Wow! We have some very talented photographers on this forum... and I too am getting very itchy for a trip now!
I am a terrible photographer, and I usually take my snaps with a $200 camera so forgive the quality of my shots (and lack of artistry) - but to me it is more the feelings/memories that the picture invokes that makes me like them, than the actual artistic merit of the shot... That is why I have not included picturesque Thailand, or the Grand Canyon or Chichen Itza, or my mother's homeland Russia. These five pics have certain significance for me...
Plaza de Espana,
Seville. I lived in Spain for many years, and it is my 'home away from home'. To me Andalusia is the most
Spanish part of Spain
The
Olgas. This is the only shot I have ever taken within my own country that I like. This shows the country I live in and the beauty that we have, but often don't think about. It is also the same name as my mother, and well I think that is just tops!
Piazza de Michelangelo,
Florence. I love Florence for the coffee, the shopping, the views. The reason I love this photo though (as blurry as it is) is that
my mother was standing next to me. My mother never travels interstate, let alone overseas, so 2 years ago I took her to Italy for a break. That was an amazing experience for me, and one I will never forget.
Montserrat Monastery (Mountains outside of Barcelona) - again a Spanish one - but the pure feel of being a million miles from anywhere, standing at the monastery and looking out to your left where you see snow-peaked mountains - and your right where you literally see Barcelona on the sea is surreal. Add to that the sound of the Monks chanting (in Catalan no less) makes this place a true spiritual haven - even for those not looking for a mystical experience. Go there. Go now. Say I sent you!
HIV+ Orphan in
Haiti. This little orphan had lost his parents only a couple of weeks before this shot. He took a shining to me, and though I normally abhor people in general, and kids especially - he touched my heart and we walked together throughout the day holding hands, or me carrying him when he was tired. This photo (taken two years ago) still makes me emotional (not an easy achievement!) and reminds me of how lucky I am to be living here in Australia and to have the life and family/friends that I do. I often wonder where he is and what he is doing...
That's it for me...
Apologies for self-indulgence!
Misha