Travel photography is so much fun, because there are so many opportunities to capture images that you don’t see every day ~ architecture, landscapes, spiritual meeting places…so many backdrops that are outside of the every day norm.  I’ve struggled with the aspect of travel portraits, because while I long to capture the faces I see in foreign lands, I fear I will offend someone with my intimidating camera.

I’ve learned to feel out the situation…and just ask.  I used to be afraid to ask, but now I just ask for a portrait with the assumption that my subject will just say ‘no.’  This way, I’m ecstatic when ‘yes’ is the answer.

There’s also the argument in the photography community that says who owns the photo…the photographer, or the person in the photograph?  I suppose my answer would be…both?  But I lean strongly towards the subject as being the owner, as the photograph would not exist without them.  And for random portraits, there must be something special about the subject to lure in the photographer, and that ‘something special’ belongs to them.  I often feel bad about taking a photo, when I know the subject will not be able to enjoy the product.  In the case of travel portraits, I’m thankful for such interesting and diverse faces that give me permission to take a little piece of them home with me.