Instead of waiting around for friends, or groups to go out on a photo walk, why not take matters into your own hands and try hiking alone to capture landscapes. After all, without anyone else around you can make the decision on when to shoot, and when to pack up.
In this video about hiking alone for landscape photography, Thomas Heaton heads out on his first real hike for landscape photography since long before lockdown came into effect in the U.K., and he explores the area of Yewbarrow Fell in the Lake District, U.K. As well as making for a relaxing, atmospheric watch, Heaton demonstrates his approach to shooting the expansive view atop the tall fell.
Interestingly, instead of aiming for a wide panoramic of the stunning vista, Heaton hones in on a smaller portion of the landscape in an attempt to capture the essence of the landscape on a smaller scale. We see his approach unfold, changing shooting positions and angles in an attempt to wrangle in the huge scale of the scene in front of him which is both informative and beautiful to watch, simultaneously.
It's great to be led through shooting the scene after a two hour hike, where we look at the golden light that surrounds the environment. Camera settings and lens choice are both explained thoroughly, and even some post-processing steps are discussed which plays a part in how Heaton composes his photograph while out shooting.
I have the opposite take on this. So much of my outdoor photography is done solo, that it would be a welcome change of pace to have a friend go along with me on one of my ventures.
I would think that is pretty much the norm for serious outdoor photographers - the normal thing is to go solo, and going with others is the rare exception. Perhaps it's different in your part of the world, and that's why you have a different perspective than I do.
"Unfortunately," my photography is SO much better when I'm out alone. No comparison.
I much prefer photography alone. The salubrious solice of solitude.
I know exactly what you mean about wanting to do something 'different'. I often go out here in Snowdonia where the landscape is breathtaking to look at but it doesn't translate into an image I want to shoot.
Ah, Snowdonia, my second favourite place in Wales after Cwmbria.
Just make sure you know what you're doing out in the wilderness alone. Rescue isn't quick even if you have cell phone service and if you're going into areas with nobody you need some way of summoning help--if your phone won't work that means a personal locator beacon or better.
I've seen too many people out there who don't realize nature isn't some modern place with the safety hazards removed. Other hikers are very likely to help someone in distress but that's assuming there are others out there. I have had one occasion where had I not managed to get two guys to turn back I would have called in a heads-up to search and rescue when I got back to coverage. (They would have been caught by darkness with no food, no water, no light (on a mountain trail full of switchbacks), no shelter, no communications, completely unprepared for the temperatures that were coming.)