The majority of international travel photography tours stick to the beaten touristy path and hire a local guide who speak the language but are not an advanced photographer. It’s the easy/cheap and fast way to go about organizing an international photography tour; participants are sure to miss out on allot of great photo opportunities, due to the guide not being an experienced photographer and not understanding us; and what it takes to be an experienced photographer! It is most evident for me when viewing tour photo’s that have ventured to great locations such as Mt. Fuji, Nikko, Nara, Hokkaido, Snow Monkeys Park. The photo’s themselves are of quality and have heart but are as common as a postcard! When my team and I are leading a Japan Photo Tour or guiding a group for another international photographer, participants are sure to get that unique angle view that the other group missed, off and sometimes on the touristy path.