Outdoor Photography Secrets: Managing Expectations and Not Giving Up After One Attempt

Why patience — and a second (or third) visit to the same location — can make all the difference in your shots.

I still remember my first time in Mantua. Fresh from Venice — big mistake — after Venice, almost everything else just looks… "meh" at first. I walked up to the lake, expecting that perfect postcard skyline… and got this instead:

Fog.

For a split second, I thought: Well, that’s it. Another wasted sunset. But my optimistic side quickly took over: Okay, I can just about make out the skyline… maybe I’ll rescue it in post.

Welcome to outdoor photography: at the mercy of weather with its own agenda — what I like to call the hand of Fate. And sometimes, that hand doesn’t gently guide you; it flips you the middle finger and says: “Not today.”

The truth is, managing expectations is half the art. The other half? Learning to see possibility where most people would pack up and go home.

After the foggy sunset, I returned to my hotel, exhausted from a long day of traveling. The next morning, my plan was simple: wander through Mantua’s old town with my camera. But the charm of its piazzas was muted by leftover Christmas decorations, breaking the timeless vibe I’d hoped to capture.

A little discouraged, my thoughts drifted back to the lakeside spot from the evening before. Why not? I wondered, glancing up at a sky streaked with promising clouds. So I went.

And there it was —

One of the most beautiful mornings I’ve ever witnessed.

The mist had lifted, the water lay still, perfectly mirroring the skyline. Warm light kissed the historic buildings, and the whole city seemed suspended between water and sky. The same place that had been swallowed by fog just hours earlier had transformed into an ethereal dream of color and reflection.

I still had the whole day in Mantua (my train back was only the next morning), and after that sunrise, I was already feeling pretty satisfied — after all, I’d gotten the shot I came for. So I let myself just wander, have fun, and take pictures without any pressure.

But I guess I had learned my lesson from earlier, because by late afternoon, my mind naturally went to: I wonder how the skyline would look at blue hour… with the streetlights illuminating the buildings, and the sky painted in deep blues and purples?

So there I went — for the third time in just over a day — and I wasn’t disappointed.

Keep Going Back — Enjoy the Adventure

By the end of my Mantua day, I realized something important: chasing perfection can actually kill the fun in outdoor photography. The unpredictable weather, the shifting light, and the surprises that appear out of nowhere (yes, that includes scaffolding on historic buildings — sorry!) — that’s what makes each adventure exciting.

Learning to appreciate it for what it is, instead of trying to control everything, turns every trip into an experience you’ll never forget.

Next time, give yourself the chance to see the same spot in a different light — literally.