One morning last week I was trying to find the perfect vantage point to capture a photo of Biertan’s famous fortified church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Romania’s Transylvania region. The right angle and elevation would allow me to focus on the church without distracting visual noise – street signs, electric wires, antennas, etc. Walking up a slight incline on the side of the road, my children, as usual, along for the adventure, I found the perfect frame. I zoomed, cropped and snapped. Then I noticed I deliberately censoring reality.
The reality is that Biertan is a small village of people. It’s not just a village with a famous church. Those people, image bearers of their Creator, are more important than a fortified church. Photographs of touristic sites or natural vistas often crop out the signs of people. That is what makes the photos beautiful or notable, right?
Below I share some of my favorite photos, the desirable image juxtaposed against the reality. In most cases, our – my – myopia diminishes the unwanted human element. Sometimes the reality is difficult to contemplate.
will travel with kids 
2 responses to “The Whole Picture”
Sometimes pictures speak for themselves, but I felt compelled to add the narrative. It causes one to take an extra close look – then perhaps the picture will speak another thousand words. Thank you for your kind compliment!
Heidi, you have written a book with a few photos with their short explanations. Brilliant. Thank you.