México-Perhaps it is the years spent living, working and visiting our southern neighbors.. Michoacán, Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo, and numerous other places.. Spending a morning driving around Lake Pátzcuaro (Michoacán) has abundant photo potential, as does the former DF-a great city to walk the streets. One specific recommendation is to read one or two books that might give you a feel for the country which inevitably will put understanding into your photography. In the case of México “The Old Gringo” (fiction by Carlos Fuentes) and “La Capital, the Biography of Mexico City”. (a history of México City by Jonathan Kandell) are two such examples.
Cuba-La Habana is a unique city for street photography due to the willingness and hospitality of the habaneros. Walk the streets of Habana vieja and I am certain you will find ample street portrait opportunities, and get to know people in the process. More than likely you will be invited into peoples homes for tea. If you do not speak Spanish, try joining the Santa Fe Photographic workshops, which I feel certain will be reinstated after Mr. virus takes a hike.
Japan-This one needs a different approach, as it is unlikely you will get a good feel for the country without living the experience for a prolonged time. Much more difficult to reach cultural understanding due to language barriers. My Japanese images are not on par with those taken in other countries due to this lack of knowledge. For this reason very few are featured on this website. Nonetheless, it remains one of my top destinations due to the nature of the people and cultural traditions.
Nepal-While I have not visited since the 1970’s I feel pretty certain it would retain my interest level, in spite of ongoing political uncertainty. At one point I thought about photography as a career. Living in Tokyo at the time I decided to read every book about Nepal I could find. (“Seven Years in Tibet” is a classic about the region). The following summer I took a two week photography trip to Katmandu and Pokhara hoping to sell my work upon return to Tokyo. ( The trip cost $3,500 my income from selling my work totaled $500. I remained in the financial services industry. People portraits in Nepal are special.
USA-Nature and landscapes in the US are defined by our marvelous national park system, with Death Valley Valley being my preferred location. The dunes at Stovepipe Wells and Badwater basin are two spots that head the list of natural interest in Death Valley for me. If I were younger I would be making 8X10 inch Death Valley contact prints with a fancy Ebony large format camera.