Trouble in Paradise: A Collection of Tourists’ Self-Portraits

Dec. 20, 2011

As we scroll through this series of self-portraits snapped by tourists, the brainchild of Canadian photographer Benoit Paillé (whose work we previously featured here), we can’t help but wonder what has everyone pictured looking so uncomfortable. They’re on vacation! Maybe there’s something going on outside of the frame that we can’t see. Maybe they were irritated to have their relaxation time interrupted by a stranger’s request. Or maybe it’s the fact that Paillé has taken a setup that we’ve seen a million times before — a person posing on a beautiful beach — and by placing his subjects in the role of the photographer, created something that feels not only more intimate, but more authentic too. Click through to check out the photos and let us know what you think.

Photo credit: Benoit Paillé