TAMPA, Fla. — A proud papa and his baby, with windblown hair and big-eyed alarm. They’re sitting in a pickup truck in Texas, with the driver's side door open.

An Afghan child – her face cradled in her father‘s hand.

A shy Kentucky girl peeking through a fence, before going on a postal route with her grandfather. It’s a postal route via horseback, but instead of a cowboy hat the grandfather is still wearing his coal mine’s hard hat.

More than photos, these are narratives about the lives of the people in them.

The man behind those narratives is retired National Geographic photographer Bruce Dale. He spent three decades traveling the world for the revered magazine.

Dale's work comprises a special exhibition entitled “Bruce Dale: Beyond the Lens,” on display at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in downtown Tampa, on display through Sept. 28.

Illustrations of Love

Because there are literally thousands of Dale's photographs worthy of a museum show, Zora Carrier, Executive Director of the FMoPA, says they decided to focus on his special talent for taking pictures of people.

“I think that he is a wonderful storyteller,” said Carrier. “He has a really good eye for portraiture and documenting the story of human beings pretty much all over the world. We have work from four continents from China, from Europe from North and South America."

What becomes clear is moments Dale captured of children pushing each other in a baby carriage could be in any place at any time.

“I think it's a good illustration of children pretty much all over the world are the same,” said Carrier, “how they get swept away with the game, and how they are always in movement."

Carrier says international family photos show love of children, regardless of race, religion, class or environment.

For more information about the "Beyond the Lens" exhibit and other exhibits at FMoPA, visit https://fmopa.org/event/beyond-the-lens.