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This Photographer Points His Camera The “Wrong” Way At The World’s Most Visited Locations

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Anybody who's visited any of the world's major tourist sites recently will know how difficult it is to get a perfect photograph. It's almost impossible to take a good snap without also snapping hundreds of selfie sticks (not literally. Although there's an idea...), but this photographer has come up with a unique way to avoid the crowds - he simply takes his pictures from the wrong direction.

The series is called Volte-face, and the man behind the camera is British photographer Oliver Curtis. His inspiration came in 2012 when Curtis was visiting the Pyramids of Giza. “In the mid-distance I saw a newly constructed golf course, its fairways an intense green,” he said on Creative Boom. “I found this visual sandwich of contrasting color, texture and form intriguing...because of the oddness of my position; standing at one of the great wonders of the world facing the ‘wrong’ way.”

You can see Volte-face at the Royal Geographical Society in London from September 19 until October 14. Just make sure you're facing the right way.

More info: Oliver Curtis (h/t: creative boom, PetaPixel)

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

Christ The Redeemer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Christ The Redeemer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Final score:

267points

Ginger Prudholme 8 years ago

Beautiful!

11points

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#2

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Final score:

218points

Megan Pawlak 8 years ago

Wow. Fog-a-palooza

13points

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#3

Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, France

Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, France

Final score:

149points

Judy Wanderi 8 years ago

I did this too, and was in awe of how much detail the photo opposite the Mona Lisa has, I was more captivated by it than the hordes that were gawking at Mona Lisa.

24points

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#4

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Final score:

136points

SnoopyCereal 8 years ago

This is my favorite!

3points

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#5

St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy

Final score:

129points

Julie Perrissel 8 years ago

He is not the only one pointing the camera in the wrong direction on that one!

21points

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#6

Pyramid Of Khufu, Giza, Egypt

Pyramid Of Khufu, Giza, Egypt

Final score:

124points

Megan Pawlak 8 years ago

Wow. So much greenery!

8points

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#7

Statue Of Liberty, New York, Usa

Statue Of Liberty, New York, Usa

Final score:

115points

Kaatz 8 years ago

I thought for a second that lamps is eyes. :D

33points

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#8

Mao Mausoleum, Beijing, China

Mao Mausoleum, Beijing, China

Final score:

115points

Yvonne Bernal 8 years ago

Hey look.... it's a mass-selfie convention!

10points

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#9

White House, Washington D.c., Usa

White House, Washington D.c., Usa

Final score:

114points

.gas. 8 years ago

I love this park! I spend a lot of time there when we visit, just staring at the White House and watching the people go by.

9points

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#10

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Final score:

103points

Kaatz 8 years ago

That poor tree.

40points

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#11

Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

Final score:

102points

Anne Rouffignac 8 years ago

"Dude, you're facing he wrong way!"

19points

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#12

Reichstag, Berlin, Germany

Reichstag, Berlin, Germany

Final score:

90points

Anna Skřečková 8 years ago

This is best side of Reichstag =)

5points

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#13

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, Uk

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, Uk

Final score:

81points

Megan Pawlak 8 years ago

Who brought the donuts?

8points

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#14

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.c., Usa

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.c., Usa

Final score:

76points

Fabian Olk 8 years ago

Angkor wat ;) 11123043-5...13821e.jpg

7points

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#15

Lenin's Tomb, Moscow, Russia

Lenin's Tomb, Moscow, Russia

Final score:

70points

Nate Carney 8 years ago

Truly a Kodak moment.

30points

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#16

World Trade Centre, New York, Usa

World Trade Centre, New York, Usa

Final score:

62points

Antonia 8 years ago

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#17

Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Final score:

61points

Kaatz 8 years ago

Nice butts.

18points

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#18

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, Usa

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, Usa

Final score:

60points

Rasa Nekrošienė 8 years ago

Ha Ha :D

4points

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#19

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Vatican

Final score:

54points

Anne Rouffignac 8 years ago

It's impossible to take a bad picture in Rome!

6points

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#20

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Final score:

47points

Toma Lucie 8 years ago

Real life Barcelona ❤️

3points

#21

Great Wall Of China, Mutianyu, China

Great Wall Of China, Mutianyu, China

Final score:

45points

Patti Hand 8 years ago

ahhh commercialism at its finest :)

1point

#22

Buckingham Palace, London, Uk

Buckingham Palace, London, Uk

Final score:

44points

Katta Larsson 8 years ago

Is the guy on the left a ballet dancer considering the position hos feet are in ????????

15points

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#23

Pyramid Of The Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico

Pyramid Of The Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico

Final score:

44points

#24

Angel Of Independence, Mexico City, Mexico

Angel Of Independence, Mexico City, Mexico

Final score:

41points

dora sim 8 years ago

All the social commentary in this one...

1point

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“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

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#25

Arbeit Macht Frei Gates, Auschwitz, Oswiecim, Poland

Arbeit Macht Frei Gates, Auschwitz, Oswiecim, Poland

Final score:

37points

Jeanne Deaux 8 years ago

That's ... very disturbing. But, well, what isn't disturbing in Auschwitz?

21points

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#26

Ministry Of Internal Affairs, Place Of The Revolution, Bucharest, Romania

Ministry Of Internal Affairs, Place Of The Revolution, Bucharest, Romania

Final score:

34points

#27

North Korean Jsa, Dmz, Panmunjeon, Korea

North Korean Jsa, Dmz, Panmunjeon, Korea

Final score:

33points

Kaatz 8 years ago

Take a photo of a solider in North-Korea is risky.

7points

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#28

La Moneda Palace, Santiago, Chile

La Moneda Palace, Santiago, Chile

Final score:

30points

Tomás Figueroa 8 years ago

Why the hell pacos always appear in chilean pictures??? This country is more than that!!!

0points

#29

Cell 5, Block B, Robben Island, South Africa

Cell 5, Block B, Robben Island, South Africa

Final score:

29points

Jax Ashton 8 years ago

Mandela?

7points

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#30

Monument For Democracy, Bangkok, Thailand

Monument For Democracy, Bangkok, Thailand

Final score:

23points

Andreea Arsene 8 years ago

This guy traveles a lot. Damn

19points

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LMA

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

What do you think ?

Arty 8 years ago

the idea is original, but apart from the first ones there is nothing very aesthetic in these...

15points

Notchimine Mette 8 years ago

Now we can also see "what's on the other side"...

7points

Stefanie Murrmann 8 years ago

Love it. :)

3points

saulw7 8 years ago

Nuecas perspectivas

1point

Stephanie de Blaauw 8 years ago

Some of these would benefit from having a picture the right way or even a pinpoint on a map... been to several and looking at these I have no clue where he stood for the picture. Some seem to be close to the actual site but the one at the Eiffel tower seems to be nowhere near the actual tower.

1point

Mike Mac 8 years ago

Brilliant, anyone can Google tons of pics of the actual monument. Very cool.

0points

Elavenil Ela 8 years ago

I didn't understand

0points

Gigi Pena 8 years ago

pretty much most of the surrounding area around touristy landmarks suck or it's pretty ordinary. Like Times Square.

0points

AsHaysha Salam 8 years ago

I love this

0points

May Lestido Parra 8 years ago

Marcos

0points

Chris Wells 8 years ago

I like to take pictures of the back of my head

0points

Chris Wells 8 years ago

I like to post pictures of the back of my head

0points

Relle M. 8 years ago

One of the most original and brilliant ideas the world has seen. You can see how the perspective from these places can be beautiful or sad.

0points

Ishaq Shinakho Platero 8 years ago

Simplemente genial

0points

tigertae 8 years ago

I love this idea! Great job! :D

0points

Firas Ghanem 8 years ago

It's Palestine not Israel

0points

Mårten Persson 8 years ago

This is not art, this is lack of originality.

-1point

Arty 8 years ago

the idea is original, but apart from the first ones there is nothing very aesthetic in these...

15points

Notchimine Mette 8 years ago

Now we can also see "what's on the other side"...

7points

Stefanie Murrmann 8 years ago

Love it. :)

3points

saulw7 8 years ago

Nuecas perspectivas

1point

Stephanie de Blaauw 8 years ago

Some of these would benefit from having a picture the right way or even a pinpoint on a map... been to several and looking at these I have no clue where he stood for the picture. Some seem to be close to the actual site but the one at the Eiffel tower seems to be nowhere near the actual tower.

1point

Mike Mac 8 years ago

Brilliant, anyone can Google tons of pics of the actual monument. Very cool.

0points

Elavenil Ela 8 years ago

I didn't understand

0points

Gigi Pena 8 years ago

pretty much most of the surrounding area around touristy landmarks suck or it's pretty ordinary. Like Times Square.

0points

AsHaysha Salam 8 years ago

I love this

0points

May Lestido Parra 8 years ago

Marcos

0points

Chris Wells 8 years ago

I like to take pictures of the back of my head

0points

Chris Wells 8 years ago

I like to post pictures of the back of my head

0points

Relle M. 8 years ago

One of the most original and brilliant ideas the world has seen. You can see how the perspective from these places can be beautiful or sad.

0points

Ishaq Shinakho Platero 8 years ago

Simplemente genial

0points

tigertae 8 years ago

I love this idea! Great job! :D

0points

Firas Ghanem 8 years ago

It's Palestine not Israel

0points

Mårten Persson 8 years ago

This is not art, this is lack of originality.

-1point

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