Have Pen and Camera, Will Travel: January 2024

Note: If you're looking for our Christmas Letter, it is #210. To reach it, scroll down past the bottom of this post.

#211 Putting People in Our Travel Photographs

Cat reading the daily rag in Mousehole (mow-zel) village, Cornwall, UK.

Putting people in our travel photographs, other than friends or family, is often uncomfortable—it’s difficult to invade people’s privacy. It needn’t be. We can include people in situations that don’t intrude and we can use techniques that are standard repertoire of Street Photographers. I find it easier to include people in my travel photography by recognizing several situations where people can be photographed without invading their privacy. Starting with the easiest subjects and moving to some more difficult situations, let me demonstrate how we can find subjects to include in travel photography.

First, those who want to be photographed are easy and willing subjects for our cameras.

One-ear was easy to photograph. All I had to do was hold up a Euro coin and he posed nicely.

Elaine Davidson of Edinburgh, Scotland, holds the world record of more than 6000 body piercings. She loves to show off at festivals and her booth on the Royal Mile.

This Seattle street artist attracts attention and poses for photos. Buy a painting or donate to his tip jar.

With hair like this, she knows she's attracting attention. She wasn't bothered by my quick snapshot.

A stylish golfer (?) in St Andrews, Scotland, gave me a big smile as I took this candid shot.

This Edinburgh couple show off native Scottish costumes often. I've seen them several times.

Second, performers, profession and amateur, are special people used to being targets of picture takers.

This BBC actress at Stirling Castle didn't mind my photographing her as long as I didn't bother the crew.

A street dancer invited me and my camera to dance with her at a festival in Dumfries, Scotland.

A docent or guide at the Crannog Centre on Loch Tay encouraged the tourists to photograph or video her efforts using first century fire starting techniques.

A Medieval Band Playing at a Festival in St Andrews

At a session of Irish music at Betty's Bar in Tralee, guitar player Michael Dooley invited us to sit right among the musicians as they played.

Participants in numerous street parties, this one seeking donations for cancer research, are eager that audience share in their fun. Birthday, Hen, Bachelor and other types of parties are easy to photograph. Perhaps their state of inebriation has something to do with their openness.

Third, sports figures or those participating in sports as special kinds of performers become used to having cameras pointing at them.

Bols is a very quiet sport, but here is still enough action for a picture or two.

School sports are a good bet for a photo--everybody is taking pictures. Here a field hockey team waits for the next bit of action. Notice how intent the redhead is; she's our Scottish niece.

We came upon a school of kayakers practicing near Aberfeldy, Scotland.

Most amateur sports participants will ham it up for anybody with a camera, especially at the finish line. It didn't hurt that this particular ham was our nephew.

Fourth, people whose jobs put them in the public eye are often open to having their pictures taken, but if in doubt be sure to get the permission of the person before you point your camera.

I asked this whisky shop clerk for permission to take the picture and later gave him a copy.

While Anne and sat visiting with a Dunvagen (Isle of Skye) hotel barkeep one rainy afternoon she graciously let me take her picture.

Posing for photos seems to be part of the job of being a Native American tribal chief.

It wasn't hard to snap this candid photo of a librarian at the Innerpeffray Library, Scotland's oldest lending library, near Crieff.

Last is the candid shot where people are caught doing every day things. Again be courteous enough to ask permission to include them in you photograph or be discrete enough not to invade their privacy. Even though people in public places or activities are fair game for the camera, it never hurts to ask, and if you ask, be sure to follow people’s wishes.

For this candid tearoom conversation shot in Kirriemuir, Scotland, I set my camera on the end of my table set to silent shutter and took the picture without disturbing the chat.