If you’ve spent most of your life living in the same town, you may find it boring to photograph. You enjoy taking photos of the new places you visit, but your good ol’ hometown simply isn’t interesting enough. But is it really the case? In this video, Wahid Fayumzadah will show you how to take interesting photos in your “boring” hometown. He goes around Westervoort in the Netherlands, exploring this small town and turning all its uninteresting spots into interesting photos.
I personally find this topic very interesting. I travel whenever I can and take lots of photos of the places I visit. At the same time, I occasionally fall into the trap of thinking that my hometown is boring. I’ve spent most of my life in Novi Sad and I often overlook all the beauties and amazing photographic opportunities it has to offer. My hometown is rather small, but I believe this happens even to those who live in bigger cities. However, I think there’s a pretty simple way to overcome it, and it’s all in our heads.
When I don’t travel for a long time, all I can photograph is my hometown. I’ve seen its streets, beaches, riverbanks, and buildings gazillions of times. I take them for granted. But then I force myself to go out and imagine that I’m a tourist. It’s a simple trick that gives me a different look over the city I’ve known my entire life. What would a visitor notice in Novi Sad? What would he or she find interesting on this building’s facade, in this park, or among these people? It’s not difficult at all to think this way at all, and it really opens up a new perspective when you’re taking photos around your hometown.
If you force yourself to think like a tourist, you can rediscover even your own neighborhood (no matter how ugly or boring you think it is). Or you can fall in love with your hometown all over again when you see it from above for the millionth time in your life. At least that’s what happens to me. Also, while you’re in the “visitor mode,” you can revisit your favorite place. It doesn’t matter that you’ve seen it so many times, you will still manage to discover something new and take some amazing photos.
Novi Sad
So, even if your hometown is small and “boring,” don’t underestimate it. Train yourself to see it with different eyes, and you’ll find fresh photographic inspiration in a familiar place.
[‘Boring’ Hometown Photography Challenge, The Netherlands, Westervoort | Wahid Fayumzadah]
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