Along the shoreline of Lake Zurich, Switzerland, an empty bench faces across the broad blue water toward the distant Alps. The lakeside path curves away beside it, while reeds, hillside communities, and mountains layer the scene from foreground to horizon.

What makes the photograph work is that the bench isn’t really the destination—it gives the viewer a place inside the photograph. The strong sweep of the walkway carries the eye toward the lake and mountains, while that enormous, cloud-filled sky gives the scene its openness. The empty seat quietly suggests exactly what it was put there for: stop walking, sit down, and look.

Bench Photography | Bench Photos | ©John J. Vicino