First, I would like to thank Anne and the rest of the LAPC mob for inviting me to set the challenge for you this week. I have to say I feel very honoured.
You have probably noticed from the title that I have picked Tourist Attractions and there is a reason for it. One thing that many photographers seem to love is travelling to take photos. That can be where you live, in the state you live, your country, or other countries. There are reasons you want to go to those places, usually because of tourist attractions.
I thought we should look at what a tourist attraction is defined as:
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. (Wikipedia)
While I agree with this definition I also think that for a photographer or people who love taking photos that the tourist attraction can also be because you want to photograph something specific in the hope of getting a really beautiful photo. What the normal tourist wants to see is not always what we want. You might go to the same place, but you are after something different.
Tourist attractions for photographers are often because you have seen photos from other photographers and you want to go there to get your images of them.
We also will go there when normal tourists wouldn’t. For example, getting up early on a morning below freezing to photograph a tree at sunrise.
Generally, you are not going to stand with your back to what you are there for getting selfie after selfie.
When I travel I have specific things I know I want to see and take photos of. It could be the Brooklyn Bridge, that Wanaka tree, or maybe even that very large rock in the middle of my country. They are all things that people go to see, but I want to see them through my camera lens and I want to be able to do something special. Of course that doesn’t always work out, but we do what we can.
So my challenge to you is to look for those photos that are of tourist attractions, but you have tried to get the untypical image of it. As I said they can be near where you live, or far afield in other countries.
I am going to show you three galleries. The first is going to be my Melbourne and the state of Victoria. The second will be from trips to other states in Australia and the third will be from the rare trips I’ve had overseas.
Melbourne and Victoria
It is interesting that many places that we go to take photos become Tourist Attractions because of our photos.
Other states in Australia
I haven’t taken photos in many other states, but when I do travel interstate I know there are things I want to photograph.
Overseas
I have only been to two other countries to take photos, the USA and New Zealand.
Do you travel around where you live or other places with ideas of what you want to photograph and how?
Thank you again to the Lens-Artist Challenge team for inviting me to host this week. It has been wonderful.
Please be sure to join in next week when Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures challenges us to share pairs.
Maybe you would like to participate this week, it is a great challenge to do. To find out how to join the Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.
very interesting
Thank you.
Very interesting
Thank you.
Nice post
Thank you.
Excellent photography!
I’m surprised you made it to Bodie. Most Americans don’t even know that amazing old ghost town exists.
Enjoy your travels.
Thank you Kent. I didn’t know about it but the people I was staying with took me there. It was a great surprise.
Gorgeous shots! I love the colors.
Thank you so much.
Hi Leanne great theme and some greeat images! Sadly, I didn’t do it justice, but here goes: https://suejudd.com/2024/07/20/lens-artists-photo-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
Thank you Sue, I think you have underestimated yourself.
My contribution
https://philosophyviaphotos.wordpress.com/2024/07/19/lens-artist-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/?preview=true
And … just in time – here’s mine! https://margaret21.com/2024/07/20/wuthering-heights-tourist-destination/
Hey Leanne such a wonderful collection of photos … what a brilliant eye you have! The header shot and of course the tree at Wānaka are my favs
Thank you so much Julie. It has been a nice year, though many of these photos have been taken over the last 10 years. The Wanaka tree has been very popular.
Your ability to see and translate for others what is magical close to your home is amazing. For me this was quite the challenge as I only take very oddball photos of my home city, and rarely would they add any insight to any of the local tourist attractions. Anyway, here is my post on our Public Market, one of Vancouver’s more popular tourist attractions. https://elizabatz.com/2024/07/19/granville-island-public-market-in-vancouver-canada/
That is really nice of you to say, glad you like the photos. I look forward to seeing your “oddball” photos, which I’m sure are wonderful. Thank you Eliza.
You take stunning and very beautiful photographs Leanne. It is also an interesting challenge
Thank you so much, I hope people enjoyed the challenge.
Back from England and finally I can contribute. These galleries are a feast for the eyes, and I love the drama and feeling you always create in them. A great challenge, Leanne. Thank you for hosting.
https://lagottocattleya.com/2024/07/18/lens-artists-challenge-307-tourist-attractions/
YOu must have some great photos for it now Ann Christine, Thank you so much, I will look at yours soon.
It has been good hosting, very busy week for me.
An interesting challenge.
So many lovely clicks. And it is difficult to be selective!
St Kilda Pier, Melbourne, is my favourite.
Thank you Philo, there has been a great response to it.
Leanne, your post and photos are fantastic. Thanks for offering this rewarding challenge. Here’s my post:
https://throughbrazilianeyes.com/praia-do-sancho/
Egídio
Thank you Egidio.
Great challenge! I love the Wanaka tree image – beautiful. Here’s my addition to the photo fun.
https://lindylecoq.com/2024/07/18/lens-artists-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
Thank you Lindy.
Grace to YOU Today 🙏😎❤️📕✝️👨🔧
Oh thank you.
Insane photos
Thank you.
Wonderful work as always, Leanne.
Still enjoying and appreciating how you capture and show subjects.
Here’s mine for this one: https://stupidityhole.com/2024/07/18/view-inside-tunnel/
Thank you and that is great to hear.
Wow absolutely stunning!!
Thank you Kerri.
nice
Thank you.
great photos 🙂
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2024/07/16/lens-artist-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
Thank you.
These photos are incredible, Leanne! Love how you captured both iconic and unique tourist attractions. The Wanaka tree and St Kilda Pier shots are stunning. Can’t wait to visit some of these places and see them through the lens someday!
Thank you, glad you like them. That Wanaka tree is amazing, I loved it. I hope you enjoy them when you get to them.
What a stunning gallery, Leanne and a great theme! We’re delighted that you’re guest hosting this week. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photography with all of us.
Thank you Patti, it was great to be able to host and picking my theme. You’re very welcome and thank you for giving me this opportunity.
You are welcome
😀
❤️
😀
As always, your images are stunning!
Thank you Dawn.
Love it it’s beautiful
Thank you Di.
What a fantastic challenge, Leanne! Tourist Attractions are something we can all relate to. And so true that we relate to places we visit in different ways. I chuckled at the comment: “Generally, you are not going to stand with your back to what you are there for getting selfie after selfie.” SO true. Personally, I love to photograph impressions of places I visit, and very rarely iconic images. I love that you seem to feel moments before you take a photo.
In your truest you fashion you have brought us breathtaking views of your travel. Proof, that sometimes those most stunning places are in our own backyard. Your galleries are worth visiting over and over again. Love them all, but whoa, that Wanaka Tree and Binalong Bay will be favorites this week. Fantastic. Enjoy seeing the inspiration you create this week. Donna
Thank you Donna, glad you can relate, those people with the selfies are so annoying. I have been pushed out of the way for them. I like what you try to do it, it is great.
I think people often forget what is around them and often they are the photos that will be a lot better. Good to hear your favourites, have to admit they are mine too.
What a wonderful set. I wish I had images half as beautiful as the ones you make.
Here’s my entry for the week: https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2024/07/15/i-want-to-break-free/comment-page-1/#comment-111204
Thank you so much IJ.
An excellent choice of theme (naturally I would say that, as a keen traveller!) and wow, what an amazing collection of travel images! I especially love the Wanaka tree shot (I do hope it’s on a wall somewhere, it deserves to be!) and the long exposure of Binalong Bay 😮 And I do agree with you that ‘the normal tourist wants to see is not always what we want’. So in my response I’ve tried to showcase how it’s possible to find some different ways to photograph some popular tourist attractions: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/gallery-a-different-look-at-some-travel-icons/
Thank you so much Sarah. Sadly, I don’t have it on my wall. I don’t have any space left. I have so many photos and paintings on my wall now. I’m glad you agreed with me. I just saw your post and left a comment.
Here’s mine
https://travelswithali.com/2024/07/15/amazing-albania-three-nights-in-tirana/
Great.
https://chava61.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/lens-artists-photo-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-far/
Your shots are so inspiring as always, Leanne!
My entry is here:
https://flightsofthesoul.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/lens-artists-307-tourist-attractions/
That’s nice of you to say PR, thank you.
Popular post, Leanne, you are busy…enjoy! Here is the link for my tourist attractions:
https://secondwindleisure.com/2024/07/14/sunday-stills-why-state-and-local-parks-are-worthwhile-tourist-attractions/
Thank you Terri, glad to see that people seem to be liking it.
https://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/tourist-attractions-in-germany/
As always, a beautiful gallery reflecting your theme image choices, Leanne. I always enjoy your photographic style (and I am jealous. 🙂 )
Thank you so much John. Perhaps choice for me I think. That is good to hear.
(I saw that you commented again, so I will delete the other one.)
I was having trouble posting and wasn’t sure if my browser worked. I tried a different browser and had the same results. I wasn’t sure you got either comment.
Yeah I got both, I just deleted the most recent one. It isn’t just you, I often get people leaving two comments because they think the first didn’t work. So no big deal. I am starting my next post talking about it, so others don’t get confused. I think it is one of those little annoying things when you self host.
It seems more prevalent in recent months, but maybe it’s just me.
I think you are right there John.
So many memories, well captured Leanne. Thanks for sharing. Allan
Thank you Allan.
Melbourne is one of my favorite cities. So I always enjoy photos from there and yours are great. Here is my contribution to this challenge: https://chava61.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/lens-artists-photo-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-far/?preview=true
I love Melbourne too Eva and so thankful I live here. Glad you enjoy the photos. Thank you.
Leeanne, thank you for hosting this week’s challenge. Your images are stunning and make me want to visit every one of these beautiful places.
Thank you, sounds like you should visit them. Great places.
These are great photos! Keep on the hard work!
Thank you so much Annastassie.
Leanne, such drama on all your photos. Love, love, love them all. Your photos of Melbourne and Victoria makes me want to go out and visit those places.
Here is mine https://wanderingteresa.com/sightseeing-destinations/
Thank you Teresa, I love drama in images. Do you live here too Teresa?
I always love the drama, the feel of your photos, Leanne. It works so beautifully and it’s unique. No favourites this week, I love them all. Thank you for leading us this week!
Here is mine:
https://photographias.wordpress.com/2024/07/14/lens-artists-challenge-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
I do love putting drama into my images, so it is good to know you like that Sophia. thank you so much and you’re welcome, it has been quite the experience.
Great images! I love the lonly tree im the lake!
Thank you, I think the tree is the most popular, one of my favourites too.
As ever, captivating photos any tourist board would be proud to use in their publicity.
That is really nice of you to say Margaret, appreciate it, thank you.
Stunning photos Leanne, I have several of the same photos but nothing like the standard of yours 🙂
I’m sure your photos are amazing Alison, we always think other peoples photos are better. Thank you.
The St. Kilda’s Pier photo is absolutely stunning. It just looks so amazing, like an ethereal place. It definitely evokes a vibe to pull you in.
Thank you Emily. I love that shot of the pier, the only thing I would change would be to do it before the sun came up.
The Wanaka tree has to be my favourite amongst your selection. Simplicity and minimalism at its best.
(note: I finally managed to ‘follow’ your website. Each time I tried in the last couple of months, the follow box didn’t come up on the main page of site).
I love that Wanaka tree so I’m happy to hear you like it too.
Oh that is weird, though I know you can’t subscribe on the home page, you have to go to a post to find the subscribe button. Thank you for following me and commenting Vicki.
Simply wow, Leanne. they are so good, particularly the first two. Stunning.
Thank you so much Elke. That’s nice of you to say.
these are all stunning, and i love your thoughtful explanation. my favorite of all is the tree at sunrise. worth it in my opinion. my daughter married a. man from western australia (now living back in the states), and wonder if you plan to ever visit that state. like you, i enjoy the places more than the people, unless it is random people who are interesting. yes, i have plenty of pics of me, and others visiting places, but my faves are always the places themselves. last summer i spent some time in costa rica, and a huge majority of my pics were of the incredible places and things that were there. even as a photo hobby wannabe, i’m always drawn to these things.
Thank you so much Beth. I think that tree is very popular. I would love to visit Western Australia, my biggest problem is that I wouldn’t want to fly there, which only leaves the train or driving. One is very expensive and the other will take a lot longer. So no immediate plans, but you never know. I go to places for what is there and not the people, they can be so annoying. Costa Rica would be interesting. Good to hear you enjoyed it Beth.
Such a fun challenge Leanne – thanks again for leading us. Looking forward to lots of wonderful responses. Your images as always are amazing! That tree in the water makes me want to get on the next plane 😊
Thank you Tina and thanks for the email. I hope people enjoy doing it. I would go with you Tina, would love to go back, however, I think the tree has been damaged since then and isn’t the same.
Wonderful examples, Leanne. Aren’t those silos extraordinary? I love them.
Thank you Jo, the silos are amazing.
Great topic and gallery!
Thank you Sandy.
hello leanne,
the pictures you have chosen for the challenge are wonderful and an interesting mix. i really like the 1st, 3rd, 5th and the last two pictures.
here is my contribution to the theme, https://wp.me/pfnz9O-oX.
many greetings robert
Thank you so much Robert. That’s great to hear.
This was a fun prompt!
I will be poring over these galleries all of today.
https://anthropologist.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/lens-artist-challenge-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
Glad you thought so Marianne, thank you.
Welcome to Lens-Artists, Leanne! This is a wonderful theme especially for us in the northern hemisphere as we travel to sites unknown. I’ll join you Sunday with my theme (State and Local Parks–my take on the L-A theme).
I recognized several US pics, I love Yosemite! I’ll step foot in the high country of Yosemite NP on August 2–my 26th time. I love the atmospheric quality of your images. Fabulous!
Thank you Terri, I was really chuffed to be invited. Glad you liked the theme.
Yosemite was definitely a massive highlight of my trip there. It is such an amazing place, really an place with mountains gets me, I love them.
Wonderful post Leanne! Your photos are simply beautiful, especially the ones from your home state. I also loved the images from your travels to the north and south parts of Australia. Not I’ve got to get going on my post.
Thank you so much Anne and thanks again for inviting me. I’m lucky there is lots to photograph around me. I see you have done your post will get there soon.
Gorgeous galleries. New Zealand and Australia are on my travel list. One day, I will get there. I hope when you came to America, we left a good impression, particularly outside the big city.
Thank you Deborah. I hope you do get to come here and New Zealand, vastly different countries considering how close they are. I really enjoyed my time in the US, there are some stunning things to see there.
Beautiful galleries, Leanne.
Thank you Lois.
https://solaner.wordpress.com/2024/07/13/lens-artists-challenge-307-tourist-attractions-near-and-far/
A wonderful topic and wonderful examples, Leanne. I like especially your opening image. So serene and pristine. My runners-up is the Wanaka tree. I still remember the background story you told us. 👍👍👍
Thank you André. That image is close to home, I love taking photos there. The Wanaka tree was a great capture, and yes, shame about the others that spoiled the morning.
BTW, how do we see pingbacks on your website, so we can look at other posts about the theme? I never see ANY comments on your site, including my own. 🤷♂️🤔
They are all at the start of the comment section. I’m just approving them as soon as I see them. I moderate my comments, so you won’t see them until I approve and reply to them. I like to reply at the same time, then I don’t miss any.
Beautiful.
Thank you.
Great photos! Especially those of unconventional tourist captures.
Thank you Marina, I love getting the unconventional shots.
Love
Great great photos! Too many faves to choose, but I love that perspective on the Flatiron Building. Thank you for staying up late to post, or having it scheduled and having that work! Well done.
Thank you so much John. I was so happy with that Flatiron photo, one of my all time favourite images. I scheduled it, hence the pick up of the number being wrong. lol
Thanks for sharing this idea Anita
You’re welcome.
Your photographs are magnificent! I am in awe.
Thank you so much Newt.
You’re most welcome.
😀 😀
Hope