People or Places

I've always enjoyed photography, but recently I've noticed that my preferred subject matter has changed. I used to take primarily landscape photos, waiting patiently until people moved out of the frame so I could capture the natural beauty of a scenic place. When I showed my pictures to students and friends in China, however, they would invariably complain about the fact that I wasn't in any of the photos. My logic? I already know what I look like, so why do I need photos of me? (That, and I was usually the one taking the pictures.) When I looked through their photos, I thought it was a little strange that they had to pose in the foreground of every shot.

But lately, I've realized that all my landscape photos sort of look alike, especially when I travel to the same places over and over. I mean, how many pictures of mountains and trees and streams in the Smokies do I need? The people, though, make each trip different and special, and those are the photos I'm probably going to look back through with warm memories. (Although I do still need to get better about taking pictures of more everyday activities rather than only when I'm on some special trip.) Anyway, just thought I'd take this opportunity to share with you a few pictures of some of the cool people I've had the pleasure of adventuring with over the last year... Enjoy!