2016 – A Year of Travel In 65 Black and White Photographs

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 black and white photos from 2016 and my 65 favorite color shots.  For previous years, check out 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and of course, don’t miss the color 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.

Ta Prohm, Cambodia

Kirkjufellsfoss, Iceland

Bangkok, Thailand

Yangon, Myanmar

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Svortuloft Lighthouse, Iceland

Ta Prohm, Cambodia

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

My Tho, Vietnam

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Krabi, Thailand

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Olafsvik, Iceland

Takeo Angkor, Cambodia

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Yangon, Myanmar

Bangkok, Thailand

Bagan, Myanmar

Latrarbjarg Cliffs, Iceland

Copenhagen, Denmark

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Kirkjufellsfoss, Iceland

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Copenhagen, Denmark

Bagan, Myanmar

Latrarbjarg Cliffs, Iceland

Banteay Kdei, Cambodia

Bagan, Myanmar

Westfjords, Iceland

Copenhagen, Denmark

Yangon, Myanmar

Bangkok, Thailand

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Westfjords, Iceland

Bagan, Myanmar

Ta Prohm, Cambodia

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Breidafjordur Bay and Flatey, Iceland

Bagan, Myanmar

Copenhagen, Denmark

My Tho, Vietnam

Yangon, Myanmar

Westfjords, Iceland

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Bagan, Myanmar

Holbaek, Denmark

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Bagan, Myanmar

Nordhavn, Denmark

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Copenhagen, Denmark

Yangon, Myanmar

My Tho, Vietnam

Terrace of the Elephants, Cambodia

Bagan, Myanmar

Copenhagen, Denmark

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! Remember, don’t miss 2016’s color post for an additional 65 shots.