise/sunset stakes too.

 

2 sunrises - 1 Yarmouth IOW and 1 over Vale of Clwyd.

 

15 sunsets - 6 over Arun valley taken over two evenings,  4 urban, 3 over Lincolnshire and 2 of a crow on TV aerial.

 

Allan

 

[Steve F]

19 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Stephen

 

Ed, don't confuse me! 😆

 

19 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

when I was doing travel marketing trips, the corporate people who hired me often thought I worked 9 to 5 and took weekends off. I did eat and sleep, but every other minute involved photography.

 

I took up stock photography after I met my wife, as something that I wouldn't be as obsessed with as painting and also wouldn't be so time consuming. But guess what... Spending lots and lots and lots of time doing stock! 😀

[Betty LaRue]

I saw a rustic barn while my son was taking me to a in-the-countryside restaurant Saturday. I plan on going back myself and shooting it for POD use. I’ll catch the evening light.

[Marianne]

Many more sunsets than sunrises. I’m not a morning person but when I rouse myself early enough I’m always glad that I did. 
 

I try to shoot before 10 AM or after 3 PM but when traveling there are sometimes exceptions to the rule. Blue hour is my favorite time. I eat dinner late so it’s usually ideal. 

[Dave Richards]

I have zero sunrise/sunset images. I’m not a landscape snapper, I’m interested in the streets and will happily shoot under any conditions, be it storm clouds or blazing mid day sun. 

Guess that may leave some purists foaming at the mouth.