You may have the perfect itinerary planned for your next big trip, but plans can change. This can lead to interesting and unexpected experiences that can add variety to your trip and enrich the photo collection you bring home. My recent trip to China was no exception.

Whether you like architecture, street, urban, or long-form documentary photography, there’s a subject for almost every photographer in New York. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another city with such a concentration of diverse and inspiring places. The Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park are among the most photographed places in the world. But there is so much more to New York City.

Wudang 武當山 is a mountainous realm shrouded in legend and the birthplace of several different types of martial arts. Since ancient times, it has been a place dedicated to training the body and mind. The Chinese philosopher Laozi 老子, most famous for his Book of Changes (I-Ching 易經), resided in these mountains.

Xi'an [Si-an] (西安 - originally Chang'an) is one of the oldest cities in China, the residence of the Tang Dynasty emperors, and the starting point of the Silk Road. The historic city center is a blend of three cultures, dividing the city into parts influenced by Taoist, Buddhist, and Muslim cultures. Each culture has its shrines, street architecture styles, and traditional foods.

If there's a place where modern architecture and a modern lifestyle are slowly overtaking tradition, it's Beijing. With almost 30 million people, it's a bustling metropolis. Modern skyscrapers, glass buildings, and historical sites contrast with gloomy streets full of tangled wires and chaos.

Vacation time is drawing rapidly nearer. You’re surely looking forward to many new experiences and moments that you’ll want to preserve. But if you don’t want to come back home with a huge pile of photos and then throw away three quarters of them, get inspired by our tips on what to photograph and how.

After visiting China, you’ll never be the same. Something inside you will have changed. China will change the way you see the world and change all the preconceptions you had about China until now. Whether you set out to discover the history, landmarks, modern architecture, good tea, or nature, one thing is for sure. China has many faces, and they all interlace.

This church is one of my favorites. I have driven past it many times and had hoped to one day get a shot of it above the fog. Even when the weather was on my side, the story of how this photo came to be was filled with more challenges than I’d anticipated.

When it comes to nature on the British Isles, most people immediately think of Scotland. But let’s go just a bit south to Northern England. There’s an almost continuous strip of three national parks with landscapes reminiscent of Tolkien’s world. What types of opportunities does this lesser-known part of Europe offer photographers?

What exactly is the Way of St. James or Camino de Santiago? Originally, it was the pilgrimage route to the tomb of St. James, located in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. Today, there is more than one route to Santiago. The most famous is the 770km (478mi) long French Way (Camino Francés), but there are many other official and unofficial routes.