You've photographed Paris and San Francisco and the Taj Mahal -- or if you haven't, you know you want to. So we enlisted a slew of experienced travel photogrphers to help identify less famous, but equally photogenic, alternatives.
NORTH AMERICA Maruata Bay, Mexico Instead of Puerto Vallerta
Photo: Ethan Welty/Aurora Photos
For great coastal shots of Mexico without all the tourism, head down to the Michoacàn state and rent a bungalo in Maruata. Says Ethan Welty (weltyphotography.com), “This fishing village is known as a hippie haunt, but it has an amazing amount of image ops,” from cliffs to wetlands to birds and sea turtles. “Maruata is a protected nesting site for the [Pacific green] turtle, and by volunteering for the local conservation program, you can capture [the turtles] nesting eggs close-up.”
Must-get shots: Waves crashing against cliffs; uncluttered beach sunsets; fishermen at work as pelicans swoop down; sea turtles making nighttime nesting trips.
This Photo: Sea Stacks, Maruata Bay, Mexico Ethan Welty shot at sunset using a tripod-mounted Canon EOS Digital Rebel and 18–50mm (at 18mm) f/2.8 Sigma lens; 30 sec at f/16, ISO 100.
