Souvenirs
by Michael Hughes
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Souvenirs is a selection of travel souvenirs photographed in their real locations by photographer Michael Hughes. Michael explains that the idea was born when
I was doing a job for Helsingin Sanomat (Finnish Daily) on the Loreley...it was December and very gray. Had a postcard in my pocket for my daughter and realized I was standing on the same spot as the photographer. His light was better than mine so I held the picture into the camera and found I could line up all the essential points.
What makes his work even more charming is his lack of condescension towards his subject; as he says, people buy souvenirsBecause they represent important events in their lives which people want to remember. Visiting a famous sight or whatever, means having taken part in life on a broader scale. The fame of the objects or places serves as a world knowledge base which people like to connect themselves to give their own lives a reference and a meaning...I am poking fun at the originals and their representations, certainly not at the people who buy them, because in the end we all die and all don't want to and all hope that we have given this one life our best shot.
This attitude of respect gives this whimsical project just the right touch of seriousness, and we hope you will enjoy his delightful and original work.