Have you ever gone back and actually LOOKED at the photos you took from the first time you went traveling?
Well I just did, and it’s a horrifying eye-opening educating experience seeing the photos I took during my Balkan’s trip in 2005.
In September of 2005, I packed 75 rolls of film (black and white, slide, 400 speed, 800 speed), a Canon Elan 7 EOS with a 28-80 and a 70-200 lens, and headed to the Balkans for 5 weeks, alone. This was not only my first trip out of the country, it was my first time doing travel photography.
And is it obvious how first time this was.
Personally, at the time I was all,
“I’m better than National Geographic bit*#es!”
And now I’m all,
“What the hell was I thinking?”
I still have all the negatives and slides from this trip, and many of them were copied by an expensive a professional the only non-CVS camera company in the area onto CD’s for me. (The prints had dust, scratches, bad exposure, you name it. Luckily the actual slides and negatives don’t.).
But, even if these were the greatest printed photos of all time, the composition is similar to a drunk 2 year olds (sorry 2 year olds).
So, in my great knack for exposing my utterly embarrassing greatest-achieving moments, and to show everyone just starting that YOU DO IMPROVE, these are some of the worst most brilliant photographs from my very first time doing travel photography of ….
PEOPLE
What the hell was I thinking? I have no idea. I would love to say that I was probably just testing the film here, but seeing some of my other horrific outstanding photographs, I probably had a reason for this. There’s come people, and some street poles, and a totally washed out sky. Obviously I was trying to get something without actually approaching people. I think I will call this photo “Stalker in Zagreb, Croatia”. No idea what I am thinking here.
And here is a random dude with a backpack in Zagreb. Another from my Stalker series. I was probably trying to get a photo of the fountain, from across the street, on the other side of the trash and light post. Why I thought this was good is beyond me. But don’t worry, I have a bunch of awesome Fountain photos in the next My First Travel Photos post (oh god, I have so much awesome I need multiple posts)
Here is a couple of a guy making bread at something like 5:30am on Otok Vis (Vis Island, off the coast of Split, Croatia). I remember following the smell of bread and happened upon this man, who let me photograph him making bread. So I thought it a great idea, to not actually photograph the bread, but stand back 20 paces and photograph his back and a very insane asylum looking room, missing all the ambiance and actual activity of his amazing bread kneading skills. Good job me.
This one was from inside the Blue Grotto off Biševo (another island an hour or so west of Vis in the central Croatian coast). I had an idea, to get the vivid blue of the water against the blackened silhouette of the boat captain. I failed at the idea. Maybe if I had, I don’t know, zoomed in to fill the photo with the electric blue water, instead of 70% black nothing, this would have looked better.
This photo I actually still find kind of cute. I have one of him blowing his nose too (no idea why). I promise, on the actual negative, the colors don’t look so washed out and low contrast (thanks awesome printing company). I could have taken a way better shot if I had moved to the side and got closer so you could see more of the birds and the man’s face.
Oh hey look…a bunch of heads. A bunch of back of heads. I’m not sure what the subject was here? I’m in Mostar at the famous bridge. Was I shooting the archway? The tattered flag? The random backs of heads? I rock.
This is actually just an argument against using your camera flash as a flashlight, when wandering a secret tunnel, while trying to find a sneaky and free underground way, into the castle in Belgrade, Serbia. (PS. It dead ends. We had to pay.) In doing so, you will waste film accidentally taking a bunch of photos of your friends’ bums.
But sometimes you think you are taking awesome photos of the secret tunnel, under the Sarajevo airport, that was used to smuggle goods in and out during the siege. In reality, you are still just taking a bunch of photos of your friends’ bums.
This one may have been cool, if you could actually see what this guy was showing us, or I hadn’t used the horrible on camera flash. Or if anything interesting at all were going on. Perhaps I was trying to be artsy. Perhaps I failed miserably.
Guys rebuilding the train lines in Sarajevo. This would have nicer if I hadn’t cut off the guy’s head, or actually caught the workers welding and not just setting up. Sparks and fire always make photos better.
Ahhhhh, yes. A beautiful cityscape and the side of someone’s torso. If in doubt, add torso.
The ubiquitous “Gazing Upon Something Breathtaking” photo. Too bad you have absolutely no idea what that ‘breathtaking something’ is.
People walking over a brick bridge. There is so much going on my brain can’t decide what awesomeness to focus on. Yes. That’s it. Or, there is actually nothing going on. Maybe I should have added a torso?…
So, yes, this is one example of my utterly brilliant, embarrassing, first-time ever travel photos. I can’t believe I’m actually showing these.
If you love laughing at learning from this, wait for the rest. We have Fountains. Buildings, and Landscapes coming up for your enjoyment.
From Cate Brubaker:
I actually really like the one of the guys repairing the train. The man in the reflective vest looks stoic and peaceful and kind of like Hugh Laurie. I wonder if he’s single.
Cate Brubaker recently wrote..A Sad Day in Delhi
From Forest Parks:
I love the photos. I think the recording of history is far more important than pro quality photos and almost every photo has a story. You may get a few award winners on the journey too though
.
Forest Parks recently wrote..Happy to Leave but Sad to Go
From Danib:
HAHAHHA…i ac tually really want to redo this trip, and create a ‘then and now’ of the photographs, show people that you do get better and no one starts off great.
From Cynthia:
Strange…. I have some of these very same images in my collection
From TammyOnTheMove:
HA HA HA, great post! I remember taking my dad’s SLR with all his fancy lenses to a holiday in the UK once. When I came back I opened the camera to get the film out (hadn’t used all photos on it) only to realize with shock and horror that I had just ruined all pictures by letting light on the film. Doh!
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From Danib:
OH! That sucks! I’ve finished film, but not put the film tab all the way back in, then thought the film was new, and reused it. I’ve also thought film was used and paid to expose a whole roll of nothing. Film is fun.
Danib recently wrote..Going Nomadic Answers Your Questions–What’s Next
From Heidi:
LOL! This is great.
I just got a fancy camera – a high end Canon Rebel.
I’m an okay photographer, but I thought this would make me a professional.
Nope! Most of the time it just makes me feel dumb!
Thanks for sharing these.
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From Danib:
It takes a bit to get used to any new camera. I use the Canon 7d now, but put me on a Rebel, Nikon, or Point’n'Shoot and im all sorts of lost.
From wandering educators:
LOL! love these – i am sure i have some of the same ones.
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From ANGLO/Dale:
“If in doubt, add torso”
Sorry Dani, I don’t wish to giggle, but that had me *literally* laughing out loud.
I’m prone to making those shots, just hope I can curb the urge to chop off peoples heads in the same way.
Here’s hoping I can pick up some of your skills
ANGLO/Dale recently wrote..Grey’s, Green’s & Blue’s – Visiting Sun Moon Lake’s Visitors Centre
From Danib:
Im glad you found this so amusing :/ HAHAHAHA. Yea, It is pretty awesome/hilarious/OMFG how awesome I was. And there will be more. I also have “Fountains” and “Buildings”. Im am just a multi-talented.
From ANGLO/Dale:
And I can’t wait to see all of them *stifles a giggle*
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From Danib:
Im glad you found this so amusing :/ HAHAHAHA. Yea, It is pretty awesome/hilarious/OMFG how awesome I was. And there will be more. I also have “Fountains” and “Buildings”. I am just a multi-talented.
From Alyson:
Love it! I LOL’d. My husband still takes photos like that, and gets in really close to take pictures of me that show all my wrinkles. It’s grounds for divorce!
Alyson recently wrote..Crocodile Spotting in Port Douglas
From Danib:
hahahahaha..i hope im better than this now. but god knows what i’ll think in another 8 years…
From Alyson:
Dani, I hope you don’t mind, I just put together a collection of my husband’s greatest photographic works, I’ve credited you as my inspiration in the post and on my Facebook page. I couldn’t resist, he’s in work, he doesn’t know yet!
Alyson recently wrote..Why I Hardly Ever Appear in Photos
From Danib:
Of course I don’t mind! Oh, I can’t wait to hear his reaction! Also, I love the post! So anyone that want o check it out, it’s at http://worldtravelfamily.com/why-i-hardly-ever-appear-in-photos/