I have often been heard saying that photography is only 10% of my time. The other 90% includes a wide variety of activities to make me a better photographer (see my blog post about this subject from December 14, 2012) including researching my subjects.

My favorite subject to photograph is wildlife, and I spend most of my time photographing the wildlife of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. I always do a lot of research and reading prior to going out to any new location, but I also research and read material after seeing a new behavior or just to keep up my knowledge. I have found that this helps me anticipate a behavior worthy of photographing (think of bighorn rams battling - how do you know when they are getting ready to ram heads?) and to be in the right location for the best photos.

The same would go for landscape photography. What are the seasons like at that location? What kind of weather might you encounter? What are the best vantage points? How can you predict the best weather?

So read up, take notes, and prepare the best you can to improve your success rate and reduce wasting time.