2016 – A Year of Travel In 65 Color Photographs

Iceland Travel Boots by Alex Berger

In 2016 I catapulted across the 50 country mark with visits to several destinations that have captivated my imagination since I was a kid, but long sat neglected on my bucket list. The trips also included several very welcome surprises which reminded me that the more I travel the larger the world becomes and the more there is to explore and discover.

It has also been a year marked by exciting new achievements and significant growth in my photography, videography and photo editing understanding. Perhaps the most interesting pivot has been experimenting with back button focus, which is fundamentally changed the way I shoot.

I’ve also started to experiment more with filters (if on a limited level) and actively pivoted from shooting predominantly using aperture priority, to a shutter speed priority first approach which also uses 2-3x the speed the camera suggested via Av. For my Tanzania Safari, I also began to experiment more with a full-manual approach where and when I needed the speed, but also wanted to ensure a higher aperture.

This post is part of an annual tradition where I post my 65 favorite color photos from 2016 and my 65 favorite black and white photos.  For previous years, check out 2012, 20132014 and 2015 and of course, don’t miss the black and white post from 2016. As with last year, the photos from my end of the year trip fall on the following year. This means the 4,000 Tanzania shots from December 2016 will appear in my 2017 post and that in this post, you’ll find all of the shots from my 2015 December trip to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Questions about how I composed or took a specific photo? Feel free to ask in a comment. You’re also encouraged to check out my complete flickr albums here.

The Fishermen of Inle Lake

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Cliffs on the way to Látrabjarg in Iceland

Western Fjords, Iceland

Kampong Phluk - Cambodia

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Life in Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Curious George - The Thai Monkey

Railay Beach, Thailand

The Road to Banteay Srei

Banteay Srel, Cambodia

The Herd at Sunset - Bagan - Myanmar

Bagan, Myanmar

The Kayan Women of Myanmar

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Charming Nyhavn

Copenhagen, Denmark

Terrace of the Elephants - Angkor Thom

Angkor, Cambodia

Látrarbjarg Cliffs - Western Fjords of Iceland

Latrarbjarg Cliffs, Iceland

Bagan by eBike

Bagan, Myanmar

Exploring Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta, Thailand

The Long Neck Women of Myanmar

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Nyhavn on the Perfect Summer Day

Copenhagen, Denmark

Downtown - My Tho - Southern Vietnam

My Tho, Vietnam

Icelandic Horses - Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Lovers

Holbaek, Denmark

The Monks of Yangon

Yangon, Myanmar

Kampong Phluk - Cambodia

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Colored Boats - Inle Lake - Village Life

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Into the Western Fjords

Western Fjords, Iceland

Terrace of the Elephants - Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom, Cambodia

The Acrobats - Standing Tall

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

The Golden Domes of Yangon

Yangon, Myanmar

Copenhagen Carnival

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Streets of Yangon

Yangon, Myanmar

Traffic in My Tho - Vietnam

My Tho, Vietnam

Ta Prohm - Angkor - Cambodia

Ta Prohm, Cambodia

Malarrif Lighthouse - Iceland

Malarrif Lighthouse, Iceland

The Portal - Myanmar - Bagan

Bagan, Myanmar

Kampong Phluk - Cambodia

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Gavnø Slotspark

Gavno Slotspark, Denmark

Inle Lake - Myanmar

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Exploring Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta, Thailand

The Westfjords of Iceland

Western Fjords, Iceland

The Nazi Invasion of Denmark (Reenactment)

Holbaek, Denmark

Puffins at Iceland's Látrarbjarg Cliffs

Latrarbjarg Cliffs, Iceland

Angkor Wat - Wonder of the World

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The Nazi Invasion of Denmark (Reenactment)

Holbaek, Denmark

Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Iceland

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

The People of Inle Lake - Myanmar

Inle Lake, Myanmar

My Tho River Boats in Vietnam

My Tho, Vietnam

The Monks of Yangon

Yangon, Myanmar

Svörtuloft Lighthouse - Iceland

Svortuloft Lighthouse, Iceland

The Landscape - Bagan - Myanmar

Bagan, Myanmar

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

My Tho - Southern Vietnam

My Tho, Vietnam

Morning Chores in Old Bagan - Myanmar

Bagan, Myanmar

Dynjandi Waterfalls - Iceland's Westfjords

Western Fjords, Iceland

Exploring Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta, Thailand

The Carnival Warrior

Copenhagen, Denmark

Breiðafjörður Bay and Flatey

Breidafjordur Bay and Flatey, Iceland

Thatbyinnyu Temple - Bagan - Myanmar

Bagan, Myanmar

Kampong Phluk - Cambodia

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Exploring Bagan

Bagan, Myanmar

Downtown Saigon

Saigon / Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam

Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Iceland

Snaefellsness Peninsula, Iceland

My Tho - Southern Vietnam

My Tho, Vietnam

Relaxation

Copenhagen, Denmark

Kirkjufellsfoss - Snæfellsnes - Iceland

Kirkjufellsfoss, Iceland

Angkor Wat - Wonder of the World

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Gavnø Slotspark

Gavno Slotspark, Denmark

Bangkok's Temples

Bangkok, Thailand

The Four Island Tour

Koh Lanta, Thailand

All photos were taken on a Canon 6D or Canon M3 using either a Canon 50mm f/1.4, Canon 40mm f/2.8, Canon 17-40mm f/4, Sigma 70-300mm lens. I do light editing in Adobe Lightroom. You can see the specific settings each image was taken at via the EXIF data on flickr. I’m also always happy to answer questions.

Thanks for a wonderful year!  I cannot wait to see what adventures and explorations 2016 brings and don’t forget to jump over to 2016’s 65 best black and white shots!

I am a travel blogger and photographer. I also am involved in academic research into the study abroad and backpacker communities.

8 Comments

  1. You have taken some phenomenal photos Alex! I especially enjoyed several Thailand beach/boats shots as well as the Myamar/Cambodia temple pictures. Let the journey continue!

  2. You are so wonderful! The photos you took very lively it was clearly expressed that regional flavor. And my favorite photographs is described in My Tho, Viet Nam because I was born and grew up on this land.

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