Photo Essay: Reflections
I always have folks asking to see more pictures and highlight more images from the photo galleries, so I thought I’d try to do more photo essays like the photo tour of New Zealand. This week I wanted to highlight some photos of water and its reflections; these photos actually inspired a piece I wrote for Bootsnall last month called 8 Great Canal Rides. Enjoy – and if you’ve got an idea for another photo essay, let me know.
Ghent, Belgium
This is consistently a highly-viewed image and one of my favourites. Ghent is such a charming place and the canals are just picture-postcard perfection. This image is the way it is because of the unusual water flow in the canal – there is some disruption at the top but at the bottom the water is quite still. Hence the strange mirror image.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
I always felt like I lived in a little piece of heaven during my days in Amsterdam. The canal bridges and canal houses in the Jordaan are romantic, charming, and in my opinion best enjoyed at night.
Edinburgh, Scotland
This is a shot along the Union Canal, which is a great pedestrian walking path in the west of Edinburgh. Isn’t the setting sun’s light quality perfect? The canal connects with the Water of Leith, making for a nice day’s walk. You can find out more about the canal in my Edinburgh Historic Walking Guide, out next month.
Telc, Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has some stunning sights, and wandering through the quiet, lazy lanes of Telc is a great way to do that. Somewhat off the tourist path, its one of those places where you let yourself in, enjoy, have a cold beer and watch the sunset.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This is a tourist boat speeding down the waterfront in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city. The street next to the water is a bustling social hub at night, but the river is fairly quiet except for the occasional tourist boat such as this, belting out cheesy 80s tunes.
Cinque Terre, Italy
This is one of the many gorgeous sunsets we saw while in the Cinque Terre. It’s a bit crowded, but if you stick to areas like Portofino and try your hand at some of the more difficult trails (they’re still not too bad, just watch out for sunburn and overheating), you’l find yourself along with the same great ocean views.
Mirror Lake near Fox Village, New Zealand
Last but certainly not least, this is the reflective view that tops all. This is a place that really inspired this entire website – the inspirational theme, the sharing experiences & community atmosphere. After getting up at 4AM and cycling several miles in the cold, then walking in the dark around a lake for another mile or so, to be rewarded with a mountain sunrise so breathtaking that I get the goose bumps just writing about it, these places are the reason why I travel.
Which view is your favourite? And what theme should our photo essay focus on next?
Andy Hayes is the managing editor of Sharing Travel Experiences. Featured in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, and other major publications, he travels for up to seven weeks at a time and spends the other seven right here with you. Follow him on Twitter, @andrewghayes.
Want to hit the road and do some reflecting of your own?
What are you waiting for? Travel more with our special travel deals, such as:
Or, get hands-on travel help from Donna, our travel concierge.
June 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Stunning pic’s – esp the Ghent and Fox Glacier one’s.
June 14th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
@Kim – Thanks, it means a lot esp. coming from you and your fab photos.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Those are all great, but I especially love the last one (so tranquil & beautiful) & the Edinburgh one (perfect composition). Fantastic
This is one reflection I found yesterday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelcotterill/3625574402/
Rachel Cotterill’s last blog post..Ducklings and Goslings and Coot-lings, Oh My!
June 15th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I want to go there, there, there (again), there, there (maybe), there and especially there.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post..Make a Decision, Any Decision: Lea Woodward Interview
June 16th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I like the theme and beautiful pics.
J.D. Meier’s last blog post..The Power of the Pause
June 16th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
@Rachel – good one! I love how looonnngg that photo looks!
@Alex –
We’re all about inspiration, finger pointing, and everything in between.
@ J.D. – I’m glad you liked it and thanks for your comment. I’m thinking about doing a photo essay more regularly since it seems to be a hit!
June 17th, 2009 at 12:34 am
…and a great photographer too…just inspiring. Thank you for sharing
Will I see that spot in Edinburgh?
Please do more of these…yes! yes! and Thank you
Patricia’s last blog post..What is Marriage?
June 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
@Patricia – Will point you in the right direction, depends on if we have time.
But it sounds like a resounding yes. And I already have an idea for the next photo essay! Top secret!
June 21st, 2009 at 1:54 am
Some striking images. I particularly like the Edinburgh and Ghent ones. There is something about water, especially near sunset or in the evening which is really enchanting.
Mark H’s last blog post..The Intrigue of Thai Massage (Bangkok, Thailand)
June 21st, 2009 at 10:03 am
@Mark H – Coming from someone who has some *great* photography on his website, that means a lot. Thanks.
November 8th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
[...] it seems my last photo essay, Reflections, was a big hit, I thought we would continue with another theme this month: patterns. I chose [...]
December 25th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
[...] me of our photo essay reflections, but [...]