Sintra Palace

Sintra's palaces—including the colorful Pena Palace and historic National Palace—attract thousands of daily visitors. While these UNESCO World Heritage sites deserve their fame, I found myself equally fascinated by how contemporary tourists experience such places.

Many visitors seem to view these extraordinary buildings primarily through their phone screens, photographing constantly but perhaps truly observing less. This phenomenon of mediated experience—where capturing the image supersedes experiencing the moment—offers its own photographic subject.

These images document tourists photographing the palace, creating a meta-commentary on modern tourism and our relationship with remarkable sites. The photographs explore the space between experiencing and documenting, between being present and creating content.

I photograph extensively myself, but generally after absorbing the scene directly. Watching others navigate this balance—some completely absorbed in their devices, others pausing to genuinely look—proved as engaging as the palace architecture itself.