10 days in France
Storyteller: Curtis Melvin, USA
Travel and photography go hand in hand, but for Curtis Melvin, the magic lies in capturing moments in a way that truly transports you back to the scene. Curtis has created a beautiful Travel Photo Book to document a 10-day trip through the picturesque towns and cities of France, including Annecy, Lyon, Beaune, Dijon, and Paris. We invite you to step into the charm, beauty and ‘everyday’ of each location, and discover what inspires this creative storyteller.
What format did you choose to make your keepsake and why?
I made a Premium Photo Book from a trip to France my husband and I took this summer. I love to travel, and I am a creative. So naturally I want to document my travels in an aesthetically pleasing way that invites viewers to be in those locations with me.
What is your favorite image from your keepsake?
This is a hard question to answer because I feel like every photo ends up being my favorite in some way. If I had to choose, my favorite would have to be the photo of the man in Lake Annecy, he looks so small against the lake and the mountains in the distance. I love the composition.
What is your favorite story behind a single shot in the book?
The last photo in the book with people along the Seine River in Paris. The focus is the man with the big curls and a big smile, fully engaged in conversation with the person next to them which I feel is very European in comparison to how we see people engaging with one another here in America. A lot of times I see people together but looking down at their screens with less of a focus on that real human connection. It’s one of the things I see when I travel that I always come home wanting to focus on more here in my real life.
What does your keepsake mean to you and your family?
We love having this book to look back on an incredibly beautiful 10 days from France. The photos span moments in Annecy, Lyon, Beaune, Dijon and Paris.
What inspires you to take photos in general?
I think I always look at the world around me as if I have a lens in front of me, planning how I would take a photo to capture light, color and the subjects around me. I have a BFA in design, but photography is my favorite form of creative expression.
What inspires you creatively?
Light and color! And the mundane moments of life. I always want to take photos that show exactly what I see and how I see it. I want every photo I take to feel like you could have been there with me sharing the same point of view. I often take photos from somewhere between my chest and stomach to have a more realistic and personal angle, and I avoid anything where I have to point the camera up or down creating a more touristy vacation photo.
What bit of advice would you offer to someone creating their own MILK memento?
Take photos of everything! For every 30 photos you take you might get one you like enough to put into a book. And don’t think too much about it…when you try to get the perfect photo you lose out on what’s happening right in front of you.
Whether your travel memories are from a 10-day trip to France, a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime big adventure, capturing the moments and stories in a Travel Photo Book will let you relive them for generations. Make sure your adventures last a lifetime, and start creating your travel keepsake today.
