Google earth Pro to the Planning Rescue!!!
As you are reading this, I am in Oregon at Cannon Beach prepping all of my gear to Film a new Long Exposure Photography Course. I am very excited, very eager, and more importantly VERY prepared. Now we all know you can prepare and over prepare for a photo trip by packing all the right things:
- Tripod
- Batteries
- Walk-around Lens, Telephoto Lens, Extreme Wide Angle Prime Lens
- Shutter Release / Intervalometer
- Cleaning Cloth
- Rugged Camera Bag
- Neutral Density Filters
Those are the givens, but how do you really PREPARE for a photo trip? Can you answer all of these questions before you even get to your destination?
- Do you know what you will photograph? Do you know where to park when you get there?
- What will these sites look like?
- How far of a walk is it from the Parking Area?
- Where will the Milky Way be at any given time of the night?
Before planning this trip I had already scouted many of my shooting locations. I already knew what to expect when I got there and I could answer every one of those questions above. How? you ask… Not the old fashioned way of looking through Flickr or 500px!
Google Earth Pro is now available free. It used to be a yearly fee of $399, but now it is free (I read it here)! I am not sure how long this offer will last but I jumped on it the moment I found out about it.
So what exactly did I do with Google Earth Pro before making plans for my Oregon Trip?
- Found all the spots I wanted to photograph and had them all plotted out before even setting foot on Cannon Beach.
- I knew just where to setup my camera and tripod for Milky Way shots (If I wanted to take any)
- I knew what most locations looked like by other peoples images.
- I knew how far it was from the parking area to the Devil’s Cauldron (a site I wanted to photograph).
- I knew exactly how far it would be from my hotel to the beach in case I need to run to a sunset really quickly.
- I even knew where to stop on the way to Cannon Beach from Portland.
- I had already seen Hay Stack Rock in all of its glory at every time of day on the given day I would be there!
This is all absolutely incredible and I will show you exactly how I did it in today’s tutorial!
Like the style of this tutorial? You will LOVE HDR Insider! Full-Length HDR Workflows, Critiques & More!
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For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
I use this ALL the time! just got back from mapping NOLA and surrounding areas, OMG I got shots that I Never would have know about (even in the city) using This Future-Rama Star Treck technology!!!
Very much Star Trek technology!
Blake, thanks for turning me onto Google Earth Pro. I will be going to the Oregon coast in April. I will be taking pictures of Coastal features and Lighthouses. I will also be taking pictures of Covered Bridges here in Oregon. This tool will really help me in planning my trips. You have kick started my Photographic juice!
Gary
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Hello Blake. Glad you discovered the advantages of using Google Earth to plan your photo shoot. I have always liked maps so I use Google Earth all the time, just to fly to an area of interest and check it out from the comfort of my home. I am a commercial pilot so I have this other training on using maps, etc. Funny to see that what you have explained is exactly how I have used Google Earth to plan a photo session. You can even move to another time of the year and plan well in advance because you can do that too. Maybe you will travel to a certain location on another time of the year when the sun is going to move across the sky in a different angle with different sunset point, shadows, etc. I am currently in Tenerife, Canary Islands where I have used this tool to plan the right spot to photograph ahead of time. Use Google Earth and pay us a visit. Check Las Cañadas Natural Park or Teide. I am sure you will love the place.
Thats awesome. I love what we can do with technology these days. I did plan the trip in advance with the date and time settings, that is so awesome! Especially for astro-photography.
I spend as much time as I can in wilderness areas in the Pacific NW without cell phone reception. kit’s easy to be alone and 20 or more miles from the nearest help and I travel alone much of the time. I have used google earth to research areas for roads and road conditions as part of my planning and then search for blog entries to read other peoples experiences. It has been a great help to me. Thank you for showing these additional ways to use it. It will expand my experience to more detail.
Happy Shooting!
Thanks Linda, that is good advice, especially for back woods trekking!
Wow…I use Google Earth but never to the extent of what you have opened my eyes to. Thank you…you continue to be a source of learning new things.
Super Tutorial. I will definitely be using this. Thanks, Blake.
Vinny
Wow! Great tip and explanation. I have been using Google Maps, this whole new level.
By the way, would it be OK with you to share the link with my Photo and motorcycle buds?
Thanks for the helpful details on how to use Google Earth!
Great presentation, can’t wait to use it to plan some shots on my trip to Peru next November!
Oh that’ll be fun!!
Great tutorial, Blake. I’ve used this for many years. Did you know Google Earth was created right here in Lawrence, KS? For many years, the default home would take you right to the apartment over on 19th street where the guy who wrote it lived, before Google bought the rights and hired him.
Blake…what a great way to plan a photo trip…thank you for doing this…I will be using this for future trips…thank you, William
No problem! It is so awesome for trip planning. I’m out here in Oregon visiting places I’ve already visited but never visited… it’s strange!
Hi Blake, thanks for the info on Google Earth Pro free.i tried to download it. got as far as downloading the setup file. then no further.i have win 8.1.seems theres an incompatibility problem. p
Incredible presentation. I loved your trip around the US and especially your planned photo shoot.
Thanks! That was so much fun!
Excellent tutorial Blake. I have used Google Earth on occasion to explore parts of the earth I will never visit…Mongolia…and enjoy it very much. What’s the difference between Google Earth and Google Earth Pro?
I’m not sure, but I know Pro used to be 400 per year!! I think it offers more planning options and more 3d for architectural purposes.
Hi Blake,
Thanks for the heads up regarding the Pro version of Google Earth and the wonderful tutorial which of course made me envious of your trip!
I have used GE for some time, not for planning photo shoots (I’ll be doing so from now on though) but for trips in general.
I recently used it to plan my road trips abroad as it saved me a lot of guessing and time loss in figuring out the best ways to get to my destination. What I think is so valuable is to get down to ground level and see just what the road signs will look like especially in tricky or potentially confusing road paths in unfamiliar areas. It’s also nice to see what your destination hotel entrance is supposed to look like and even learn about one way streets that could otherwise throw a nasty surprise at you.
I used it to map my trip from Illinois to Connecticut last summer to participate in an art show. I was able to know ahead of time which side of the road to exit and a short cut from the hotel out towards the art show which I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. A regular map would have shown that but there were other elements that helped navigate my way through a bunch of entrances and exits that needed to be taken in quick succession and could have been missed otherwise.
I am at awe at how quickly so much data has been accumulated that allows more access to a large percentage of the globe and be able to travel and not only hover above but be able to go down to ground level and look around.
You’re right. It is mind boggling at how technology has advanced in such a short time and can be used in so many innovative ways.
My only wish is that I could find someone to sponsor my photo shoots, or even better, join someone on a joint photo trip.
That’s awesome Blake, thanks so much for sharing this
No problem! Glad you thought it was as awesome as I did!
Thanks so much for this tutorial. I’ve never used Google Earth and can’t wait to plan my upcoming trip to NY!!