Danny

London, Paris, and Rome. Which places/sights should I head for? Which should I pass on? Where should I take my photographs from so the results will be truly memorable. For example, pictures of Venice from the Campanile...??? etc. Thanks folks!

photo

Buy pictures, take to a post office, send to all your friends, forget your camera! That is if you want memorable results.

mike

If you want the Standard Photos of the places you visit, by all means follow the above advice. If you want to remember Your trip, take pictures wherever you go. Don't decide where to go based on where the Standard photos are to be had... I would suggest buying postcards of key things like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, just in case the lighting isn't perfect when you get there, or in case you don't get there at all. What will make your memories are pictures of yourself, your accomplice(s), things you do, interesting meals, graffiti, funny cars, etc. These are the things that made Your trip different from the Standard trip. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Art

Take lots of film for lots of pictures. I have all of mine developed on the web and CD's at high density. I buy photo paper for my printer and paste the photos to a word doc. I than can add text about what it is, who they are, my feelings about the shot etc. Print them out on 8 1/2 by 11 papter and create an unforgettable albium.

x

I don't think there's anything wrong with taking the "standard" photos. And then get a little creative. In London, the shots that you always see are the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Brdige. Get up close and personal with the pigeons in Trafalgar square, or catch the double decker buses in action... keep it fun and interesting. In Paris, don't miss the Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower all lit up at night (and the Louvre). There are all kinds of neat bridges over the Seine... <BR><BR>Fodor's has a neat little travel photography site that you can learn from: http://www.fodors.com/focus/

S. C. DIXON

I’ve been a Commercial photographer for going on 3 decades, for what that’s worth, and here’s my opinion.<BR><BR>Buy postcards of the standards. Photograph people. In the best of both worlds one might photograph an interesting scenario with a landmark in the background.<BR><BR>One of my favorites is a shot I took of a very drunken old reprobate (I asked his permission beforehand); glass in hand, a weeks growth of stubble, ciggie dangling from his mouth, with The George pub as my backdrop.<BR><BR>Another is a couple arguing, she wagging his finger in his face, he looking very resigned and taking his medicine, the couple is in front of one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square, a great bronze lion in the background.<BR><BR>Another is a fresh pint I’d just ordered. I sat it on a window sill at The Friend At Hand pub (Russell Square) to get my money. After paying I looked at the beer, sparkling in the sun. I took the shot and it turned out to be quintessential (for me). Behind it, barely legible, painted on a wall across the close is the sign, HORSE HOSPITAL. We’ve seen that sign on every trip and have always wondered about when/what the horse hospital was.<BR><BR>The guys who shoot the postcard photos of landmarks are generally well paid, they have specialized equipment you wouldn’t believe and often have access to places and vantage points that you and I can only dream of. It goes without saying they’ve already captured shots that you (or I) never will. Take a different approach.<BR><BR>Sorry to babble on so, but I hope this gives you new ideas.<BR>

kathypompe

I believe that truly memorable photographs are taken from the heart. Its about being in a certain place at a certain time, with light a certain way, and at that instant something inside you speaks to your heart. I've never believed that there was a particular spot or place or vantage point that was better than any another for any given subject. If that was true then all the good photos would be taken and there would be no creative room left for new views. Whenever something makes you want to stop, to gaze longer, or to appreciate a detail somewhere, then that is a moment worth keeping. Sights & places and the meanings that they hold in one's memories are very subjective. Kathy

John

My opinion is that the cheapest thing you have is film (or megabytes), so start snapping and don't stop. I find (after working as a pro and serious amateur for eons) that most people average about one "keeper" per 5-10 images overall. So take the standard photos but look for unusual angles; shoot people whenever possible, consistent with their privacy (and be sensitive to cultural conditions - not everyone wants to say cheese). Take pictures at night and in lousy weather and early in the morning. Look for irony or juxtapositions. Don't obsess with long lenses - that's what God made shoes and enlargers for. Look closer rather than farther - the view from the Campanile is great; how about a picture of the worn stairs in the tower? Take a picture of your dinner. Film is cheap, airfare is costly.<BR><BR>(BTW I try to have pix developed while I'm still in town, so that if I goofed up a shot of the palace/park/whatever I can go back and re-do it. Plus it's fun.)

Myer

I take photos without going to look for them. <BR>I take what I like but seldom go out of our way. It wouldn't be fair.<BR><BR>I probably take several dozen a day.<BR><BR>Latest photos at <BR>www.travelwalks.com<BR><BR>