Exploring Nature’s Beauty and Tranquility With Photographer and Wellness Expert Shirene Briell

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The work of Shirene Briell gives her audience a captivating journey into the world of visual storytelling, where her camera serves as a gateway to unexplored landscapes of untamed beauty. 

Behind every breathtaking shot lies a blend of artistry, patience, and an unwavering passion for the natural world, capturing the natural harmony and beauty so often overlooked in our day-to-day lives.

We sat down with photographer Shirene Briell, looking to uncover the secret behind her remarkable images, the profound connections she’s formed with the natural world, and the unique perspective that defines her incredible work. 

 

Please Tell Us A Little About Yourself

My journey is rooted in a deep passion for wellness and coaching, a fascination with physiology and body movement, and a deep desire to understand people and the different elements that make us unique, helping them balance their bodies and lives. I have been in the wellness industry for 30 years, and I started studying and loving photography in 2004. I opened a studio called the BodyWellness Pilates & Coaching Studio, which is a space where I practice integrated health and wellness coaching and pursue my passion for photography.

I like to awaken a softness within people through my wellness coaching. I’ve incorporated that into my photography as well, which for me is simply putting all the puzzle pieces together.

 

Where did your artistic journey begin, and where has it taken you?

I’ve been in the wellness industry for many years. I love yoga, and I love healing people. I started my photographic journey at Orms in 2004, where I enrolled myself in the Orms Cape Town School of Photography digital photography course.  With the purchase of my first camera, I was eager to learn more about photography and how my camera worked. 

My photographic practice has progressed through the years as I tackled different genres. I started with just shooting generally and then combined my passion for health and wellness with my newfound interest in photography. I started doing yoga shoots and dance photography, where I photographed several shows for the Cape Town City Ballet. I’m currently more interested in photographing wildlife and birds; it’s all about the beauty of flight, feathers, and wings. 

In the future, I also see myself teaching and sharing my photography, inspiring new photographers so that they can find the joy I have found in my own photography journey.

 

Please tell us a little about your favourite photographic genres, your shooting style, and where your love for these began

Over the years, I‘ve trained myself across the whole spectrum. When I conquer one genre, I move on to another and incorporate all that I’ve learnt into my new undertaking. My true love and passion is for botanicals. I love creating beautiful images of flowers, looking deep into the petals and stamens, and enjoying the slow process of photographing these subjects. This slowing down is what I want to inspire in people with my photographs. I want them to slow down and take a moment to notice the beauty and magnificence of nature and the need for us to conserve our natural habitats. I am a naturalist and conservationist at heart.

 

Where do you look for artistic inspiration?

Definitely in nature and hiking with my two beloved dogs in our surrounding mountains, looking for gorgeous light on our walks is what inspires me. I love birds in flight and am fascinated with flying in general. 

Another fascination I have is with Mother Nature and the Fibonacci sequence deep within everything. I love the simplistic beauty of nature, the design textures, the sacred geometry, and the various elements we find in nature. I am blessed to have lived in Noordhoek for the past 15 years, where there is an abundance of nature, freedom, beauty, and amazing colourful skies. These have played a big role in how I view the world and how I capture the beauty of nature. 

Whenever I feel like I need a little inspiration I go back to The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In the book, Julia speaks about an “Artist Date.”  I read the book when I was in my 20s, and it really made a difference, even to this day. Once a week, I also make sure to free up at least half a day, and I take my camera with me or my iPhone, and I use that time to do something I love. I visually create inspiration for myself and just let the inspiration flow.

I’m constantly eyeing new trends in the interior decor space. Visiting Weylandts is also my favourite thing to do when looking for inspiration. I love their brown aesthetic, the chocolatey colours, the starkness, the woven fabrics, and the textures.

 

What are some of your creative rules or approaches when capturing your work? 

When photographing flowers and birds, it’s important to me that I spend time with the subject. I have to sit for about 20 minutes before my mind quietens down. I have to center myself with my breath and set an intention for what I want to create. 

Through a meditation process, I allow the beauty to flow through. This lets me really see the subject, look at it differently from a right-brain perspective, and look at the negative spaces and the depths of the subject. When we just look superficially at something, especially given the fast and busy world we’re living in, we only see things in one dimension. As you start looking at a subject from different angles and different perspectives, and you stay with it, stay calm, and focus on how the light changes, something magical will appear in front of your lens.

 

Do you mind telling us a little about the gear you shoot with? 

At the beginning of my photographic journey, I joined the Nikon School of Photography with Lou Coetzer. On a trip to the Kgalagadi with the school, we all had to sit in a circle, close our eyes, and think about the things we wanted to photograph and our photographic practice as a whole. I loved macro photography, and I loved photographing birds in flight. This love stems from a spiritual connection with the subject, a softness I like to convey in my photography. 

My first real DSLR camera was a Nikon D80 and a 105mm lens that I bought from Orms, so that’s what I took with me on my trip. Nikon also lent us a bunch of lenses, and we had a beautiful experience shooting with the very best of the Nikon product range. When I returned, I purchased the Nikon D300S and a few lens essentials, including the Nikon 70-200mm, and that’s when I started my real photography journey. With my new Nikon camera, I explored the world of macro photography and shot every bee, every dragonfly, and every flower I could. The Nikon 105mm was also instrumental in my portrait photography. 

With my Nikon 70-200mm, I started shooting on-stage productions. I’d be sitting in the wings of the opera house, whether in Switzerland or shooting the Cape Town City Ballet, and I’d be shooting in the dark with the continuous stage lights changing and trying to focus on the movement of the dancers. I studied ballet growing up, so I understand the end pose positions that dancers require in their photos. In these situations, you have to know intuitively how your camera works because you can’t look down to change things. It’s dark, and you don’t have time. You’ve got to learn where the buttons are and the workings of your camera intimately so you don’t miss out on anything. 

Eventually, I purchased the Sony A1 with a Sony 200-600mm lens because I wanted to focus on bird photography, and you definitely require the right equipment to photograph them.  So that is where my journey is at the moment. I eventually got the right equipment to photograph birds beautifully in flight, a dream I’ve had since 2004. With Sony, it’s next-level photography, it’s exhilarating and such an exciting journey.

 

Please walk us through your creative process when starting a new creative project

When photographing wild animals and birds, I sit quietly to bring calm energy into the environment we are in, slow my breathing down, and then start looking intensely at their body language and movements, especially for their communication with one another and the interactions between various species. I absolutely love sitting in the middle of the bush, silently with my camera in my hand, and letting nature and the various interactions unfold. It’s deeply satisfying for my soul. On those days, I don’t go out specifically to photograph anything; I just allow the Universe to bring beauty to the eye and lens. I don’t like chasing around in a vehicle, searching for the next excitement, and interfering with animals in their natural habitat. Respect for our fauna and flora kingdom is of all importance to me. Currently, the Okavango and Botswana are my favourite places to photograph wildlife. 

When life gets stressful, I turn to my macro lens and look deep inside flowers and watch butterflies, bees, and any insect or bird; I find it calming. I use my photography as a tool, as a quietening and meditative process. With macro photography, I’m able to focus on small details. I’ve also taught myself to use wide-angle thinking and look at the universe like an eagle flying high in the sky, looking down at the bigger picture with a keen eye; it’s like zooming in and out with a lens. 

For me, It’s not about perfection. It’s about creating things that I enjoy because our soul comes through in the images we create. I think that’s an important skill because we’re often obsessed with perfection and want to create photographs that other people will love. The desire to create that perfect shot stops people from creating something beautiful. 

When shooting portraitures, you have to help your subject relax in front of the camera. Nobody likes to have a camera lens pointed in their face. Unless you’re a trained model, we all find it awkward and difficult. Once you’ve settled your subject and captured their portrait, what you’re capturing is the connection you’ve built with them. You’re capturing their soul and the essence of who they are, not just a good doll in a headshot. 

Everything I do, I do with immense care and love.  I think that comes out in my photography, that’s my desire at least. It’s about really capturing the soul of who people are.  It’s not at all about being perfect and beautiful. I like capturing the story, the story behind what’s showing in their eyes.

 

What motivated you to want to turn your passion for photography into a business selling prints and creating wallpapers and textiles?

I think it’s just a natural progression in one’s photographic journey when you get to a place where you’re confident enough to put your work out there. People see your work, like your style, and follow you on social media. I’m currently building my shop on Instagram and figuring out the platform’s algorithms. Selling your work on social media means forever trying to find the rhythm of these algorithms. 

I love interior design and interior decorating. I love being able to bring my energy and my soft style into someone’s home and seeing my pictures & wallpapers up on someone’s wall or office space. It is heartwarming to know that somebody else is walking past one of my images of my birds, botanicals, or wildlife every day and that they connect with it.

 

What motivated you to choose Orms Printroom for your printing and fulfillment needs?

Well, there’s nowhere else for me. I’ve built a great relationship with Orms over the years. The customer service is exceptional. I have in the past dabbled elsewhere, but I always come back to Orms. I have never had a bad experience, whether in the shop, the school, or Orms Print Room. For me, it’s a no-brainer. I just love Orms. The staff have become my friends and colleagues and they support me in creating beautiful works of art.

 

What advice would you give to people who want to create and sell their prints?

Don’t get caught up in the creating-to-sell process, but keep having fun, be open to inspiration, and be open to learning. After all these years, I am still learning. I learn continuously through different YouTube videos, Photoshop courses, KelbyOne, and various tutorials, especially on the Adobe platform.

Every week, I dedicate a few hours to learning more about photography and any new developments in the industry. It’s all about your creative process and learning and upskilling yourself. It’s not just about shooting; editing also plays a significant role. You have to sit with an image and think, “How can I improve this image?” into something that represents your heart and soul and how you see things. This way, you’ll attract the right audience for your work.

 

Anything else you’d like to add? 

I’m really proud that Orms has selected 32 of my images for the Artist Gallery. I’m really excited about this journey moving forward because I believe the exposure will take my work to another level and allow more people to experience my work, feel my love and passion for my art, and incorporate it into their homes.

I’m proud to be associated with Orms and the things you’re creating.