Randy Van Duinen

Whenever I decide on a new country to visit (and photograph, of course), the first thing I do, besides checking how many memory cards I need, is dive into the research. Sure, I’ll hit the iconic spots like everyone else. But I’m also on the lookout for those lesser-known gems, the kind of places tucked just far enough off the tourist path to feel like a discovery. Often, those hidden treasures come with a catch: limited access, obscure opening hours, or flat-out “no photography allowed”...

Photographing in Rome is like being handed a cinematic buffet of architecture, history, and light. Within just a few blocks, you’ve got the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and tucked right in the middle of all that grandeur is the big one: the Colosseum. Ever since I was a kid watching epic sword-and-sandal films on a boxy TV, I dreamed of standing before this 2,000-year-old marvel with a camera in hand. It’s the kind of place that feels larger than life, both literally and...

Over the weekend, I received my copy of the American Society of Photographers magazine, and I was honored to see my image from Venice, Italy, featured on the cover. Earlier this year, I was awarded the ASP Fellowship in recognition of my photography and a paper documenting my life's journey in photography. Inside the magazine are the 25 images I submitted for my Fellowship, along with the paper that accompanied them. It was one of the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken. To earn...