How Can You Take Good Photos in Boring Locations?

Do you think the locations around you are boring and really not worth your time? This will help inspire you and breathe new life into your photography. 

When I moved to the far southwest of Japan almost 15 years ago from up near Tokyo, I thought I was the luckiest man alive. I was leaving a heaving metropolis for a place full of mountains, valleys, volcanoes, and gorgeous waters. For the first few years I was here, I went out shooting every chance I got and spent many wonderful hours just roaming around these landscapes, finding an endless array of photographic opportunities. But after I got married, had kids, and bought a house, I started finding reasons not to go out with my camera. The weather, the light, and the time all got a good workout, but I was also guilty of thinking that I'd photographed everything worth shooting.

That was utter nonsense, of course, and it also brings us to this great video by Nigel Danson, in which he takes you on a lovely outing up in the hills and valleys just near Sheffield, England. The point of the video is to show you how any location, regardless of the genre, can provide you with a world of interesting potential for great imagery. Of course, some places lend themselves to more spectacular photos because of their natural beauty, but Danson shows you how to find inspiration in things that you might have dismissed as mundane. A perfect example is simply taking your camera off the tripod and moving one step to the side to compare compositions. Really, calling a location boring is just making excuses, and I'm as guilty as anyone. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.