Editorial content contributed by Sam Williams.
A trip around the world to photograph interesting destinations can be one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime. The only difficult part is figuring out where to go! Truthfully there’s no definitive way to determine what the best destinations for photography are in a given year. But we have some suggestions for this year in particular.
1. The Bahamas
It’s almost cheating to include a place like the Bahamas, which is so beautiful year in and year out. That is to say there’s not usually anything particularly unique or inventive about suggesting the Bahamas for a photography tour. That said, when Condé Nast put the island nation on its list of the best places to travel in 2018, it made a point that stuck with us. With the Caribbean in recovery from a horrible hurricane season in 2017, one of the best ways to help is to visit. This is a place that needs tourism more than ever, and the more you can capture beautiful photos, the more you might be able to persuade others to keep visiting as well.
2. Macau
Macau has grown and expanded in a way that frankly makes no sense in the 2010s. That’s because the growth revolves largely around an industry that has primarily gone digital. Online casinos have spawned massive player bases, designed sophisticated gaming options, implemented live dealer play, and generally come to rival brick-and-mortar establishments in many ways. Despite all this though, Macau has risen as a new casino mecca of the Far East. Packed with massive resorts and tourist activities (not to mention a fascinating town leftover from Portuguese colonization), it’s a great place to take pictures of both old and new attractions. And given that MGM just recently opened a new resort, the growth is continuing this year.
3. Croatia
There’s a simple way to put this: Croatia has been one of the hottest destinations on the planet for several years now. The exciting thing about photographing it in 2018 is that it almost seems to be expanding as a destination. For much of its trendy run, tourists focused largely on the capital city of Dubrovnik (which is a wonderful, beautiful place). Now, however, people are branching out, and other locations like Zdar, the island of Hvar, and Split. Exploring the country more broadly like this makes for a great opportunity for photographers.
4. Russia
For starters we’ll mention that Russia is a more beautiful country than it gets credit for. It’s sort of inevitable for a country that’s so gigantic in size. This year we’d recommend it as a photography tour destination simply because it’s holding one of the biggest events in the world though. The World Cup will run from June to July, and already Russia has prepared an impressive collection of stadiums for fans to enjoy. Doubtless some of the areas around the stadiums have also been built up, which gives photographers a chance to capture some brand new structures and public areas, either on their own before or after the Cup, or during the action with throngs of enthusiastic fans moving to and fro.
5. Zambia
Lake Landscape Mountains Clouds Sky Zambia Trees
If you’re working generally, rather than with a specific aim for theme, any world photography tour ought to include the African wilderness. And along those lines, Zambia has become one of the hotter destinations on the continent. Numerous sensational safari options make for the kind of photography you can always be proud of.
