Exploring new locations can be a rewarding experience, opening up new perspectives and inspire fresh creative ideas.
Coming to you from Simon Booth, this intriguing video highlights Booth's two-week trip through parts of Southwest Scotland, focusing on uncovering new areas for potential photos. Booth typically heads to the Northwest, far North, or central belt around Aimor when visiting Scotland. However, this time he ventured into less familiar territory, including the Isle of Bute. Booth's approach is refreshingly organic—he doesn’t chase specific subjects but rather photographs what he encounters. This trip's unique aspect was his discovery of a plant he had known about for over three decades but never seen in person until now.
In the first part of the video, Booth takes us to a location near Tabet, where he stumbles upon the plant called Pur Pur Burr. Finding this plant was a surreal moment for him, a serendipitous discovery during a walk with his dog. The plant is a bit of a nuisance, as evidenced by how it clung to his dog's paws. Despite its annoyance, Booth found the plant fascinating and spent time photographing it. His goal was to capture a group of these plants in a way that highlighted their unique characteristics, setting them against a dark background to make them stand out.
Next, Booth moves to a location near Dunoon, right beside a ferry terminal. The beach at this terminal was an unexpected treasure trove of interesting rocks and pebbles. Booth was captivated by the detail and interest on this beach. He takes us through his process of finding and photographing these natural wonders. The rocks on this beach provided endless compositions, each with its own story. Booth's meticulous approach involved finding the perfect group of rocks and pebbles, ensuring they were in the same focal plane, and then photographing them in the best light conditions.
Booth’s journey didn't end with the rocks. He continued to explore and find fascinating subjects to photograph, always emphasizing the importance of taking the time to find the right composition. His philosophy is clear: don’t rush the process. Whether it's a rare plant or an unusual rock formation, Booth shows that patience and attention to detail can yield stunning results. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Booth.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, "Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!"
