Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Let's Talk Appropriate Travel Photography Subjects

I love taking photographs when I travel. And I have always tried to take photographs that capture things beyond the typical tourist sites. Images that will help me remember the flavor and essence of a place, as well as images that I think I can use in my mixed media art.  As I've become more mindful of my photography, though, I've begun to think consciously about what the appropriate bounds might be for travel photography subjects. I have always taken photographs in historical cemeteries, for instance, and I read with interest everyone's comments on my scavenger hunt post featuring a cemetery (see them in this post).  One that particularly intrigued me was Sian's comment about what might be out of bounds for photographers in which she said "I would never take pictures inside a church, for instance." It really made me stop and think because I had just taken the picture at the top of this post, which is one of my favorite images from our recent trip to England. It's taken inside the church in Chipping Campden. I like the colors and the composition and the feeling it evokes of an old English country parish.  I was quiet and respectful in the church and dropped some money in the donation box for the "Church Visitor Guide." And yet, I still did feel a little sense of questioning the appropriateness of taking this picture, even before I read Sian's comment. I had a similar sense of unease about these photos:
I took both of these photographs when walking out of town towards the hiking trails in The Cotswolds. I like how they capture English country life in ways that are both very different (we don't wear school uniforms her and don't have fancy horses on such fancy streets), yet oddly similar (hairstyles and attitudes seem very similar among all teenagers; there are lots of horse ranches here) to my life here. But, perhaps I felt a little queasiness because I was taking pictures of children. Would I feel any different if I were taking pictures of children in South American, Asian or Central American villages, I wonder?  The one last group of pictures that got me wondering about appropriate bounds were these:
These were all taken walking around Cambridge. It was graduation day for St. John's College, and I was struck by the beauty of the young men and women in their graduation robes. And I was touched by the love and care of parents helping their children with their regalia. Especially since the "children" are so clearly standing on the cusp of adulthood. But I confess to feeling a little bit like a voyeur, as if I had stumbled upon scenes of quiet intimacy, even though they were being played out in the crowded streets of town.  On the other hand, that very thing is what give these photographs their power, at least in my eyes.
And, just for good measure, a photograph of family intimacy taken inside a Church (the Chapel at Kings College).  So, do tell, what do you think? What are the appropriate bounds for travel photography? Do they vary depending upon where you are, what your intentions are or how you act when taking them? I'm really very curious and will take no offense if you suggest I've overstepped.
{This post is part of an occasional series ("let's talk") encouraging a discussion of certain topics, in which I really am seeking people's opinions and input.}

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