Take Pictures About Something, Not Of Something - Mike Browne

[@angeleyes3969]

Well put Mike. This is why traditional photography is art, it's in our hearts and minds not just our hands

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

[@wildflower20102]

My favorite image of Lady making tea is the one showing the entire room, standing far back. Outstanding!

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you so much wild flower 🌼

[@erichstocker8358]

I have to say that I really liked that first photo of the man with the bowls in the booth. I understand that the subsequent shots put him in the context of his work and environment. They were good and they did tell a story. However, the first shot is sort of universal. You captured him with this wonderful contemplative, far off look in his eyes. It is clear that he is thinking about something. We don't know but it is appealing and we wonder what he might be contemplating. He helps that you have it exposed so the light adds to that as well as the composition. That is a photo that one can look at for a long time and get ever more out of it.

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks for the feedback 😊

[@simoncarlton6424]

I was once told "Do what you fear and you control fear" Lived by that ever since.

[@MikeBrowne]

Good advice there.

[@markominelab]

I watched this video a couple of days ago when it was first posted up. I have found 'Take pictures about something, not of something' quite profound. My shutter count has just nose dived but the number of keeper shots over the last few days has risen dramatically. This video couldn't have come at a better time, thanks Mike, great work.

[@MikeBrowne]

Wow! That's brilliant - thank you (and less sorting afterwards too) 😀

[@lighting_jiang]

❤❤❤

[@maxieq]

James Popsys, a photographer in Wales, says the same thing. "Shoot a picture about something, and not of something". I've had a lot of help from that over the years. It does bear repeating.

[@sebxiou-creatbus1927]

Hi Max. I've watched Mr Popsys for donkey's years (long-before he moved to Wales, though not quite as long as I've been watching Mr Browne). Popsys is a fab photographer, to be sure - though I was less enamoured with this week's shots but we cannot always like everything someone produces. Both Popsys and Brown are similar in that they like the human content in their images - Popsys mainly from a landscape perspective; Browne more from an urban one. But neither is content with mere "Hero" shots (e.g.: a bloke standing on a rock looking smug, merely to give some appreciation of scale to the image - though, yes, we've all done it, including them I think). So it is important to (as the more usual phrase goes) Tell A Story. But, of course, such is (as I think Mike alluded to in this video) in the eye of the beholder. I, for example, prefer to undermine a scene; to confuse the viewer as to what is real, rather than to explain a scene. My story is that nowt is real, so to speak. So I think there are many approaches to telling a story / being about something. Each togger has to choose their own path but I entirely agree with Brown, Popsys and you that a simple, unthinking snap (whilst possibly being a good tourist memento) is not engaging nor trying to convey anything - apart from "oh that looks nice". All the best.

[@michaelbuckley8986]

Wonderful presentation indeed👍🏻

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks - he's a good guy!

[@avs4365]

Having studied the great essayist W. Eugene Smith over the years can only agree with the sentiments expressed here. Obviously the real shame is that the format of expression available via the magazines of the past are no longer available. Being able to take the time and to study the environment is key.

[@MikeBrowne]

You are right there - time is everything.

[@andrewcroft2570]

Some truly stunning locations Mike, and fantastic images, I take from this that patience is a virtue.

[@MikeBrowne]

Many thanks @andrewcroft2570. Patience is one of the most important tools a photographer has. If you like the locations, come on the workshop with us 😊 Link below... www.photographycourses.biz/morocco

[@arvindahir6437]

Love your way of explaining things in such a nice way.

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks very much 😎

[@lisasimpson9343]

Thank you Mike, thought jogger, will remind myself of this often. I prefer the image of the laughing girl, makes me smile. The other images were all awesome and storytelling. I do like your style ❣

[@MikeBrowne]

Great to hear 🙏

[@laurencedunkley8097]

Thanks Mike, excellent tutorial as ever, great insight into Moroccan life and a little taster of that workshop !

[@MikeBrowne]

It's going to be a good one! 🇲🇦

[@davejolley6869]

Enjoyed that Mike About something or of something brilliant. i take too many "of something" but now and again i've got a shot that's says "about something" and feel great. And it always is because i move about.

[@MikeBrowne]

You get it 😊😊😊

[@alexshabotenko7228]

As usual, a very educating video that I totally agree with. These kind of pictures are an endangered species though; they get published and printed and exhibited but they will not gain popularity on social media.

[@MikeBrowne]

This also can be true...

[@angelamaloney4871]

Hey! “Photos about something” is my mantra! No fair stealing it! :-)

[@MikeBrowne]

What...!?!I 😂 Great minds think alike....

[@johnlindseyphotography1704]

Another fantastic video and compelling images. I’ve been a follower since I started photography 12 years ago.

[@MikeBrowne]

Hopefully we'll meet on one of my workshops one day.... :-)

[@johnlindseyphotography1704]

@@MikeBrowne absolutely. I completed the 7 building blocks many years ago. I became a wildlife photographer with a passion for nature

[@chriskerrey7434]

Thanks

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you @chriskerrey7434

[@nick.caffrey]

Fascinating episode, Mike.

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks very much Nick.

[@lostshepard00]

As usual a brilliant video ! Beautifully put together - Thank you !

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you very much for your continued support 😎

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Excellent teaching Mike. Thank you. Very much. 😊😊😊😊😊

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you!

[@paulmoss4199]

Well said Mike, totally agree 👍

[@brucefairhall1158]

Thanks for this great video, Mike. As you said near the end, getting photos like this is not an easy thing to do, but seeing what you did, and how, at least opens up more possibilities. I can't go to Morocco, but, probably like many of your subscribers, I'm a town dweller. Could I ask you to do this topic again but to do it in a town, so we can see your creativity in situations more familiar? Yes, we all have the chance to get "out of town", but your way of seeing and explaining is worth seeing more of! Bruce

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks @brucefairhall1158. I'm doing a 1 day seminar and photowalk in London this September sp come along to that. It's 10 mins walk from Waterloostation. Link below....MB www.photographycourses.biz/cdtp

[@brucefairhall1158]

@@MikeBrowne Great idea, Mike - unfortunately my wife won't let me pay the return airfare from Australia to England JUST for photography. Maybe I'll have to just enjoy the resulting photos in a new video? Cheers!!

[@andreea.c.c]

A lot to learn from it ! thank you 🙏

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you, plenty more on my website... www.photographycourses.biz/

[@toscana6457]

Oh I love this! I’m going to Tuscany in September, as my family is from there I know the region well but this video is giving me a lot to think about. Thank you Mike. Roll on September! 🇮🇹

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you very much - sounds like you're going to have a ball 😊

[@tanweercaa]

Excellent work Mike, it's really amazing BUT smoky room shots are classic, great idea and super great explanation on it. Thanks a million ❤

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

[@jamesdecross1035]

Thought-provoking stuff.

[@MikeBrowne]

Thank you - that's the plan 🤔

[@markcamm5330]

Thanks Mike. Such a simple concept, so difficult to achieve.

[@MikeBrowne]

Practice, practice practice....

[@yusufkaru6726]

Yes when you are on holiday with your family and friends you don't have enough time to think much about the photos you take.

[@MikeBrowne]

Too busy having a good time!

[@davemorse8511]

Thanks Mike, vey informative.

[@MikeBrowne]

Anytime, I wish I could post more.

[@dronepilotcontractors4094]

The one with the smoke and the sunlight would be great for your light challenge!

[@MikeBrowne]

Yes you're right there, stiff competition though 😊

[@seaeagles6025]

Hi Mike, I did find this video very useful especially when you took two photos, and it was the second one that was ABOUT SOMETHING. It was easy to follow and some really great examples, like the sand dunes. The second one of the sand dunes with the Camels was the ABOUT SOMETHING picture, great examples, which i will try in my photography. I liked the wooden railings and those Mountains. The picture of that young lady, i liked the first one. I really enjoyed this video and learnt something from it, thank you.

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks for the comment 🙏

[@seaeagles6025]

@@MikeBrowne Your welcome Mike. 🙂

[@swirly_magnolia]

Thanks Mike great subject matter in this vid

[@TDtog2112]

Great video and very enlightening. I don't take many portraits but will bear this in mind if ever the opportunity arises.

[@MikeBrowne]

Good to hear Tony, it's all food for thought.

[@lisapalzer2511]

Thank you for a wonderful useful video!

[@MikeBrowne]

Good to hear, glad you enjoyed it.

[@terrynestor6353]

Thank you Mike.great advice.i can not remember how to send you some of my pictures

[@MikeBrowne]

The best way is to enter the Photo Creative challenges 😎

[@patrickcol]

Very inspirational Mike, as always. :)

[@MikeBrowne]

Much appreciated!

[@juliaavosetta396]

Thanks, Mike, very informative as always. I take mainly bird & wildlife photos but I'm going to Alaska in a couple of weeks and will look for opportunities to put your ideas into action then.

[@MikeBrowne]

I hope to see the results.....

[@Bholapubg59]

Thanks sir, i learned alot today.

[@MikeBrowne]

That's good to hear, thank you.

[@StuartCattell]

Brilliant!

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks Stuart!

[@jaimenisenbaum4631]

Very helpful video. Thank you. I do have a question: When you were taking pictures of people, what do you tell them about what you are going to do with them. Don't they ask? The hard part for me to take picture of strangers is that I feel that I am "using" them for my own purposes/benefit and they don't necessary get anything. How do you deal with this? Thank you so much!

[@MikeBrowne]

Thanks @jaimenisenbaum4631. besides gicing them a smile if they see me, I rarely engage with them. Shoot the shot and move on. Am I using them for my own purpose? Yes guess I am. Sometimes I send them a picture depending on circumstances, culture and if I'm asked. For example a family of nomads living in a cave in Morocco who welcomed my workshop students and I into their 'home' so we could photograph how they live. They have no email etc so the following year I took loads of prints for them. Wonderful people who made bread and tea for us. Can you imagine the reaction of someone in the West having a bunch of foreigners show up and ask to photograph them and their home? We also give gifts, shampoo, cooking oil, flour and other non perishables in order to give a bit back. You can see some of the Morocco images at link below if you're interested... MB www.photographycourses.biz/morocco

[@sebxiou-creatbus1927]

Hi Mike, great video but, as you said, people interpret things differently - as I do from you, in this video. To save time, I'll simply comment on the wood-turner. Now, all your pix are fab (not patronising; I mean it). But which tells a better story? Which has that depth? You opt for the two longer-shots, showing the man actually turning his lathe and a good-view of his workshop. I would argue that is not the case: for me, the close-up is deeper and tells us far more. I think your rationale was that seeing his work-place enabled us to appreciate what he does for a living and why he is in the environment of which we only have a glimpse in the first (head-shot) image. But I would argue that, sure that tells us more about his wok but less about his character. Your head-shot of him oozes that character; from it, I fail to see him specifically as a wood-turner but I do see him more as a man. Yes, it generates more questions than answers, perhaps, but it is far-more engaging. And what questions! How old is he? What are his life-experiences, etched into those craggy facial-lines? What is he watching? What is he thinking about? Why that combination of clothing? Why the spectacles-on-a-string? What secrets has he and what could he discuss - for example, to me, he looks quite intellectual but that may not be so. Thus, yes, your second-two images do answer the narrow question about his trade but they fail to consider any of the wider - and deeper - character questions which the first image shows are important. Again, I love all three pictures but, for me, I would always prefer trying to understand someone's soul rather than just their job. As ever, great video, Mike - thank you. Take care. Cheers!

[@wilfs1196]

Very well said. I was thinking along the same lines, I preferred the head shot as soon as I saw it.

[@sebxiou-creatbus1927]

@@wilfs1196 Hi Wilf, thank you. All the best.

[@MikeBrowne]

Great feedback, really interesting to hear other perspectives - thank you

[@sebxiou-creatbus1927]

@@MikeBrowne Thanks muchly, Mike. All the best.

[@drnimish333]

Very nice 👌 A big like 👍 sir

[@MikeBrowne]

And an even bigger than you 🙏🙏🙏

[@b991228]

Karsh’s Winston Churchill is not just a mugshot. It is a portrait about the man …the history.

[@MikeBrowne]

Great example...

[@tshuvahavodah237]

Looking healthier Mike.

[@MikeBrowne]

👍

[@keithgardner9593]

Hi Mike great photos , But did you not find the people there wanted money for you to take photos of them? How did you get around this and still make it natural ?

[@MikeBrowne]

Hi @keithgardner9593. No one in any photos in this video, or in the promo video on the workshop page (link below) asked for money, though on occaision I donated something because it's important not to just take. In Marakesh there were a few hustlers around the main square who'd invite photographers to take their picture, then ask for a fee. So anyone who invites a photographer is generally ignored. We don't stay long in Marakesh. In the countryside folks are much more laid back and it only happened once. 3 guys riding donkeys up the road asked for money but it was only a small amount and I got a great shot. We should always put something back. At the start of a workshop I explain cultural differences and how to approach people so my students don't get caught in difficult situations. www.photographycourses.biz/morocco

[@lostshepard00]

I prefer the "serious" face of the girl it makes you THINK more about her and her circumstances in my opinion !!

[@MikeBrowne]

Interesting perspective 😌

[@midnightwind8067]

On one of your videos, you had a photo of a sunset on a train station or rail road. It was so awesome you could feel the heat and humidity just looking at it. I have never forgotten it. While I am no photographer, I use your channel for interpretive ideas for my music compositions. It’s a great tool. I even have a post it note on the wall of my cubicle at work. It says,” about something. Not of something”. Maybe I will take up photography someday.

[@MikeBrowne]

wow @midnightwind8067. That's amazing. Thank you for telling me. I'm interested to know more if you feel like dropping me a message at www.photographycourses.biz/contact

[@peterbarakan9006]

👍

[@yusufkaru6726]

But when you compare two photos you come to know larger perpactive about the subject in the picture tells you a complete story.

[@MikeBrowne]

I see where you're coming from 😇