souvenirs.

Souvenirs of “Souvenirs”, the unique photography project by Michael Hughes caught my eye in the latest issue of JPG magazine. The postcard images and souvenirs of the place you’re visiting invariably looks much more fantastical than the real thing. As was the case for Hughes while on assignment in Germany on a lackluster November day in 1999. He decided to candidly shoot the postcard in place over the real thing. Hughes rule: “Only use souvenirs that you can actually buy at the place, and you must be able to hold it with one hand.”

Much later I realized that I was not only poking gentle fun at souvenirs, but also at the things I was replacing them with. People buy souvenirs to mark an event in their lives. They reassure us that we live and have taken part in life, however marginally.

More Souvenir shots by Hughes:

Check out more of Micheal Hughes’ work at his website and Flickr page.