Most photographers would consider the New Forest in southern England an absolute joy to shoot. It’s colorful, expansive, peaceful and exotic, filled with birds, deer and livestock. But for Mike Browne, it’s boring old home—a place he’s lived nearby for dozens of years, and shot more times than he cares to count.
And yet, that’s exactly why he decided to shoot a instructional video there, detailing how he might turn what he considers a boring place into a fascinating one:
Browne is shooting solo here, with a mirrorless Fuji X-T1 and a variety of lenses to keep things interesting. His main advice: focus on the details.
He zooms in on three things in the video: small plants, some berries and a lone mushroom.
The shots exhibit a great deal of drama and color, but from afar, there’s nothing special about them. Browne just walks around the forest looking for little things on the ground or in the trees. He’ll pause and spend at least five minutes re-positioning and readjusting his settings until he gets it right. The technique is all in the lighting, framing, and handling of the camera.
If you take a walk around your home neighborhood, you’ll probably see the same old houses you’ve passed for years. But stop to examine the details, and you might find some fascinating photo ops, too.
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I have exactly the problem you discuss — extremely familiar with my local environs and can’t see a new shot to take. But your video inspired me to look again. You did a great job finding some beautiful images.
thnx for the article finding out around u, without moving to long distances…..It has inspired me a lot. May be tomorrow, I be out with camera.
Absolutely fabulous video. Such wonderful ideas. I’m always finding myself bored at some of my same locations. Thanks so much!