In 1869, Captain Samuel Bourne captured images of the Himalayas using a large-format camera, heralding a new era where travel photography shaped perceptions of far-off lands. But these early photographs were not just visual souvenirs; they were tools of power. During the 19th century, colonial photographers, often employed by imperial governments, documented the “exotic” with a gaze that emphasized otherness, perpetuating stereotypes and subtly justifying the expansion of empire. These images, heavily circulated in Europe, reinforced the narrative of Western superiority, portraying colonized lands as romanticized yet untamed and primitive.
Today, travel photography continues to influence how we view the world, but its reach and intent have evolved in ways the early pioneers could never have imagined. From the colonial-era carte de visite to Instagram grids with millions of followers, the lens has always been both a mirror and a magnifier, reflecting societal values while shaping them in return.
The Colonial Lens
The roots of travel photography lie in imperial exploration. Beginning in the mid-19th century, advancements in camera technology, such as the daguerreotype and later, wet-plate collodion processes, allowed photographers to document distant lands with startling detail. Photographers such as John Thomson in Southeast Asia and Felice Beato in Japan and China created images that introduced Western audiences to unfamiliar landscapes, people, and traditions.
But these photographs were rarely neutral. Many were staged, curated to depict colonized peoples as passive or primitive. For example, Thomson’s images of Chinese laborers emphasized their “exotic” attire and traditional roles, reinforcing Western notions of China as a backward society in need of modernization. Similarly, images of African and Indian subjects often reduced them to anthropological specimens, their individuality stripped away to serve imperialist narratives.
These photos, published in travelogues or displayed at exhibitions like London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, shaped public perceptions of non-European cultures. The allure of the exotic sold books, fueled tourism, and, critically, justified colonial expansion. Visual historian Deborah Poole notes that colonial photography’s function was not merely to document but to construct a visual taxonomy of the “other,” solidifying hierarchies of power and control.
Travel Photography Meets Mass Tourism
By the early 20th century, the rise of Kodak’s portable cameras democratized travel photography. “You press the button, we do the rest,” promised Kodak’s advertising campaign in 1888. Suddenly, ordinary travelers—not just professional photographers—could document their adventures. This shift coincided with the growth of leisure tourism, as steamships, railways, and later airplanes made travel accessible to a burgeoning middle class.
But even as amateurs took up the camera, the images they produced often echoed colonial tropes. Travel photographs from this era frequently focused on the picturesque—locals in traditional dress, bustling marketplaces, or ancient ruins—rarely challenging the exoticizing gaze established during the colonial period. The very act of taking a photograph often positioned the traveler as an outsider, perpetuating a dynamic where the subject was observed but rarely engaged.
World War II and its aftermath saw another shift. As decolonization movements gained momentum, travel photography began to diversify in its perspectives. National Geographic, founded in 1888, played a significant role in popularizing a more humanistic approach. By the 1950s and 60s, the magazine featured intimate portraits and stories that celebrated cultural richness rather than emphasizing difference. Yet, even this more empathetic approach was not without criticism; National Geographic’s editorial choices often reinforced Western-centric narratives, with editors deciding how non-Western stories were framed.
The Instagram Era: Ubiquity and Homogenization
Fast forward to the 21st century, and travel photography has been utterly transformed by social media. Platforms like Instagram, with over 2 billion active users as of 2023 (data from Statista), have made photography an integral part of how people travel and share their experiences. Destinations once considered off the beaten path are now firmly on the tourist map, thanks to viral posts and influencers.
However, the Instagram era has brought new challenges. The quest for “Instagrammable” moments has commodified travel photography to an unprecedented degree. Tourists flock to places like Bali’s Lempuyang Temple (dubbed the “Gates of Heaven”), often unaware that many viral images are digitally enhanced or staged. The result is a homogenized travel experience, where travelers replicate the same poses and visit the same landmarks, often bypassing authentic local interactions.
More troubling is the environmental and cultural impact. Over-tourism, fueled in part by social media, has led to the degradation of sites like Maya Bay in Thailand, which was closed in 2018 due to environmental damage caused by an influx of visitors. Even reopened destinations like Venice have had to impose tourist taxes and restrict cruise ships to manage the strain. UNESCO warns that iconic destinations risk losing their cultural integrity as they are reduced to backdrops for social media content.
Photography as Preservation—or Exploitation?
While much of today’s travel photography can feel performative, it also has the potential to preserve and celebrate cultures under threat. Organizations like Cultural Survival work with indigenous communities to document traditional practices, using photography as a tool for empowerment rather than exploitation. Similarly, some photographers challenge colonial legacies by collaborating with local communities to tell their own stories, shifting the narrative from observer to participant.
But the ethics of travel photography remain fraught. When is a photograph an act of appreciation, and when does it veer into appropriation? Does sharing an image of a sacred ceremony or private moment on Instagram cross a line, even with good intentions? These are questions that travelers and photographers alike must grapple with in an era where images can go viral in seconds.
The Future of the Travel Lens
As AI and augmented reality enter the scene, the future of travel photography promises even more change. AI-driven tools now assist amateur photographers in composing shots or editing images to perfection, while augmented reality apps overlay historical context onto photographed landmarks. Yet these advancements also raise concerns about authenticity. Will the line between reality and fabrication blur even further, making it harder to discern genuine experiences from curated ones?
Travel photography has always been about perspective—how we see the world and how we want the world to see us. From colonial-era portraits to Instagram selfies, it mirrors society’s values and aspirations while shaping the destinations we visit. As the medium evolves, the challenge will be to ensure that it fosters understanding rather than exploitation, celebrating the diversity of our world without reducing it to a series of snapshots or viral videos.
