I was drawn to the work not for its use of photographic manipulation technique, but rather for its specific adherence to this idea of following an old masters approach, visually, and philosophically.
That, to me at least, seems unique. Not to mention, the execution is sound. I’m not very excited by post effects unless there is a motivation to something beyond exaggeration, fantasy or bombast alone, even if those are fun.
I think seeing/photographing tourist attractions in a new way is an awesome thought. They’re not going away any time soon, barring disasters like the one we just saw. And they are attractions for a reason, occupying large spaces in peoples minds.