Does a location being "touristy" diminish the value of photographing it?

sure they can, although sometimes it can be difficult. Every time I go to Vegas I am so repulsed by the fakeness of it all that my camera barely leaves its bag.

 

Of course it can.

 

Does a location being "touristy" diminish the value of photographing it?

Not if you have a uniquely different way of photographing that location/feature or by committing it to a format that has not been seen or done before e.g. wet plate, pinhole, multi-exposure, lith film... endless possibility limited only to one's imagination. Going to a location and photographing the same thing in the same way as legions of others is self-defeating, but it can serve as a springboard to getting the abovementioned task under way: looking at the image and considering how you (not others!) could make it different and/or better, but not the same.

 

It doesn't decrease the value. It increases the challenge of doing something original. Try to find a different viewpoint, a different context, a wider or longer view, or a view of the viewers viewing.

 

I agree entirely.

There is also the point of the reason we are taking photos....are we wanting to produce something original and artistic, are we enjoying the pleasure of just taking photos, both from the intention of producing a great result and handling any technical challenges, or are we making a record to look back in the future on times and places we have enjoyed. None of these are incompatible, and that is the great pleasure of our hobby,

 

Tourists traps are great, because like sunsets everyone is looking one way. Turn your camera in the opposite direction.

 

location matters almost as much as brand of camera or film ...

 

When in Turkey/Greece I mainly shoot in tourist areas, in some cases very busy. It's harder to get the shots I want but it can be done and they differ from the tourist shots.

Ian

 

+1
Perfect example is HCB and coronation of King George VI.

 

If by touristy you mean places like Vas Vegas,they provide opportunities galore. If,on the other hand, you mean famous sites flooded by sight seeing, conditions can be very difficult to photograph because of obstruction by crowds. Now it seems most tourists have no real interest in such sites other than to take a selfy. For example, didn’t expect to see such masses of humanity visiting monuments in Egypt. Most pictures published were shot by arrangement with authorities.

 

Try going to the "touristy" location at sunrise or if you want to do "street" photography. I have gotten many of my favorite images at what would be considered tourist locations. After all when I am there I am a tourist. Most of the images in albums 2,3 and4 on my website were taken when I was a tourist at those locations.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

Many places are touristy specifically because they are photogenic.

 

Places don't produce quality photographs; photographers do.

 

• No

 

Does a location being "touristy" diminish the value of photographing it?

No, the value comes from the composition that you make. It is really about your ability to see, think and compose.

 

I live less than 10 minutes from Antelope canyon. I have no desire to photograph it. The endless onslaught of Antelope Canyon photos leaves me with no desire. Plus the insane crowds are a total turn off. Horseshoe bend, one of my favorite places, is quickly becoming this way for me.

It maybe that I am at a point where the photograph is secondary to the experience of being there.

 

You funny boy! Or what developer you are using....

 

Touristy... as in Rome, Paris, Moscow, London, Yellowstone or Yosemite NP?

 

No one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to take postcard pictures.

 

OP...none of this matter. Just roadblocks in your head.

Street photography is like fishing, sometimes you get a bite other times not. Just put in the footwork and see what you get. But you can never force it.

 

Of course they can. Each photographer has different motivations and interests when it comes to photography. Some hate the "postcard" shot, others want to make their own. I live in a touristy place, probably the most touristed city in the country, yet it's still a photogenic place for the majority of people who come here. But I will admit that because I live here, and because I hate dealing with the crowds, it does force me to go beyond and find places that most people are not aware of. We don't always have that luxury when we travel. I'm not against the postcard shot (I've shot many myself), but it's often not very interesting and/or I find touristy places (mostly in the West, but Japan as well) to be quite sterile, and lacking personality.

 

Yes, it takes patience to get photographs without people.

 

Or an alarm clock so you get up before those pesky humans.

 

Yes, or a tripod and long exposure to blur them out.