Why do People Travel – my after Geneva trip notes (part iv)
And again – Bonjour my friends !!
Here we go deeper and deeper to my Geneva trip – I post my images taken there very strict to the sequence of their photographing timeline so by the light condition is very easy to see that the first two days I was surprised by this sunny weather bonus. You will see some umbrellas in continuation of my essay and this was another bonus for me – to find this city shining like a diamond during the long, but not pouring rain.
I called this part – “Why do People Travel” and these were my thoughts before this trip, during the trip and after this last as the few previous trips. The Traveling is in Top of human interests now. Every time when I come to airports, I get some kind of shook why so many people are moving at the same time to every possible and represented direction. There are dozens of flights every hour from every airport, there are tens of thousands of people standing together in the same long line because of the same (or almost the same) – to get this fashionable expiration of a visit to foreign places. The top types of destination are – recently “opened” by mass tourism “cheap” countries and very expensive, but not less popular exotic countries.
My question to the travelers-photographers – why do you think that in these far destination countries the dwellers are more exotic and interesting than the people living in your country, or city of our living? Why these colorful photographs brought from adorable Cuba become such popular and many photo magazine and Youtube channels show off them like a dream destination for everyone using a camera? Same about far destinations of Africa (yes also my series from Ethiopia), Mongolia or these Top 10 destinations. Don’t all our exotic places snaps are looks like taken by the same photographer with the same camera postcards?
At the same time when I asked people about the original food experience they got during travels – the answer was – I looked for the regular burger/pizza/chips and I stayed away from local food due …. different not too relevant reasons – too smelly, too strange looking, too dominant in taste. And the most popular places of visit are huge shopping centers during Black f_r_i_d_a_y (sorry for writing this way).
I don’t travel too much. And every time when I’m looking for a flight ticket, I ask myself – what exactly would you like to get there? what is the reason to go soo far, to stand in the long line of a midnight airports check-ins, to sit in narrow and uncomfortable seats in planes and to hope that my luggage will arrive with me on the same flight (the reason why I started to use the only backpack during my short trips).
I will be glad to hear your point of view if you have one. And now the next pseudo-travel photography series.
I always love your images, Victor — but this set is especially wonderful. What beautiful plays of light you have captured, and also the geometry they create! The questions you ask are intriguing too, as they are the same questions I ask myself. And although I don’t have a single answer (because it depends on the destination I am considering) my most common reason for venturing far from home is to be uncomfortable. Not in the physical sense, although that happens sometimes. 🙂 But more in a cultural sense. When I don’t speak the language or know the food, it makes me approach everything with a childlike curiosity. When I’m out of my comfort zone I’m forced to make sense of the world as a child might, and especially to see even familiar things through new eyes. I suspect the answer will be different for everyone who reads your blog, though. Thank you for such a thought-provoking post!
Hey Heide ! thank you for reading and for the wonderful feedback. Your words about our comfort zone are so beautiful and exactly. I always look for these out of comfort zone locations no matter – during my trips to different countries or during my short trips inside of Israel.
… and that’s maybe part of the reason you always get such beautiful photos, Victor.
i hope so ;-)) thank you again Heide !
Beautiful series! I like the playing around with shadows and contrast. Referring to your question, my answer is: I travel (to Africa) for four reasons, and those are infinite curiosity, getting out of the comfort zone, getting grounded every now and then and getting away from Europe at least once a year (otherwise I´d go crazy). 😉
thank you very much for the readjng and your point of view ! and again – youre right especoally about the comfort zone ! I’m planning to write more about how i shock my one 😉
Wonderful , but wonderful photos, and yes, why, I asked myself some time ago, spend so much money when you can get all the photos you might want , at home. Travelling to visit family or friends is another matter of course!
exactly – visiting friends, families is another story for sure. thank you for the kind words Paula !
Hi Victor great post! I travel mostly to see family and fortunately they live in places like Manila and Bangkok where people consider far away exotic destinations. I like the food and photo ops. Yet I live in one of the most photographed cities in the world NYC. I never tire of finding things to shoot here but sometimes I think people might be bored to see the same pics of taxis, Time Square etc etc. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side! Anyway great post and superb pics as always!!
yes you’re right Sam. to meet a family and friends is the best reason to travel far. but absolutely agree also about different food and photography in far places.
aboit NYC – i sure you with your great eye can find something unique also in this most photographed city.
thank you for the great words my friend
Great photos – as expected. of course! 🙂 As for your questions, they are good ones and I’ve been asking them myself recently! I worked in the airline business 2001-2014 and loved it, it was my passion, I was so inspired by airports, the feeling of departure, the moment when you aren’t quite there yet, the sense of the unknown… But… then something changed. It mostly had to do with me having kids I guess. Now I feel no urge to travel, at all. In fact, I’m appalled by the ecological consequences of this mass hysteria. And of how much I have traveled, not caring for my carbon footprint!!! I even used to work as a flight attendant at one point, and oh my the miles we traveled. Now I just wish humankind would leave something for future generations. I’d like my kids to live on a planet that’s still alive. I blame it on Instagram and other social media, this craze that everyone must travel. Sure, I felt that way too, what right do I have to judge! 🙂 Travel wasn’t mainstream when I started, Instagram only came along at some point during the end of my tourism career and made it into a #yolo hype. Anyway, lately I’ve been content focusing on local things to photograph and blog about.
thank you very much for taking a look, very kind words a your point of view. Additionally Social media creates this feeling that everybody are everywhere all the time and only I’m is sitting at the same place ;-))
And yes, photos of the same places do look repetitive. My exotic is someone else’s home, and vice versa. All the mainstream attractions have already been captured a zillion times, making it hard to produce interesting shots, and most people don’t seem to mind! 🙂
and again you’re absolutely right. the real hard core is to find something interesting and well “exotic” somewhere close to you in not too expected place 😉
Thank you for the interesting post! Happy New Year 😊
Happy New Year. im working right now on the new post continuation. 😉
Oh, interesting! 😉