The Useful Links Thread

[astockwell]

Ben, Dave and I talked about this topic at our weekly meet, as to what websites I/we use to research either locations, any sun/moon azimuths and rise/set times, tide information, or any other things we deem useful to our landscape photography. I don't intend this to be a landscaper's only type thread. If you think you have a set of useful bookmarks or sites you frequent prior to shooting, post them up, no matter what the genre of photography. I figure the outdoor shooters will use the most, but we'll see.

So here is my list of "useful" photography sites, that I use prior to a landscape/nature/outdoor shoot.

For sunrise and set times, including civil twilight times, in USA or World-Wide, I use the Naval Observatory, they have a straight forward site, type in location, and date, and get data.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

For Sun and Moon Azimuth, (which is useful to know based on what direction you will be doing the majority of your shooting for that session. Can also be useful in the case of Ben's Lighthouse/Sunrise photofrom a few months back. We didn't know the sun would rise there that day, but if we did, we all could have planned for it better. So if you want to use the sun as part of a composition like that, it would be great to know what 2-3 days of the year the sun would be in that exact spot. We do this by getting an Azimuth, which is a true bearing at anytime of day to the sun or moon, if you layed the sky flat, and put it on a compass. The Inclination/Declination, is the angle of the sun to the horizon. Here is the Naval Observatory site to Azimuth and Inclination:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/AltAz.php
Again, locations for that are USA and worldwide. So on either of those two first links, you can use if overseas.

For weather mostly I use NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration)
http://www.noaa.gov/

Once there, type in the zip code or place (City, State) for location, and search. If it is a place you shoot at a lot, you can even bookmark your search, and it will be up to date everytime you go there like this example of Narragansett, Rhode Island that I have saved:
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...d2=-71.451&e=1

I also use NOAA for up to date RADAR and Satellite imagery:
National Radar, and then you can click anywhere on the map to get local radar images, and they loop too, so you can see the path of any storms:
http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/

Here is the NOAA Satellite server:
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/
(I tend to use visable and Water Vapor the most, to check cloud cover, or anticipated cloud cover.
Also color enhanced images:
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/enhanced.html

Also, in fooling around looking for stuff for this thread, I found something new I just bookmarked, it was one of the links from the NOAA Satellite server, it is a storm server:
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Storms/

Tides info here:
Again click on the map for where you want analysis from
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/gmap3/


Here is what I use to look for locations, and scout views without having to go there:
http://www.bing.com/maps/

The reason I use them is because of their birds-eye feature, where you get aerial images that are up close and detailed, so you sort of see the lay of the land, and maybe what spots have potential.

Assorted Foliage Maps (Think Fall Color)

The one I use a lot:
http://www.foliagenetwork.com/index.php
Links to various places around US for foliage reports:
http://www.travelnotes.org/Travel/sep16.htm

You'll find that most good foliage locations in the USA have a state sponsored foliage report on their respective state's government website (Minnesota is the DNR, Dept of Natural Resources, CT is the DEP, Dept of Environmental Protection, you'll have to check whatever your state calls it).

If you are going National Park, Monument, etc. go to the National Park Service:
http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

A google image search is also useful for a lot of ideas for locations in the National Parks, and locations in general.

Luminous Landscape has a pretty decent location archive:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/locations/

A great set of waterfall archives:
http://gowaterfalling.com/index.shtml
http://www.northeastwaterfalls.com/
http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/
http://www.ctwaterfalls.com/
http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/
http://geology.com/waterfalls/minnesota.shtml
http://www.waterfallswest.com/



If I can ever get way up north again, I will need this eventually also:
http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/
http://aurorahunter.com/aurora-prediction.php
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/

I will add anything to this that I find over time. And please feel free to add with your own information, as I don't want my stuff to be and end all be all of what to use. The more we contribute, the more informed we all are, and again it doesn't matter if you are a landscape, wildlife, wedding photographer, or whatever. If you have some set of sites for general info, tutorials, or whatever you think you use alot for reference, please post it up.

-Andy

[simmda00]

This is great Andy, thanks for putting this together.

I use the site below whenever heading up to the Mt. Washington area in New Hampshire. It can come in handy for a variety of things.
http://www.mountwashington.org/

[jacobsen1]

nice Andy, way to make me look like a retard with a camera......

here's my one and only link: http://magicseaweed.com/First-Beach-Surf-Report/907/
it's got the sun info and tide info on one page, azimuths be damned.

I'll be checking all yours out though so I know where to go next week.

[astockwell]

One more link that I just found. Could help the landscaper in search of sky conditions for anytime of day. Again only a prediction.

http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

[jacobsen1]

how's that been working out for you lately.

IMHO, I don't check the weather at all before weekend shoots. If I did I'd skip ~1/3 of them, but generally the ones with the sketchiest weather forecasts are the best shoots. I just check sunrise times and plan accordingly. If I'm picking between a sat or sun I'll go with the general forecast and just make sure it's not going to pour all morning for one etc, but otherwise I think less and shoot more and I'm happier for it.

[brian1971]

This might be useful to some.

RI CRMC Rights-of-way and Public Acccess

Specifically the "Guide to Public Access to the RI Coast" & "Guide to CRMC Designated Rights-of-Way to Greenwich Bay"

FYI: when I try to open the PDF files using chrome it crashes, they work fine with firefox.

[astockwell]

.....

?

[jacobsen1]

I found a new one the other day, myweather.com. They let you use your street address and their forcasts and hourlies and what's happening right now are more accurate it seems. They also have a (free) iPhone app.

[astockwell]

Awww...I am hurt Ben.

[jacobsen1]