Time of day at some sites can get extremely specific so some advance planning is needed to be at the right spot at the right time for the most dramatic images. Twice a year, for example, on the spring and autumn equinox, the northwest corner of the Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico casts a series of triangular shadows that create the pattern of a serpent descending its steep staircase. If this was by intention to represent the feathered-serpent god Kukulcan on the equinox as historians believe it was, it’s both an incredible engineering and scientific feat. Getting to the site early and staking out a position elevated above the soon-to-arrive throng is the only way to capture this dramatic display. At Brooks Falls on the Katmai Peninsula in Alaska, there’s a short window of time in mid-summer to attempt to capture the iconic image of a bear catching a salmon attempting to make its way upstream to spawn. In this case late afternoon yields the ideal angular light. A little advance planning goes a long way toward capturing memorable photographs.