From a photographer's perspective, where's the most beautiful place you've been?

Mont Saint-Michel, I think, and all the Normandy country. Picos de Europa, in Cantabria, Spain, is a wonderful place in spring, when there is both snow and good light, but too much nature-photographer-biased.

I have the opportunities to travel to a variety of interesting places, some on my own, some with Uncle Sugar's Yacht Club. I enjoyed that atmosphere of Singapore but think the view from the area around the top of the peak tram in Hong Kong is stunning at sunset, both over the harbor and then I caught some beautiful light off over the islands in the sea looking out the other direction.

 

I'm not sure how to compare that to Old Faithful on a brisk fall morning with backlit storm clouds, mist and vapors, or the view across the lake from Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Tetons. Or an afternoon thunderstorm over the Grand Canyon at Desert View. Or fall sunsets in the eastern Sierra.

 

While there are some grand areas, there are micro-beauties all around us.

the most beautiful place for photography is wherever you are at that particular moment. there are abundant opportunities around us at all times. however, having said that I do have some special places where scenic photos are widely available. in addition to the places mentioned above, with particular emphasis on Italy, there is one place not mentioned and that is Morocco, which is the most exotic landscape of any country i've been in and which also has the most exotic medinas and beautiful people, eg. the berber women in their glorious costumes.

chris

The Grand Canyon and Yosemite Valley.

 

I currently live in South America and portions of the Andes are spectacular.

US - Just east of Sawtooth Pass, Mineral King, Sequoia Nat'l Park. International - Tough call.... Alone in Volubilis, Morocco, on a gray day. No tourists, just yourself to contemplate those who came before you thousands of years before.

Namibia. The sea of sand dunes is a photgrapher's fantasy. It's all about stripping reality down to form, color and light. What could be better?

The Lofoten Islands,northern Norway,in summer at what would be the end of the day if the sun actually set. The mountain peaks are covered in snow and everything is reflected in the fjords with fantastic clarity.

Ray

Zion National Park in Utah is breathtaking. For an East Coast city boy, my first time driving into Zion's valley was pretty awe-inspiring. Looking forward to going back one day.

 

Jim

1 - Highway between Waterton Lakes National Park and Pincher Creek in southwestern Alberta

2 - Highway 29 between Fort St John, BC and Chetwynd BC

3 - Highway 20 through the north Cascades in Northern Washington

All the above should surely tell us that there is no such place as "the most beautiful place in the world", since "Beauty" truly lies in the eyes of the beholder. Each of us has his/her own "most beautiful place in the world". If this were not so, that singular "most beautiful" place would be so overrun by photographers, that we would end up photographing each other...and wouldn't that be a disaster.

How can I disagree with anyone and I believe that Bert Reitter has summed it very well. There are many incredible opportunities in your "own Backyard" if you look for it. When I started my drive in Calgary Alberta and slowly drove to Vancouver through the Rockies and then south along the Oregon Coast road then back through Central Oregon (North America's largest sand dunes) - I thought I was in heaven. As my memory fades of that trip, my sep 2006 two week trip to Alaska was a land of many and varied opportunities for photography. As it stands now, Alaska is my pick - especially in their fall.

American Southwest, Four Corners region. The light that John Ford found so many years ago

for the movies is still there. The high desert that Ansel Adams shot in New Mexico is still

there. The rocks and red and light and eternal sky make it my favorite, yet difficult place to

shoot.