Dream Trip 2009 is well under way! For inspiration, here's a new entry that caught our eye:

Photographing an iconic travel image comes with a built-in challenge: How do you keep the picture from looking cliché?

With his photo of a Venetian gondolier, Dream Trip entrant sporn avoids the pitfall, showing us a scene that's familiar but that has a central humanity. In the Dream Trip entry "Waiting for a Fare," we see not just the recognizable scene but also imagine the subject's inner monologue.

The image is also a reminder of the universality of the gondolier's work: a driver waiting for someone who needs a ride.

"When I took the picture of this gondolier, it struck me that he's waiting for a fare," the accompanying text notes. "Could I compare this to the long line of Yellow Cabs by Grand Central? Probably not. It wouldn't be some harried business person racing to a meeting but, perhaps, two lovers."

Share your travel photos and memories in our 2009 Dream Trip Contest. You could be just a few clicks away from a $25,000 trip to anywhere you choose.