For most people visiting a famous landmark, there is a quintessential angle to capture to get that perfect, iconic Instagram.
Photographer Oliver Curtis, however, has turned his back on that idea, and has spent the last four years taking pictures of what lies behind famous sites. From the Statue of Liberty to Christ the Redeemer, Curtis captures lesser-known views.
His work will be on display at the Royal Geographic Society in London from September 19 to October 14. The exhibition is called "Volte-face," after a Latin phrase meaning to turning around to face the opposite direction in movement or attitude.
We talked with Curtis about his work, and his travels.
The Statue of Liberty — New York City
Curtis said his inspiration for the project began in 2012 at the Pyramids of Giza. "Like many of the great monuments of the world, when you first encounter them you feel that you have somehow seen them before," he told INSIDER in an email.
The Mona Lisa — Paris, France
"It is very easy to whisk through and see all the angles and features one expects and is expected to see," Curtis explains. Here, he shows a lone tourist observing "The Wedding at Cana," a painting by Paolo Veronese that hangs directly across from famous "Mona Lisa."
The Colosseum — Rome, Italy
Many historic landmarks are swaddled in souvenir carts. Curtis turned around at the Colosseum in Rome to capture a close-up of plastic-wrapped "David" replicas.
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