As I ready myself for my upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, resurfacing within me are questions of the relationship between travel and taking photos. Why do we (at least I do) feel compelled to document the journey rather than simply enjoy it? Are those activities mutually exclusive? How do our photos of new destinations reflect our approach to traveling?
In On Photography, Susan Sontag writes, “The…industrialization of camera technology only carried out a promise inherent in photography from its very beginning: to democratize all experiences by translating them into images.” Though our current state of visual overload has exposed much of the world to many realities both near and far that might otherwise remain unseen, I don’t think that all experiences can be reduced to their visual components. Just like with eyes, new places and cultures are probed using our hands, our nostrils, our ears and our tongues. We form our conceptions of a place and its personality based on the story our senses, and our past, tells us. That story, I truly believe, is different for every individual soul on the planet.
Thus, I think that the circumstances in which one finds themselves composing a photograph or experiencing an emotional response to viewing a photograph is truly unique to each person.
Take for instance, the Eiffel Tower. Once considered an eyesore (perhaps still is by some), this structure must be one of the most photographed in the world. There are certainly hundreds of similar photos of the Eiffel Tower in existence, but none are identical.
Where two photographers may want to highlight structural details...
another two may be focused on the angle...
or the mood...
... and yet another two may want to capture the unmistakeable spectacle that underscores why Paris is called the City of Light.
In addition to these, some of my other favorites of La Tour Eiffel are here, here and here.
Perspectives are always different. The Eiffel Tower may be one thing, but aiming a lens at people from the countries we visit is still a bit of a gray area for me. I suppose, as always, it depends on the intent... Travel writer Pico Iyer writes, "We are objects of scrutiny as much as the people we scrutinize... and we are being consumed by the cultures we consume." I think delving into that might have to wait until another blog post...
What are your thoughts? Do you break out the camera often while on travel or do you prefer to sit back and soak in your surroundings? What do you think the purpose of taking photos while traveling is? Do you agree with Sontag's statement, below?
"...Essentially the camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own" - Susan Sontag, On Photography
(photo credit, top to bottom: photosnocturnes, boyan photography, skantzman, patrickmayon, ianbramham, hampshire girl, timur yalcin, the workroom)
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