Behind The Frame, part v [travel edition]

The How And Why Behind My Favorite Travel Photographs

I love sharing the why and how behind my photographs to help other photographers on their creative journey. This is my fifth installment of my ‘behind the frame’ photography series where I’m focusing on five different travel images, and the thoughts I had while taking the image, and while looking at the final product.

And, if you’d like to check out the other posts in this series, here are the links:

Behind The Frame i, Selection of Personal + Client Images focusing on color, composition, and joy

Behind The Frame ii, Selection of Client and Personal Images

How The Photo Was Made, Behind The Frame iii, Selection of Personal + Client Images

Behind The Frame iv, Self Portrait Edition

Morocco Street Photography

This image was taken just recently when I was visiting Marrakech in Morocco during the Finding Wonder Photographer retreat in 2023. We were all sitting having a restful lunch in a private dining area where we could look out upon the walkways of the Medina. I’d been really drawn to the motor scooter and three lines of light on the right hand of the image, and also wanted to photograph a local woman walking through the scene. When I saw this person coming I quickly composed and photographed the image. When doing street photography like this you often need to frame up your composition and wait for your subject to be at your desired place within the frame. I really wanted the woman to be framed in the wood door, since there were so many other interesting vignets occurring in the frame. The tone of her dress also made it vital that she was framed within the wood door so that she stood out as the tones are similar to the wall. Capturing her mid stride with the movement in her attire really elevated the image.

Bali From Below

When touring in Bali Indonesia, you will find many alters. They are at all homes, businesses, etc and vary in size and elaborateness in design and offerings. This was a small alter at our villa in Ubud, and I like how this is a faceless portrait of my daughter. Although the background is not perfectly symmetrical, the center composition really works for me here particularly with the view as seen from below the subject. I believe that the perspective adds to the sense of wonder and the ‘looking up’ of the subject. I also like the simplicity of tones, with mainly greens and a black/navy blue tone. There is an interesting way that the mix of stripes and plaid draw you into the center of the image right away before you explore the remainder of the frame.

Pho From Overhead

One of the best parts about travel is trying out new foods, or even better, having foods you’ve had at home and then trying them in their country of origin. While traveling in Vietnam we went to a local Pho establishment, and were really enjoying the environment and the food. I loved how the table looked with the large bowls of Pho, with my daughters small hands, the chop sticks etc. There are SO many different ways to photograph food, but using an overhead perspective to make a photo to remember a delicious meal while traveling is a great and simple approach.

View From A Gondola

When traveling we all have a desire to photograph the perfect portrait in a famous location. But, sometimes more of an environmental portrait can have more impact. This image was taken during a sunset gondola ride in Venice, and I just love the sense of movement and wonder in my daughters body language and expression. This was such a magical part of our Italian vacation, and I feel like storytelling in this way is much more powerful than a posed portrait. What do you think?

Little Girl, Big Paris

I am always in awe by the architecture and different styles when we explore new cities, and no other city seems to capture my heart quite like Paris. When exploring the neighborhood where we were staying I knew that I could create a unique environmental portrait of my daughter by placing her on this ledge where she could sit comfortably, allowing me to back up and really create a unique composition with scale and impact. Her pink dress helps her to pop with the background that is detailed but more neutral in tone.

Are you interested in learning more about my style of photography, and how I create photos with intentional composition choices in mind? Check out my online course ‘Composition and Color’ to see how you can take your photos to the next level.

Would you like to see more blog posts from this series where I explore the ‘behind the frame’ details? Check out these other posts.