TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

To me, travel photography is about traveling abroad, exploring parts of your own country or state, or even traveling outside your comfort zone in your own county. That can include weeks of travel or simply taking a day trip.

Travels can take us to cities or towns, the countryside, or even into the woods; into nature. I have images that cover them all. However, for this month's tip, I will focus on the most standard definition of travel photography--cities and towns. 

During my trip to Switzerland several years ago, I preferred to walk in the cities/towns of Zurich, Luzern (Lucerne), and Zermatt. I can see so much more when I walk--it minimizes those rehashed "vacation" pictures. 

I did just that in Luzern. I just walked and walked for blocks, looking for Lion Monument.
When I travel, I don't just look for the "Top 10 Things To Do In......" I don't just aim to photograph places listed in travel guides. I leave myself open to whatever I see; to whatever happens.

Such was the case when I saw Lion Monument in Luzern. I saw a group of tourists gathering in front of it. As they gathered, I started seeing good compositions developing. Then, to add to that, a young lady just happened to walk into my composition, just a few feet from me, as she too admired the monument. I was about two feet from the ground. click!

There wasn't much color in the scene, except for one man's red umbrella. It occurred to me to convert the image to black & white, except for that one red umbrella. 

And, yes, I do have a photo of the Lion Monument, but this image is more dynamic and has a lot more interest than just a picture of the monument. The lion, by the way, was artistically carved into the rock. 

Several miles from Luzern, bordering Italy, is the beautiful town of Zermatt, nestled into a box canyon, like Telluride, Colorado. From town, you can see The Matterhorn, which serves as an awesome backdrop. I do have some beautiful images of the famous Matterhorn, but for this month, I want to share another scene that yells, "Switzerland." I loved this composition: the structures, especially the bar, the couple walking up the street in rain gear, and the blue bicycle. Just as I got ready to get the shot, a worker at the bar opened the side window, as if to say, "You want me to improve your composition?"

My tip here is to capture the culture of a place, not just the expected; the popular; the most photographed. For example, the bicycle, though not something your eye first goes to, represents the culture of Switzerland. In every city or town I visited, there were tons of folks riding their bikes to work or around town, but without the "Lance Armstrong wanna-be" outfits. 

Now we go to New Orleans, Louisiana, or NOLA, or Nawlins, however you pronounce it.  Among the many photos I have from my six visits to "The Big Easy," this one still stands out. This young street performer was entertaining us with his patched-up tuba. Culture. That's what I go for in many of my shots.

Notice I didn't photograph the entire tuba or his entire body. Cropping, in-camera, often gives us more dramatic, more striking, and more provoking images. 

   

Similarly, in Chicago, I saw another street performer, a man with a saxophone. As I did with the young boy in New Orleans, I cropped tightly in-camera; I zoomed into his hat, which, to me, was his "signature." I loved his sunglasses carefully placed on his black hat. This image is more a reflection of character; personality, rather than the physical man himself. 

I visited the small, quaint and historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The entire downtown is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. What that means is they have stringent city ordinances as to what you can build downtown and what you can or cannot do when you submit applications to the city to renovate your business building or personal home, if they're within the designated preservation area. What that also means is that you can visit there in 1988, then again in 2018 and the town looks the same--like time stood still.

Knowing that history, I decided to get up very early one morning, before normal life woke up, to photograph the frozen-in-time downtown. I'm glad I did. I later converted the image to an early-era sepia photo. Ghostly, huh? Not a human in sight. This was taken in the late 1990s.  

Seattle, Washington. I have only been there once, but I took advantage of my short visit. I always believe that no matter how much we plan and prepare, we should always leave ourselves open to a little bit of luck. Such was the case when I visited Seattle. The city, I assume, had contracted with an artist to (temporarily) paint several downtown trees blue, yes, blue! I took advantage of the surrealism of this scene. Not only were there blue trees, but silver and copper figures sprinkled throughout this downtown courtyard--look for them. 

Salt Lake City, Utah, and the state are known for their LDS (Latter Day Saints, or Mormons) history. There is beautiful landscape scenery around the area, but Mormonism pretty much blankets its culture, business, politics, and religion. That said, they are meticulously detailed about presenting their religion to visitors and guests. That is clearly seen in this photo of Temple Square, right in the center of downtown. The square covers five city blocks. The temple itself was completed in 1893. 

For this photo, I liked the combination of the temple, Temple Square, and visitors enjoying their visit. Notice how immaculate the grounds are.

Taos, New Mexico, More specifically, the Taos Pueblo. It is one of the longest continuously-inhabited communities in North America. Some of the oldest settlements in New Mexico date back 1500 years! Below is a photo of how the pueblo looks today. 

I always say that I know no strangers. I talk to everyone everywhere I go. The Taos Pueblo is no exception. During one winter visit, I started a conversation with one of the local artists in the pueblo. He invited me into his abode, which doubled as his house and studio. His name is Meko. He was kind enough to let me photograph him in his small, intimate, and colorful studio/ home. As I said earlier, I like to capture culture when I travel. This is not Hollywood. This is real life. 

My photography is much more than a depiction of my technical skills as a photographer. It reflects my love of, and respect for, life, cultures, and everything out there for me to see, experience, and enjoy.

I hope I have given you some ideas and approaches to travel photography. Enjoy your travels; enjoy photographing them. 

E-mail me at vegaphotoart@gmail.com with any questions you might have, or if you would like a field lesson if I'm ever in your town or if you live nearby Hot Springs, Arkansas.