Spirit of place
Spirit of Place seeks to encounter place not through description but through feeling.
Spirit of Place continues Robby’s practice of privileging attention over spectacle and subtlety over declaration. Resisting the conventions of travel literature and guidebooks, which so often rely on narration and definition, the project treats photography as a primary mode of encounter—a way of engaging with place that allows atmosphere, rhythm, and texture to speak more eloquently than words.
The title draws on the ancient idea that every landscape possesses its own genius loci, or spirit—an essence sensed rather than explained. In these works, the camera lingers with fleeting impressions and overlooked details, framing travel not as description but as experience, inviting the viewer to discover their own meaning in what emerges.
Presented as a series of A6 travel-sized books—each devoted to a single place—the project takes on a tactile, relic-like quality. Printed on recycled natural paper, they feel timeless yet portable, designed to be carried and lived with, while their pages invite personal notes and reflections, transforming each book into a companion on the journey.
