Travel Photography is about People

The difference between good travel photography and poor is the people that are photographed. For most of us taking pictures of people on the street is not easy. We feel that we are invading their privacy and fear an angry or hurt response. We do not want our hobby to cause any fear in others. So we take pictures of objects, architecture and vehicles that hint at the culture we are visiting.

While all of this is fine, it limits our photographic results. The most fascinating part of visiting new lands is getting to know new people. Here are a few of the images I have captured during my travels that tell the story of the people of the region.

The first one up top, is of a little girl on a class trip to the Forbidden City. She was shy, looking through a fence with this amazing hat on. The picture had to be taken!

Here was a shot in China of a man "painting" with water on the floor. The animal would evaporate shortly after being finished and he would start another one.

​The things he did with a simple water bottle and a sponge were amazing, and the temporary nature of his art made it even more memorable. 

Here we were in Xi'an walking through a crowded street. Sitting in the middle of it all were these two ladies selling fruit. I love her smile as she saw me taking her picture.

The bike, the writing on the wall and her expression tell a bit more of the story of the place.

Here was a group of men in China, playing music near a temple. They did not ask for money of any sort, just wanted to play for the people visiting the temple. 

I took several memorable pictures of this event and this is one of them. The odd instrument, something that you do not see back home, help tell of the cultural differences. The well dressed gentlemen and the old wall behind him help give the image a sense of time and place.

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In Bali there are a great many temples that are amazing to enter and walk around. This one had a pre-prayer bath at the entrance. 

People would dress down, and jump into the cool water. They would make an offering and wash up for prayer. The site itself is wonderful but the people getting ready to pray help tell the story of the place.

Upon leaving the temple I found these friendly children eating a late lunch. Normally I do not take pictures of kids but the parents were nearby and seemed fine with it.

The expression on kids faces tell a story of welcome, happiness and honesty. Something I could never capture in a building or flower.

Here is another image of the China street music. You can see the crowds, happy faces while the musicians do their magic. 

When I look at this image I can hear the music again. It is a wonderful memory of an amazing place.

How do you explain to a person from Houston who jumps into their car every morning to drive into down town for their 9-5 job that in Indonesia things work differently? Sure a 10,000 word essay may convey the message, but a picture of people working the rice fields tells it better.

Again the rice fields are wonderful to photograph but without the human element they fall flat. Travel photography should be about people.

All these images are from Asia, however I can look at all my travel images and point to the people I have photographed. Every place has a story and it is written by its people. To travel to a place and not photograph the people is to only tell part of the story.