Living Emotion

A different approach to photography than I usually take, I wanted to experiment with visualizing how I felt in the moment of taking a photo. The goal of this is to present a sneak peek into how my emotions affect the way I perceive the environment around me. While these images do divert from the traditional travel images typically seen in blogs, I do think they are still relevant. I believe that they show another aspect of travel—the traveler—which may be unseen in some posts.

Traveling abroad, I spent a lot of long hours staring out the windows of buses, planes, and trains. I have grown to love the fleeting scenes flying by beyond the glass. This scene in particular filled me with warmth and sparked excitement for adventures to come.

Golden windows and roaring purple skies, I would have never guessed to find this building in Florence, Italy. Sharp corners and complementary colors, I couldn’t have been luckier with the time of day that I chose to photograph this building. I was absolutely mesmerized by the effect the setting sun had on the glass pane windows.

Golden Hour Reflections on Modern Architecture

Purple Sunset over Modern City Buildings

Taking a few steps back, we see tinges of red swirling within the purple skies. It is almost unbelievable to think that this building calls Florence home. It diverges from the typical architecture that is normally pictured when thinking of Florentine design. Many locals dislike this building, thinking it to be an eyesore… but I think anything can look wonderful with the right mindset.

Out of all the sunsets I’ve seen, this one in particular had more tones of red present than many of the others. I wondered what it would look like if the sky were fully enveloped in a crimson hue. It achieved an otherworldly look, one that I would expect to see in a sci-fi movie, and an interesting concept to picture on Earth.

Silhouetted Gothic cathedral with spires against a dark red sky

With the same thoughts and feelings carrying over from the crimson mountain sky, I had applied them to this next scene. I feel as though the blood red skies play into the daunting appearance of this gothic cathedral and help to make it one of my favorite buildings in all of Europe. If the sky had actually looked like that when I was there, I would definitely have been a little scared.

Saints Statues on Historic Bridge at Dusk

Illuminated only by sparse lampposts, statues of holy figures lined the walls of a famous bridge. I enjoyed how their outlines were just barely visible against the night sky and how the glow of the warm artificial light brought them to life. Their expressions and upward gazing demeanor inspired hope and drive within me.

Serenity and solitude emanated within me while observing this snowy egret in the fog. An elegant creature peacefully wandering through tall grass and cool haze. I wonder how amazing it must feel to be able to fly anywhere and everywhere on a whim.

Walking through city streets at night, we saw a beacon illuminating the sky in the distance. So we sought out the source of the light and stumbled across this massive bank. The way it popped off the pitch-black backdrop of the night sky reminded me of a checkpoint in a video game.

Twilight; one of my favorite times of day. It’s there before dawn breaks and after dusk passes. Waking up before sunrise was a common occurrence during my travels abroad and is the best way to admire landmarks with less distraction. This bridge is typically packed full of people, but by arriving at dawn, I was able to beat the crowds and enjoy a calmer moment.

Cold and lifeless industrial structures penetrate the otherwise pristine horizon. However, without industry, my ability to travel with ease would be severely affected. For this, I am grateful, but not for the harm that it causes to our planet. No matter where I traveled, there was always an example of industrialism, and this always made me feel like the world is much more similar and connected.

A place of mysticism and legend, of horror and harrow, “Dracula’s Castle” stands high atop a hill in Transylvania, Romania. A certain fairytale stillness and darkness hung in the air, and I found it only fitting to shoot this scene in black and white. I felt like a kid again, picturing myself living amongst the myths and stories associated with this place.

A dimly lit church tower with a cross on its spire against a dark purple night sky.

No matter what European country I traveled to, one building that I knew I would always find is a church. They may take on many different shapes and styles, but there is no shortage of them. I found this one in particular just as the sun had passed beneath the horizon, drawing away red and yellow and leaving behind only indigo and violet. I stopped for a moment and truly appreciated the opportunities that I had been granted and the magnificence I had been able to see.

Living Emotion

Robbie V.

University of Rhode Island | Florence

Traveling abroad, I spent a lot of long hours staring out the windows of buses, planes, and trains. I have grown to love the fleeting scenes flying by beyond the glass. This scene in particular filled me with warmth and sparked excitement for adventures to come.

Serenity and solitude emanated within me while observing this snowy egret in the fog. An elegant creature peacefully wandering through tall grass and cool haze. I wonder how amazing it must feel to be able to fly anywhere and everywhere on a whim.

Walking through city streets at night, we saw a beacon illuminating the sky in the distance. So we sought out the source of the light and stumbled across this massive bank. The way it popped off the pitch-black backdrop of the night sky reminded me of a checkpoint in a video game.

Robbie V.

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