# A pocket guide to field notes

Start with the horizon, then look for the features that interrupt it.
Record relationships before names: which ridge hides another, where the ground changes texture, how shadows move.

A short entry can contain:
- Date and a general place description.
- Light, weather and wind.
- Three specific observations.
- A rough sketch or a question for another visit.

Keep exact locations private when they reveal a home, a sensitive habitat or another person's routine.
Distinguish what you observed from what you inferred.

Original text by Steppefolio, 2026. CC0.