Welcome to the NEW Travel Photographers Network

Over the last two months, the TPN staff have expended enormous energy and time developing and polishing up the new site. We sincerely hope you like what we have delivered. With this new website we indend to restore some long missed activities including a new cover image, fresh articles each month, weekly challenge themes, weekly moderator picks, and an active discussion board.

We also have a new roster of site moderators including Bob Miller, Matt Blaisdell, Rob Sutherland and Sheril Foust.

Smiling faces are what greeted us in Sri Lanka from the moment we arrived until we left. The people were so warm and curious, and there inquisitiveness made for some interesting interactions as you can see by the photos of the kids at the central bus station in Colombo.

We met with Lucy and Lipton and spent hours wandering and talking photography which was great. The diversity of people, places, views and the whole country is a photographer's paradise. We, of course, being there for the first time, took a driver and did the basic tourist run because of a lack of time. Definitely the next time I travel, it will be like the locals, on the trains (buses).

White Sands National Monument is a gem. And like a gem it’s small and easy to overlook in a remote area of New Mexico far from better-known photo locations and major transportation hubs. Even as you pass through its gates White Sands won’t yield its beauty to the casual photographer.  You have to look closely to discover its many facets. But photographers will be enchanted if they overcome the travel challenges, allow time for exploration, and enjoy a little sand in their shoes.  So much so in fact, they will be reluctant to leave when the gates close each night, and will strive to be on hand each morning when they reopen.

My first venture into lighter camera gear turned into a full-fledged adventure.

I wanted to test a digital pocket camera, so I left behind my array of DSLR bodies, lenses, filters and tripod and set off into the desert on foot. No falling back on the bigger gear for special images, and no excuses. If the little camera didn’t measure up, so be it.

The adventure came later.