A World Less Seen

       Fine Art International Photography By Thomas Upton       

Curious & Unique: Unexpected Sights

Some subjects attract attention precisely because they do not fit a familiar category. They may be ordinary objects in surprising settings, remarkable events, improvised constructions, unusual signs or unexpected combinations of color and form. This gallery brings together photographs discovered through curiosity rather than a particular geography or subject type. The interest lies in looking harder at fleeting events or things easily passed by, and in noticing the character or humor of an unplanned encounter. The examples range from weathered Salton Sea signs and the hand-painted surfaces of Salvation Mountain to an improvised metal-built neighborhood in Hong Kong and a crowded Singapore market. A shop window, a race boat or an unlikely roadside object can become visually interesting through its setting or timing. This collection makes room for those unexpected discoveries.

Three playful human figures appear attached to a red and gray facade beside closed shutters and decorative trim.
Bright sun flares beside a line of rough wooden posts set into white desert soil under blue sky.
Weathered metal houses, bicycles, and domestic objects fill a compact neighborhood lane in Tai O.
The space shuttle glows beneath dramatic museum lighting at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
High view of a packed antique market stall filled with clocks, framed items, lamps, and collectibles.
Bright painted hills and structures display large religious messages beneath a clear desert sky at Salvation Mountain.
Black-and-white image of a tall Salton Sea sign beside desert roadway, low buildings, and textured clouds.
A high-performance sailing catamaran skims across rough bay water with crew aboard.
Rusty abandoned utility vehicle standing on pale gravel beside bare brown hills.
View looking up through a sandstone slot or arch opening toward blue sky and warm rock walls.
Low sun bursts through a large metal sign reading Nothing on a flat, windswept desert plain.
Vintage storefront window displays mannequins and old signage behind streaked glass on a quiet street.
Narrow cobblestone street bordered by red, yellow, and green buildings under a blue sky.
A weathered yellow door set in a concrete wall is decorated with bright painted icons and small hanging ornaments.
Several gondola cable cars hang from wires, receding upward across a bright blue sky.
Several painted utility tanks sit among dry scrub on a flat desert landscape under a clear blue sky.
An abandoned painted sign lies on cracked desert ground beneath a wide sky, pointing toward a past festival site.
The old town part of Bergen is filled with these well-preserved structures and makes for interesting sightseeing.
Stacks of bright green trash bags sit along a city sidewalk beside traffic and storefronts at night, looking like a modern art installation.
A faded billboard on wooden posts stands beside a dusty desert road under a pale evening sky.
Two narrow weathered boats stand beside another boat under tropical vegetation.
Three narrow outrigger canoes with red, yellow, and green sails sit on a sandy Bali beach.