What is your idea of “travel?”
Maybe it’s fun, seeking experiences that help you enjoy the moment.
Maybe it’s relaxation, sitting with your feet up looking at a beautiful view.
Maybe it’s exploration, experiencing something new and different.
For me, “travel” is learning. There is something about being out of my usual environment and in different places that opens me to new things. I’m more aware and observant of my surroundings and of myself. Travel brings moments of fun, relaxation and exploration, but it also brings moments of insight and clarity. Especially travelling alone, where you don’t have someone to turn to every moment of the day. I had to become comfortable with myself.
Off to Work, King’s Cross Station
I’m always seeking to understand new things, to grow and expand my point of view. Maybe that’s why travel has become so important to me — the learning. Maybe that’s why this trip was so important to me… It wasn’t just about teaching the on location workshops and connecting with friends. It was about connecting with myself, my art and exploring what comes next. I didn’t expect or seek those things, but they came along the way.
Looking Back, near Brick Lane
Some of the shifts will take a while to make themselves known. But there were some shifts that were more obvious, because they were visible in my photographs. Instead of always seeking the empty view within the frame, I started to capture people. Not very many of my images included people, but more of them did than ever before. And, funny thing, these images are the ones that stuck in my mind the most. I had to go through my photographs and find them first. Share them first.
Smoke Break, St. Pancras Station
Part of me wonders why and part of me knows to just go with it. It will all become clear with time.
Into the Light, Westminster Underground Station
Love these photos! Can’t wait to see more! Welcome home.
Travelling always stresses me out but expands me in ways I can’t always imagine.
I totally agree! It’s funny about the stress part… it seems that shouldn’t be there but maybe learning to deal with unexpected things is part of the expansion we need.
Love people in your shots, these are great!
I, too, take very few photos with people in them — and I like yours very much. For me, *some* travel/vacation is about relaxation, but other than that, I too want to learn — about art, history, all those things
I think it’s good to have all sorts of vacations – some about learning and some about relaxation. It’s not always easy to know what you want out of the travel when you plan months ahead though! 🙂
Wonderful captures of people doing things — very different from your usual style, Kat. I really love the black and white treatment! What fun to try something new!
Thanks Gina! I debated on leaving a couple of them in color, but black and white just seemed to convey the right feeling for these.
Travel means knowledge for me. I love traveling and learning about the people and the history behind the place I’m in. Travel is the one thing I miss that I had to give up when I made the decision to leave my lucrative, travel industry job, to move to my slower, oh so beautiful, rural island home. At times I question giving up that freedom to explore the world at will- but exploration is a state of mind – so I ‘travel around my island to keep discovering new things.
Love your images!
I love that Marie – “Travel is a state of mind.” So true!
Kat – love these and your new direction. Something I need to embrace – adding the human element to my images. You are always learning and teaching, for which I greatly admire you.
We’ll see how long this lasts, Brenda. It was easy to add the human element in London – so many humans!
I love these black and white photos Kat. So glad you had a good trip and I hope the workshops went well – I’m sure they did! I’m just back from holiday and haven’t been able to post any blogs while away because we had no internet!! An interesting experience!
Did you go into withdrawal? 🙂 I had internet but was frustrated at every turn with trying to download photos and edit them. So from a blogging perspective, I was away too.
Wonderful images, I love the monochrome.