FREE RESEARCH

The phone rings, and suddenly it's your lucky day. You're being invited on a fam trip to photograph the Florida Everglades. Ah, but you've never been to the Everglades. You want to come back with the best results from the least amount of effort. How do you prepare?

1.) Ask the public relations person who invited you to send current information and brochures about the sites you'll be visiting. Study those brochures to see what subjects other photographers photographed. You can update the images.

2.) Check with the public relations director of the airlines that has the Everglades as its destination to see if you qualify for free or discounted air travel.

3.) Check out your public library for books and magazines on the Everglades, taking special note of the photos. Get microfilm or original copies of articles on the Everglades that you find in the "Readers' Guide To Periodical Literature." Check out the search engines on the Web.

4.) When you arrive, check out the postcard racks and review the local scenics other pros have discovered. Notice the time of day and angle of each scene. (The pros have been there before and done your research for you.)

5.) Bring a waterproof bag for camera equipment...just in case your boat gets capsized by an alligator.

6.) Bring alligator repellent.