This year’s photo project
It’s been said in various forms by well-known photographers: all photographs are lies. I was reminded of the truth of this when I visited the popular Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine recently.
Almost every photograph taken at a well known landmark seeks to frame the obvious subject without other distractions. Other tourists, power lines, trash cans, parking lots—most of us try to eliminate the “ugly” bits that don’t match the tourism board’s brochure crop.
A tourist-heavy (almost all out-of-state plates) destination like Nubble also highlights another photographic lie. Many people pull their car into the lot, leave it running, and jump out for no more than 3 minutes to get a selfie with the lighthouse in the background. Then they drive away, which, frankly, good riddance. This is akin to the influencers who wear their bright orange or blue jacket to get a photo of themselves by a mountain lake, then drive to the next scenic location to rape it for content. The lie is that they spend time in nature, that they care about this stuff.
After observing this behavior (which is a common occurrence in Vacationland and other “destinations”) for a while, I realized the real story at these places isn’t the obvious subject. It’s the reality of what’s happening in front of it.
Once I started seeing this reality, I tried to capture a bit of it. Later, when I was home and discussing the phenomenon with Jennifer, we thought of other photos that would’ve helped tell the story. As we talked, I realized that this is the series I want to tackle in the new year: the reality of what you’ll find at ’gram-worthy travel destinations. It isn’t always pretty, but in some ways it’s more interesting. Maybe the truth is always more interesting than a lie.
The challenge will be to show it all. While the quick-pic-and-leave people are annoying, there are others who really soak in what they’re experiencing, enjoying the crash of the waves and the wonderful air. I want to show a well-rounded subset of what is happening at these places, from a neutral perspective. That will be difficult.
We live in Maine and frequently visit locations like this. I’ll start there. We’re also planning a road trip to see some of America’s natural wonders in the West, most of which I’ve never been to despite living in Wyoming for a decade. That should make this a good year for such a project.
(Another related goal is to add a portfolio section to this website that collects series and themes so visitors can view my favorite work without digging through the blog. Stay tuned.)
I hope this idea resonates with you. I’d love to know your thoughts and hope you’re able to follow along.
