EDITORS’ PICK
Contemporary Pilgrims
WORLD TRAVELERS
World Travelers Editors’ Pick
“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God” – Kurt Vonnegut
Banner image: ‘Distribution Network II’ by Chris McCann.
www.chrismccann.com and Instagram:@mccannatron
Following Steve McCurry’s selection of winning images for our ‘WORLD TRAVELERS’ theme, this compilation of 20 images, selected by the Life Framer editors represents some of the other talented photographers whose work struck us and left a mark. Some are more literal representations of the theme, and others are more abstract, but each one is a stunning image worthy of exposure and attention.
These are intended to be a conversation starter… so feel free to join the discussion on our social networks.
‘Austin, Texas’ courtesy of Jon Setter.
Instagram: @jonsetter
‘Norway’ courtesy of Julien Mavier.
Instagram: @julienmavier_
Image and text courtesy of Sascha Kraus from his series ‘All Day Hero’.
“Searching for shelter and community the All Day Hero is equipped with not much more than his space suit which is used to protect his safety in the expanses of the universe. Stranded on planet earth – an unfamiliar and obscure planet – he tries to find a common ground. On his search through unknown territory he encounters newness and surprise yet he does not feel unity through interaction. Being perceived a stranger he finds it hard to express his desire to connect and share his wide-ranging experience. All Day Hero characterizes the search for community and harmony in an alien and new environment that is felt by countless people”.
Life Framer Special Mention:
“Sascha places a lone space traveler into a landscape, and in doing so asks us to see that landscape in a new light – to reconsider the man-made world and our place in it, to consider the feelings that every traveler will have all experienced of being alone in alien surroundings. It’s a powerful metaphor, that is used to similarly powerful effect in Diego Brambilla’s ‘My First Dream’ – conceptually similar, albeit with the inner-city environments replaced with stark, open deserts.
The image itself is strong – there’s an unusual balance to the frame, the apportioning of ground and sky, which in this case I think heightens the strangeness. And the figure holds a peculiar position in the frame’s middle-ground; relatively close but equally detached, which acts to emphasize the remoteness. By using this empty flood channel as a backdrop, devoid of any real color or life, that sense of remoteness and isolation is strengthened further still. These stylistic choices combine to make for a strong and memorable image” – Life Framer Editors
www.saschakraus.com and Instagram: @sascha.kraus
Image courtesy of Kristof Vadino.
www.kristofvadino.com and Instagram: @kristof_vadino
Image courtesy of Catherine Lemblé from her series ‘Far West’.
www.catherinelemble.com and Instagram: @catherinelemble
‘The Blue Man’: Image and text courtesy of Claudia Cuomo from her series ‘The Morocco Road Trip’.
“After one night of traveling by bus, several hours driving through the rock desert, and one last huge stretch of sand road, we climbed up the Erg Chegaga Dune. It is one of the highest and wildest in the Moroccan desert, towards the Algerian border. Every guide of the desert tells you to go up and relax and enjoy the sunset from the dune. I looked down instead. There was nothing but silence and this walking boy. He was a Tuareg, one of the desert nomads known as the “blue men” because the indigo pigment in the cloth of their traditional robes and turbans stains their skin dark blue. All around him there was a sea of sand, it was incredible. And the back-light from the setting sun began overlapping with the sky’s color, making it clear and white”.
www.eyeem.com/u/claudia_cuo and Instagram: @claudia.cuo
Images and text courtesy of Galit Seligmann from her series ‘Pilgrimage’.
“The intention of these images is to invert the tourist gaze at two of the most visited sites In the Eastern and Western world – The Taj Mahal in India and St Peter’s Basilica in Italy. The buildings are described not by their architecture but rather by the queues of tourists visiting them and all identifying context has been excluded from these two endlessly reproduced landmarks. The architecture is the main attraction but its absence symbolises the ubiquity of the modern day tourist trail.
With over one billion international tourists travelling each year contemporary society is a mobile society and the modern day tourist can be described as a contemporary pilgrim. Each queue reveals its own choreography of personal space. A queue is a procession partly of national identity and demographics and partly of cultural dress code and body language. It is a temporary community whereby a collective spirit of anticipation exists in between the boredom of waiting”.
www.galit-seligmann.com and Instagram: @galitseligmann
Image courtesy of Charles Xelot from his project on the Russian Arctic’.
www.charlesxelot.com and Instagram: @charlesxelot
Image and text courtesy of Zach Lowry from his series ‘Last Days of Mosul’.
“This image was taken in the Old City section of West Mosul, Iraq in July 2017 – preceeding and succeeding the announcement of liberation”
www.zachlowry.work and Instagram: @zach.lowry
Canaletto Guardi: Image and text courtesy of Laurent Dequick from his series ‘Serenita Veneziana’.
“Far from the tumult of the tourist circuits, I let myself be led away by the contemplation of the Venetian palaces. Jewels of the Serenissima, they alone bear witness to its greatness, its power, its beauty. From the front perspective view, architecture is staged and becomes the theater of the city. The ethereal chromatic value enhances the delicacy of the buildings – the surrounding nature, the water channels, and the sky become intangible. Close to the engraving architecture, rising above common feelings into something pure and sublime”
Life Framer Special Mention:
“The waterways of Venice provide iconic, postcard-perfect tourist scenes, but have become somewhat of a visual trope – we’ve all seen them so many times that they lose their wonder. Laurent is aware of this, and gives them a unique visual treatment, abstracting them with a flat composition, desaturated, chromatic colors and a washed-out stillness that creates something unique, pure and painterly. In doing so, we forget the frenzy of tourists and gondolas, and instead focus on the magisterial architecture. The result, as he puts it, is sublime” – Life Framer Editors
www.ldkphoto.com and Instagram: @ldk_photo
Image and text courtesy of Paige Lipsky.
“A columbarium in Hong Kong. Because graves are so expensive many families opt to store funerary ashes in columbariums”
www.paige-lipsky.squarespace.com and Instagram: @paige_lipsky_photography
Image and text courtesy of Nick Hannes from his series ‘Dubai: Bread & Circuses’.
“This series showcases Dubai as the ultimate playground of globalisation and capitalism and raises questions about authenticity and sustainability. Success story or megalomania, the rapid transformation of Dubai from a dusty fishing town in the sixties to the ultramodern metropolis of today fascinates both supporters and critics. With its artificial islands and iconic skyscrapers the little emirate is a world player when it comes to tourism and business. Dubai’s entertainment industry and its luxury lifestyle based on consumerism have a big impact on the urbanisation of the Emirate. Ruler Mohammed bin Rachid Al Maktoum acting as the CEO of the Dubai-brand spares no cost nor effort to promote his city worldwide as a place of complete economical freedom, unlimited possibilities and big fun”
www.nickhannes.be and Instagram: @nick.hannes
Image and text courtesy of Ivan Margot.
“This image is one of several chosen moments lived in different countries, without following any pre-established script. There is no willingness on my part to make a report to situate these images in a given context, to tell a story with a beginning and an end”
www.imargot.com and Instagram: @ivan.margot
Image courtesy of Martin Straub.
www.martinstraubphotography.com and Instagram: @martinstbphotography
‘Maasai’ courtesy of Ovidiu Minzat.
Life Framer Special Mention:
“Ovidiu’s image of a Maasai campsite guard in Tanzania, is beautifully taken. He captures deep, rich hues of color, and the fallen tree splicing diagonally through the frame is an effective framing device – the image is balanced and assured. What I think works well is that, ironically perhaps, this guard appears quite unguarded – there are hints of personality and individuality, despite his serious role and intimidating weapon”
