MPB Meets: Landscape & Conceptual Photographer Briscoe Park

Briscoe Park has drawn global attention for his distinct style and approach, documenting his travels around the United States to tell mysterious stories in his work through conceptual landscape photography. In this interview with MPB, Briscoe Park talks about camera gear, creative journey and landscape photography.

MPB: Can you explain how you got into photography, and how your style has shifted since then? 

BP: I first started photography when I was around 16. I saved up all summer at my first job; saved every penny. I mostly just wanted to get out of the house and explore around my neighbourhood. I originally started taking videos on my GoPro and that turned into me taking photos on my iPhone. After a while, I got my camera and it quickly became an obsession. My friends would drive me around town and we would go on photo adventures. I would climb cranes and go to abandoned buildings. 

I started to think more about what story I really wanted to tell and how I go about doing it. After a few years of taking many trips across the country, I bought a van and started living in it. It gave me the most amount of time to focus on one thing and gave me the opportunity to take photos every single day and improve. 

I will say only a few things have changed. The quality of my heart is better, and I’m proud of what I do, but the feeling of expressing myself and sometimes falling short is still the same. In a way, I think it’s a positive thing, it forces me to push the bar higher and try new things.

MPB: How would you describe your shooting style? What do you gravitate towards most in a landscape image or a more conceptual shoot with subjects? 

BP: I do a bit of everything, from dreamy landscapes in San Francisco and Montana, while also shooting night scenes in the bayous of Louisiana. I enjoy taking photos of places that feel familiar but I myself had never been to before or maybe the viewer has never been to before. I enjoy places that take me out of my comfort zone, usually very off-the-beaten-path locations.

MPB: You have a strong following on social media, what do you think the key is to keep up the growth?

BP: I think one thing that has helped me grow is building a strong foundation beneath myself,  both in my community and when it comes to the work I put out. Shooting the way I like and colour grading the way I like, and having the rest of the world catch up later. Not conforming to words popular or easily consumable but would push me and the spectator. People saying be yourself sounds extremely cliché but in a world where everybody tries to be somebody else being yourself makes you stand out.

MPB: Tell us about your travels — what inspired you to go cross-country on the road with your camera?

BP: A few things inspired me to go across the country and travel. After a lot of soul-searching time to myself, I thought it would be beneficial to me and would give me an opportunity to reflect on what I want out of life. Travelling across the country has given me the opportunity to have extreme focus when it comes to the things I photograph and how I go about doing it. I think the 10,000-hour rule is a real thing and if I put in as much time as I can, I will slowly develop into something great.

MPB: What camera kit do you use typically? How was it switching over to a mirrorless system?

BP: I usually use a Canon EOS 6D Mark II (read our Canon EOS 6D Mark II review). The Canon EOS 6D Mark II has been good to me and my go-to camera for the past few years, but switching over to the Canon EOS R5 (read our Canon EOS R5 review) has made me heavily consider upgrading my current set-up. It was wonderful to have much higher-quality images and an easy-to-use button layout. I absolutely love the 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS lens. It was so sharp, even when the lighting was extremely low.

MPB:  Tell us about a cool photo you captured with the Canon EOS R5.

BP: I was driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it was freezing cold. I pulled over and walked down this trail in the dead of night. I took my lantern and lit up the scene and the trees looked extremely scary. The leaves have recently fallen off all the trees, so It just added to the mood.

MPB: What’s the most meaningful photo that you’ve made? Why is it special for you?

BP: That’s an extremely difficult question to answer. It’s almost like choosing your favourite child, some days you just like one a little bit more. But if I had to choose right now, my favourite image is of the church that I took in the deep South. I had gone down an extremely windy road and down a path into the woods. It was nothing but a pitch-black field and when I lit up the field with a light a cathedral was sitting there. It’s meaningful to me because I had always talked down on the South when it came to how it looked from a landscape photography perspective. 

I felt like this image showed me that the South is extremely beautiful. It made me want to return year after year to learn more about history and appreciate all the small towns in quiet, tucked-away areas.

MPB: What are your artistic goals?

BP: I never really set that many goals for myself every year, just because I’m a little bit superstitious, but one thing I would like to do is travel to new countries and learn more about different cultures. To connect and inspire as many creatives as possible. I'd love to experiment with new styles while also perfecting old ones.

MPB: Any advice for your peers, looking to get their work out there?

BP: If you’re from a small town with what feels like no resources, your best friend is the internet. And I came up with a plan and a strategy when I first started growing my platform. It mostly centred around helping others and supporting others. No one is going to magically one day just start supporting you unless you start first. It seems very transactional, but as you gain traction you don’t have to worry about a strategy or all the stressful insignificant things and can focus more on your artwork relationships that will last for years. 

For more tips and techniques, expert interviews and camera gear guides, check out the MPB content hub.