THE MOODS OF THE GIRAFFE
In an increasingly appearance-driven world obsessed with perfection, we’ve made the conscious decision never to retouch our photos, except for the inevitable dust or sand spots that might find their way into our camera or lens (you can find all our tips here on choosing and protecting your photo equipment based on your travel types). Here’s why we see this approach as essential to preserving the authenticity and honesty of our adventures.
 We are François and Benjamin, Canadian and French giraffe hairstylists and travel enthusiasts. On this blog, discover our travels, tips, moods, and everything you need to become a giraffe hairstylist and embark on travelling the world. An honest blog with photos guaranteed 100% unfiltered and untouched. |
As passionate travelers, we aim to share moments of discovery and exploration that reflect reality as we experience it, the world as we see it. Our commitment to authenticity goes hand in hand with our commitment to honesty. We aren’t trying to create false memories or narratives based on idealized and deceitful images. Instead, we strive to capture the moment as we genuinely lived it, with complete honesty. That means presenting our photos without retouching.
In each of our journeys, we encounter stunning places, whether it’s the beaches of French Polynesia, the mosques of Uzbekistan, or the temples of Myanmar. And what we aim to capture with our photos is that beauty. But also, everything else—the intensity of an experience, the warmth of the locals, the sense of being in a completely different world… And we do it with our means. It doesn’t matter if our photos aren’t flawless, if there are tourists in the middle, or if a monument is partially covered by scaffolding.
Because traveling is also about this: discovering vibrant places that aren’t frozen in a perfect, idyllic state. Paris doesn’t wait for tourists to leave to undergo renovations or hold events. Bali can’t prevent clouds from covering the sky to make our photos prettier. The leopard won’t decide to rest on a closer tree for us to take a better shot. So yes, sometimes in our photos, the sky is gray, sometimes it even rains, sometimes you might see other tourists, plastic waste on the beaches, or graffiti on the walls.
Some blogs are primarily designed to inspire their readers. And it’s fine if it’s done through enhanced or sometimes even deceitful photos. After all, why not look at perfect pictures of a distant ideal while stuck in a crowded subway on the way to the office? It’s a way to escape. However, that’s not what we aim to do with this blog. Because we believe that this kind of escapism is too artificial.
We’ve all become accustomed to the perfect photos circulating by the billions on social media, surreal-colored beaches, immaculate landmarks, impeccable landscapes. Consequently, collectively, we risk losing the ability to appreciate the beauty of the real world, often less dazzling, less perfect than what filters might make us believe. And we don’t want to contribute to that trend.
By showing reality as it is, with its imperfections and natural beauty, we hope to encourage everyone to seek the true essence of destinations and create authentic memories. Our goal is to inspire you to explore the world genuinely and without artifice. Of course, sometimes, the beauty of places lives up to all fantasies (yes, we’re thinking about the colors of French Polynesia but also the splendid paintings of ancient Egypt or the snow-covered forests of Finland).
But these places remain the most exceptional spots on the planet, and by retouching photos, we end up making every beach artificially similar to the Maldives. And the Maldives might end up becoming terribly ordinary in our minds… The world then becomes a sort of mush where everything looks the same, without its unique personality, without distinctive features. And reality suddenly seems quite dull, very disappointing.
Not retouching our photos is also part of our goal to offer itineraries, Travel Reflections, and tips that are as honest and transparent as possible. This approach is at the core of our project. We’re not seeking to enhance reality to gain likes or followers, but to share our travels in a sincere and authentic way. Our transparency allows you to better understand the destinations we explore and make informed decisions for your own journeys.
We’re not professional photographers. Often, our snapshots fail to fully capture what we’ve seen, but we strive to create memories that reflect what we experienced. Every trip is an opportunity for us to learn and grow.
By sharing our photos as they are, with all their imperfections, we illustrate our own internal journey towards a better understanding of the world around us. Because our photos reflect both what we see and how we see it, at the moment we see it. Our own perspective, our own sensitivity affect how we take our photos, what we deem worth capturing, and from what angle. This personal growth is an essential part of our adventures, and we want to share it with you without artifice.
Sure, we could allow ourselves minor touch-ups. Erase a few bothersome tourists, brighten up a slightly dark sky, adjust contrast levels. But we refuse to do so. Because the line between enhancing a photo and making it misleading is porous. We only allow adjustments before taking the photo: white balance, aperture, exposure time… We also permit the use of HDR when the landscape demands it (to prevent our subject from being in complete darkness). But we do so sparingly, and we don’t edit any photos using software.
Our golden rule is to achieve photos that faithfully reflect what we see before us. And in doing so, we hope to showcase the beauty of the world as it is, the reality we experienced, which any tourist can find for themselves. For us, it’s the best invitation, not to escape, but to travel…
Find all the Moods of the Giraffe articles:
