An intriguing view of time, renderings of ancient columns, images allude to an iconic folk song, a group video show, paper-pulp casts of classical works
Review | In the galleries: An artist clocks in on a visual concept of time
World Photography Day 2023: Top 6 most picturesque destinations in the world to capture amazing photos
Updated On Aug 18, 2023 02:36 PM IST
From Rainbow Mountains to Grand Canyon, let’s explore the world’s most photogenic places that offer a spectacular backdrop to click awe-inspiring images.
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World Photography Day is celebrated every year on August 19 to pay tribute to the universal art form of photography, which has the power to transcend language barriers, convey emotions, stories and perspectives in a single frame. From breathtaking waterfalls to stunning natural wonders, the world is full of beautiful places that most of us don’t even know about. Here are some of the world’s most beautiful places that should be at the top of every photographer’s and travel enthusiast’s bucket list.(Unsplash/Alif Ngoylung)
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Cappadocia, Turkey: It is a real-life illustration of how strange and beautiful nature can be. It shows a fantastic environment that seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale, complete with stones and hills that resemble alien terrain. With many hot air balloons that fill the sky with reds, yellows, oranges and creams, the landscape looks extremely breathtaking. (Unsplash/Timur Garifov)
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Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia: Whitsunday Island, the biggest of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays, is home to the award-winning, immaculate Whitehaven Beach. The beach is seven miles long and has some of the finest, brightest white silica sand in the world. You’ll quickly see why people come from all over the world as you sink your feet into the sand and wade into the warm waves that lazily lap the shore.(Unsplash/Sofia Cerqueira)
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Grand Canyon, USA: The Grand Canyon, one of America’s most famous national parks, is located in northern Arizona. Many people visit the area to take photographs and marvel at the breathtaking scenery. Photographers often set up their tripods and cameras at the top of the Grand Canyon in order to capture this stunning image, which is a popular photo location, especially for landscape photography. (Unsplash/Gert Boers)
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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia: The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is regarded as one of the most extraordinary and harsh landscapes on Earth. The biggest salt flat in the world, covering more than 4,050 square miles of the Altiplano, is what remains of ancient lakes that long ago drained. The location is ideal for taking stunning photos as a thick layer of salt covers the horizon and rises from the ground in quilted, polygonal patterns forming beautiful landscapes.(Unsplash/Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni)
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Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia: This stunning national park is known for its 16 crystal-clear lakes that connect to one another by a network of cascades and waterfalls. The 18 km of wooden walkways and footbridges that wind around the perimeter and across the waterfalls provide unrivalled views of the park as you explore it. Along your walk, you’re also accompanied by clouds of vibrant butterflies. It is understandable why Plitvice Lakes draws up to 1,200,000 visitors annually.(Unsplash/Robert V. Ruggiero)
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Rainbow Mountains, Peru: Vinicunca, often called Winikunka or Rainbow Mountain, is an impressive geological feature due to its vibrant stripes made up of layers of 14 different minerals. A popular detour for tourists travelling to and from the ruins of Machu Picchu, the mountain is located in the Andes near the city of Cusco. It is, however, a beautiful sight to see with your own eyes and capture in your lenses. Even on a cloudy day, the mountain’s distinctive and unusual mineral streaks are visible, making it anything but dull. (Unsplash/McKayla Crump)
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Learn about the intersecting chromatic lines of Julian Stanczak’s “Additional,” an iconic part of Fountain Square’s public artwork.
World Photography Day 2023: our favourite photos taken for Condé Nast Traveller
Over the last 25 years, Condé Nast Traveller’s team of writers and photographers have travelled far and wide with the sole aim of capturing the world in all its raw, messy, chaotic, natural beauty. This year, World Photography Day falls on Saturday 19 August 2023, an annual celebration of the art, science and history of photography. To mark the occasion, we asked our editors to submit their very favourite photograph to have graced the pages of Condé Nast Traveller over the last 12 months. Scroll down to find your favourite, and check out submissions for #WorldPhotographyDay by searching the hashtag on Instagram.
Oli Pilcher, Miami, January/February 2023
Toby Skinner, features director
“I loved the Oli Pilcher cover shot of Pharrell Williams’s Goodtime Hotel in Miami. There’s a Slim Aarons quality to it: a rich texture and near-symmetrical composition, a distinct sense of place, but also this sense of a very particular moment in time, when people are seeing and being seen.”
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Shane Taylor, Marseilles, May/June 2023
Matt Buck, global visuals director
“My picture choice is from the May/June 2023 issue, photographed by Shane Taylor in Marseilles. It may seem clichéd to some but for me this image perfectly embodies a care free, high summer, European holiday. I crave the energy and light. The photography by Shane Taylor and words by Johny Pitts make for a beautiful portrait of an often misunderstood French city.”
Exploring the untamed labyrinth of Marseille, the dusty-rouge Mediterranean Port City whipped by the Mistral
Edvinas Bruzas, Peloponnese, May/June 2023
Olivia Morelli, senior digital writer
“To me, these two images capture the essence of summer in Europe. I can feel the saltiness of the sea on my skin, hear the silence in the stone-walled room and the lapping of the waves outside, and taste the tangy cocktail on my lips.”
A wild and dreamy road trip across Southern Greece, with a dip into the Mani peninsula
Jack Johns, Amalfi Coast, July/August 2023
Connor Sturges, digital assistant
“Jack Johns’ Amalfi Coast shoot for the July/August 2023 issue, in my eyes, captures everything this glitzy coastline is about. Here, on a terrace of the iconic Le Sirenuse, a waiter ambles into shot – chilled rosé at the ready for the lucky soul soaking in sweeping views of the twinkling Tyrrhenian Sea. Yachts can be made out between the gaps in the railing, a reminder of the chokehold this region forever has on the glitterati; all in search of attentive service, timeless design havens, and the beauty of nature.”
Tom Parker, Saudi Arabia, October 2022
Louisa Parker Bowles, global operations director
“This is like trying to choose a favourite child! One of the best parts of my job is seeing all the sensational images we commission each year coming in; our global visuals director, Matt Buck, is a genius. I keep going back to Tom Parker’s images of Saudi Arabia, which ran in our 25th anniversary issue. They masterfully capture previously off-limits ruins from the ancient world and a land embracing change. Our visuals editor, Sophie Knight, also takes the most beautiful photographs of her travels, which often appear on our social media channels. Her pictures of Southern Italy this summer were particularly envy-inducing.”
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Oliver Pilcher, Sifnos, July/August 2023
Sarah Allard, digital editor
“I’m headed to Sifnos in a couple of weeks, so the timing of Lydia Bell’s feature on the island in the July / August 2023 issue – complete with gorgeous photography by Oliver Pilcher – couldn’t have been better. I’ve been pouring over the food shots, dreaming of that first plateful of fresh seafood as the sun twinkles on the Aegean.”
Alistair Taylor-Young, Pakistan, April 2023
Toby Skinner, features director
“I could have chosen so many from this story on Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, but this one of the Shyok Valley is just so epic. There’s a mystery and a sense of struggle to the tiny figures, dwarfed by the mountains and seemingly caught in a sandstorm. But it’s also possible to detect a certain noble defiance, too. I can’t help wondering what they’re doing out there, alone and exposed.”
The lofty region of Gilgit-Baltistan has long been shrouded in mystery. Sam Dalrymple journeys to northern Pakistan to find a land on the cusp of change
Lavinia Cernau, Ticino, July/August 2023
Amber Port, audience development manager
“This photo evokes nostalgia, reminding me of the many unmapped road trips I took as a child. There is something inexplicably exciting about this viewpoint – you have enough perspective to experience the beauty of something. Yet still, you are given enough space to imagine what it might be like when you arrive.”
The ultimate guide to one of Switzerland’s prettiest regions
Tom Parker, Salcombe, September 2022
Paula Ellis, art director
“I’ve sat on a bench with the same view eating potted prawn and crab sandwiches watching the clouds race by, after a long walk around the Salcombe – Kingsbridge estuary headland… It’s a magical spot.”
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Crookes and Jackson, Zambia, November 2022
Pete Winterbottom, global creative director
“The intensity in the cubs’ eyes… You’re transported into the middle of the pride.”
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Chris Schalkx, Bali, November 2022
Lauren Burvill, commerce editor
“This photo of a small cafe in Lean, a coastal village on Bali’s eastern tip, by Chris Schalkx is just everything I want in a holiday. A visually beautiful spot that’s still relatively undiscovered and thus, feels very special. I’d absolutely love to spend a sunny afternoon on one of those chairs.”
Away from Bali’s built-up hotspots are villages that still move to a slower, more reflective rhythm
Mathieu Richer Mamousse, September/October 2023
Sarah James, deputy digital editor
“I love this shot taken in the French Alps in the newest issue of Condé Nast Traveller – it evokes those hazy, lazy days by the water that fall at the end of summer (and is also inspiring me to book a trip to this lesser-travelled region of France).”
Alistair Taylor-Young, Pakistan, April 2023
Sophie Knight, senior visuals editor
“It’s hard to pick a favourite image from this shoot by Alistair Taylor-Young in Pakistan. Otherworldly landscapes of gigantic mountains that make the subjects look so tiny. This one stands out to me, I love the contrast in tones between the juicy fresh watermelon against the rustic shop setup.”
Edvinas Bruzas, Peloponnese, May/June 2023
Karin Mueller, Visuals Director
“This image is from an epic, 10-day road trip around the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. The visuals from this shot manage to convey these pure joy relaxed summer holiday vibes, that we are always after, perfectly. So well that I can’t wait to go on this trip myself as soon as possible…”
American art market hits record highs in 2022: report
Thriller or booster? How AI transforms traditional photography studios
Traditional photography studios are still expanding and opening more stores, despite the debuts of artificial intelligence algorithms that are claimed to “generate” portrait photos online within seconds.
The opinion that “generative AI will replace offline photography studios ” is groundless, at least in the near future, Shanghai Daily learned at a recent industry exhibition.
Photo & Imaging (P&I) Shanghai 2023 attracted photography studios, camera and accessory vendors, and service providers including AI algorithm developers. The three-day event, held last week in Shanghai, had over 80,000 visitors.
Zhu Shenshen / SHINE
The booth of Naive Blue attracts many visitors in the P&I show held in Shanghai earlier this month.
Naive Blue, which operates more than 100 boutique photography studios to create the “most beautiful ID photos,” did not seem overly worried at the show about its generative AI rivals. These include Miaoya, an Alibaba-owned app which allows users to generate a digital and optimized portrait photo by uploading 20 of their own pictures for a cost of only 9.9 yuan (US$1.36).
“You can clearly see the ‘AI style’ of those digital clones,” a staff member of Naive Blue who declined to be identified told Shanghai Daily. “Obviously, we serve different customer groups.”
Customers of Naive Blue, whose shops are often located in popular shopping centers, are willing to pay at least several hundred yuan, or even thousands of yuan, at the studios. The cost includes clothes, make-up and fine-tuning by experienced photographers and editors, much more than AI offers, the staff member stressed.
Customers are normally young women having photos taken for “meaningful moments and memories,” such as university graduation, birthdays, or a first professional portrait for their LinkedIn profile and resumes. In August, Naive Blue opened its first store on Chongming island in Shanghai.
Ti Gong
EasyFast services cover IDs, birthdays, weddings, and portrait photography, with affordable prices and fast processing methods.
EasyFast, a sub-brand of Naive Blue with over 600 outlets nationwide, was actively seeking more franchise partners at the show. With the slogan, “Make photographers richer,” it received many inquiries and applications at the P&I show.
Comparatively, EasyFast is a community photography kiosk brand, which offers ID and visa photo services at affordable prices, starting from 50 yuan.
It has developed an AI photo optimization system for people to start their own business as soon as possible. This offers seven days of training for all franchise partners, primarily in camera operation and simple make-up services. People without photography editing experiences can rely on the AI optimization system, Shanghai Daily learned at the EasyFast booth.
Zhu Shenshen / SHINE
Many people visited the EasyFast booth to inquire about franchise programs. The company aims to provide good photo services near home.
Portrait photographers and studios are believed to face potential threats from AI algorithm programs like Miaoya, which made its debut in July and soon became a popular service.
Some people even believe that Miaoya could replace the services developed by Himo Photo Studio and Naive Blue, leading to a debate of “It’s a photo of you, but does it capture your true essence?” that was reported by Shanghai Daily previously.
Compared with studio photos, those produced by Miaoya are not parallel in the level of high-resolution, diversification, and there is no chances that studio staffers can provide clothing and makeup, along with a tips session if needed to help people relax in front of the lens.
Earlier this week, officials from Miaoya said that does not intend to replace offline photo studios, but to enrich the service methods to meet demand from those who are unable to access or afford photography studios.
Imaginechina
AI photo service Miaoya helps people generate photos online.
Also facing the trending generative AI wave, Meitu, China’s most popular portrait and selfie optimization app, had its own response.
During the P&I show in Shanghai , Meitu showcased its latest AI processing and finetuning tool Yunxiu Pro for the commercial photography market. It provides high-quality image processing services and shortens the photo preview time to promote the digitalization of the industry
In on-site demos in Meitu’s booth, users could optimize the look of their skin and face with one-click adaptations within seconds. Comparatively, it often takes at least five to 10 minutes to process each photo even by experienced experts in the studios.
Zhu Shenshen / SHINE
Meitu showcases its AI photo processing service Yunxiu at the show.
Currently, Yunxiu helps studios to greatly cut costs and time when finetuning photos, and is used by 30,000 commercial photography organizations, covering career photos and photography services for tourists, children and pets. Annually, more than 500 million pictures are processed by Meitu Yunxiu, the company said.
The cost of each photo processing is less than 0.3 yuan using Meitu Yunxiu. Comparatively, each option, such as a change of background color, costs customers 30 to 50 yuan additionally, which boost profit margins for studios, Shanghai Daily learned.
It is an industry with great potential as China added 350,000 new commercial photography studios in 2022, with a rapid growing market value expected to reach 700 billion yuan by 2026, experts said at the P&I show.
Downtown Williams Lake Art Walk kicks off at Friday farmers’ market
The 2023 Downtown Williams Lake Art Walk was celebrating the grand opening of the month-long community event with activities for all ages at the Friday farmers’ market.
Downtown Williams Lake’s Sherry Yonkman, executive director, and Amanda Fuller, event coordinator, were busy hosting a number of things for farmers’ market patrons on Aug. 11.
From fun photo cut outs to sidewalk chalk art to painting self portraits and colouring pages, the booth was offering up activities along with information in the annual art walk guide.
This year’s art walk includes 30 artists being featured in 30 downtown locations, 11 of those artists are new to the art walk this year.
Art walk is a self-guided tour through downtown venues, where patrons get to stop into local businesses and buildings to see local art displayed. Guide books provide a map, information on the artists and a “passport” to collect stamps which then allows for walkers to enter into a draw to win some art from their favourite artist.
Art walk has been going on in Williams Lake since 1999 and is a beloved annual event which provides citizens with a great way to explore the community, celebrating local businesses and artists.
READ MORE: Downtown Williams Lake Art Walk returns
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Artistic abilities flow through Caitlin Irene’s veins. Photography, painting and sketching make up a few of the Tall City native’s talents, but the versatility and therapeutic aspects the Midland High alum found in her college ceramics courses stole her heart.
After graduating from The University of Texas Permian Basin in 2021 with an art degree, Caitlin decided to try her hand at opening a small clay-based business. With just a little more than 10 pieces to her name, the creator headed to local farmers markets to test the waters. Soon, commissioned requests started coming.
“I want to make art that connects people,” Caitlin explained. “For me, some of that comes from if I make two mugs and you buy one for you, one for your friend and then the two of you have coffee together at your house — I want to make art for moments.”
Inline with her community-focused drive, Caitlin often finds herself forming a number of functional pieces. Some may appear simplistic in design while others radiate abstract creativity, but at the end of the day, each piece generates a different set of behind-the-scenes challenges.
“Right now I’m making lamps. That’s been a new adventure for me because I’m having to learn how to wire a lamp and putting shades with vessels,” Caitlin said.
Yet, no challenge seems to deter the innovator away from her craft. Even with misconceptions flowing through the non-artist world about the “starving artist” lifestyle, Caitlin continuously tries to bridge the gap caused by the misunderstanding and encourages fellow artists to do the same.
“I try to help people understand the work behind the process. (Ceramics) is a serious thing, it’s a real skill set, and part of how I’m able to make it look simple or easy is the hundreds of hours I’ve put into it,” Caitlin stated. “When you put your art out into the world, It’s extremely vulnerable. People are going to pass by it, and that’s something you just have learn. You have to continue to show up.”
One way Caitlin gets showcases her expertise is through workshops. Her next workshop (open to the community) will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 31 at 2200 W. Wadley Ave., suite 206b. To buy tickets and to keep up with Caitlin’s activities around town, check out her Instagram @caitlinireneceramics or her website www.caitlinirene.com.
Neighbors rally as Reagan statue in Balboa Island home patio of its sculptor is defaced
The bronze statue of the former president that has greeted passersby with a smile and a wave for 11 years without incident was sprayed with foam insulation in an act of vandalism last weekend.
New Moon Rising: Rentable artist studios to open in former Junior League building
With 10 spaces already under lease by Springfield artists – and an 11th agreement in the works – the New Moon Studio Space is set to open Sept. 1 in the former headquarters of a local nonprofit.
