Dream Photography Project

I'd fly around documenting Japanese gardens. I wouldn't need a close full of gear though.

If I was feeling topically/popularly message-ish? Tropical deforestation deserves every bit of scrutiny it can get, and the circumstances would make for beautiful, horrible, moving, chilling, lovely, tragic, dynamic, crushing, and possibly hopeful photographs.

If I was being completely indulgent? I'd start a (hopefully) 15-year project, and follow the lives of a litter of purebred bird hunting dogs from conception through death. Whelping, moving to new homes, training, companionship, going through their adolescence, their prime, and their old age as what they do and are made for changes around them. Individual animals and their people, over a decade and a half. Continuity of at least one of those half-dozen or so stories, told through photographs, would be a joy and a challenge to present. $10k ought to get the ball rolling!

Great question, Hannah. What a tease, you are.

I would choose my 7D, 17-55 f2.8Is+ef 400mm f2.8L IS with 430EX on a trip to northern california/Washington in search a bigfoot portrait. Maybe a rifle too.

stay home and take picture of my little girl for the rest of her life to documented every step and new stuff she learn..WAIT! im already doing this for free ; )

Seriously, i would travel across Canada for a year to see how people live from west to east in all the little village and city. To document a part of the my history.

I'm in my eighth season coaching Special Olympics. I would love to travel around the country (and to several other countries) to illustrate how the Special Olympics program helps to improve the lives of so many individuals with intellectual disabilities. I would then do an exhibit and book with a significant portion of the proceeds going to Special Olympics.

I agree with Matt, you are a tease. But, thanks for asking the question.

Am actually doing my dream project now ... returning to France to shoot six weeks more of French Romanesque churches and cathedrals. We will shoot 70-80 more churches, bringing to 310 that we will have documented.

I'd go to Washington state and document some of the larger cities - Spokane, Seattle - and the geography. Absolutely love the weather, terrain, and cityscapes in that northwest corner of the US. So much to see :)
Or I'd arrange a series of flights between large US airports - JFK, EWR, DFW, Chicago-O'Hare, SEA, and have at least a day and a half layover in each city; shooting film and some digital of the different aircraft and/in their settings, with unrestricted access to the ramp and air facilities.

Polar Bears. please send my money right away, they will be extinct soon :(

I am lucky enough to live near Waterton Lakes National Park and see black bears all the time. Occasionally I think I see a grizzly bear but never could get close enough to confirm that for sure by seeing the length of the claws !

Hmm, I would head to the US to chronicle abandoned buildings along the old Route 66.

I'd grab a Nikon D3s, an assortment of high-speed long and short lens, tripods, filters, and a lot of data storage and head for the coast of Alaska - I've never been there but would love to see and photograph it!

I love rusting cars and planes - so trips to car / plane graveyards and lone hulks all over .
Just my Leica M8 with 35 and 50 , [ or M9 body LOL ] plus a reasonable small , light DSLR [ Nikon D 500 with 50 and good zoom ] or my existing Pentax K 10D with good zoom and a couple of primes ... Oh , and my rebuilt Contax II by Kiev techs which I just love ! Little room for inessentials like clothes etc !

I would purchase a good backup digital, a couple new lens and head out to photograph Gorilla's in Africa. I've accomplished three of my dreams, photographing and riding Elephants, photographing up close and personal moose and grizzly bears... so the next large game is the Gorilla's... and making that eye contact. Yeap, that would be it! Makes my heart race!

I'd take off to the Austria/Switzerland/Germany Alps/mountain areas and have the time of my life with the best camera gear imaginable. I've dreamed of such a trip all my life and it would be awesome to experience!

Butterflies, flowers and birds would attract me to exotic places.
Annie, France

If I were given $10,000, a roundtrip flight to anywhere in the world, and offered a closet full of camera gear I could choose for a photo-related project? Mark my words here and now - I would donate the $10,000, the roundtrip flight ticket, and the closet full of camera gear (I'd choose a bunch of good field-hardy portable cameras for PR and documentry work) to a charity like Doctors Without Borders.
Then I would pick up my current run-o' the mill Nikon DSLR and go out into my town and take photos of people, all types of people - people living in big houses, people living in the trailer parks and cars, and people living in the city parks, because they all live here in my little 'ol home town in California. Then I'd sit down, take a look at the photos I took and think about the people I met, and just be darn happy I did it!

I would go to Florida and do a photo documentary on manatees. I think they are beautiful creatures and they are endangered. I would love to be able to go photograph them to spread awareness of them to possibly save their species.

Mt. Kilamanjaro & Savannah at dawn & dusk

Tibet. I'd spend the money on transporting me up the mountains. My gear is already packed in a Pelican carry on. Let's go.

I would travel to Uganda/S. Sudan and photograph the victims of over 20 years of civil war, unrest, famine and disease. The dichotomy of suffering against the beautiful landscape of sub-Saharan Africa is breathtaking and heart-wrenching at the same time. But the real story is that the people there still find ways to be joyful amidst their suffering. It is a testament to human spirit and resilience.

Afghanistan, embedded with the US Marines.

Ireland and Germany. Two of the countries of my ancestry. I would love to take pictures of old buildings, castles, the people and of course the fantastic countrysides. It has always been my dream to go to Ireland and maybe one day I will get there. Vickie

I would not go very far, just down my street. with a cherry picker truck and an objective tilt and shift, to photograph at the top of the monuments in my city.

Patagonia. No doubt in my mind. My second stop would be Ireland. Third, Norway.

I would love to travel and photograph beautiful old architecture, especially churches and also old cemeteries.
I would like to have the best digital SLR on the market at this time with me with an assortment of lenses, a tripod and a laptop with a large hard-drive because I love to edit my own photos.

I would set out to document the disappearing coastal villages of Newfoundland. Many of these villages can only be reached by boat. To save infrastructure costs, the government is moving the population to more accessible areas. I would like to "save" images of these villages for future generations.

I would take the gear, travel the world in search of the most unique architectural structures and publish a book.

$10k is a lot to travel on and if you know how to do it you can make it last for quite awhile so I would say how about an around the world trip?
I would like to snap all non standard places on it the map, really make your photos show something that hasn't been shot before (I'm sure they all have been shot but maybe not as much as the next place).

I would map out the powwow season for the year and spend my time and resources shooting powwows---and end my year at the championship in NC...

I would like to compose a photographic diary of an African safari. For equipment, you'd be surprised what an ex Marine can carry on his back.

Wow, I'd like to start my travel in Amersterdam and photograph the canals and unique building structures, then head south threw Europe and capturing everything from floral, macro photographs to working with the exotic models of Europe. I've always been fascinated with the continent and beauty of the countryside. From mustard farms of southern Germany to the profound Black forest. Europe is absolutely beautiful in the winter time.
I'd prefer winter and spring for my Scenic photography and then end my trip in the South of France, Cannes or Nice to work with the talented and beautiful models and beaches with the glorious sunsets. Also heading east toward Italy to capture the unique architecture of the sunny countryside and small villages and alluring charm of the unique floral settings surrounding them.
The best thing about this trip is I don't need a large kit to work with. Camera's with just a few select lenses and accessories, reflectors, tripod and maybe lights if I were to work with models. I'm used to working with what I have, so asking me to pick from a closet full of equipment would probably overwhelm me.
Ah... but c'est la vie.. it's just a dream.
R. Preston

Wow, I'd like to start my travel in Amersterdam and photograph the canals and unique building structures, then head south threw Europe and capturing everything from floral, macro photographs to working with the exotic models of Europe. I've always been fascinated with the continent and beauty of the countryside. From mustard farms of southern Germany to the profound Black forest. Europe is absolutely beautiful in the winter time.
I'd prefer winter and spring for my Scenic photography and then end my trip in the South of France, Cannes or Nice to work with the talented and beautiful models and beaches with the glorious sunsets. Also heading east toward Italy to capture the unique architecture of the sunny countryside and small villages and alluring charm of the unique floral settings surrounding them.
The best thing about this trip is I don't need a large kit to work with. Camera's with just a few select lenses and accessories, reflectors, tripod and maybe lights if I were to work with models. I'm used to working with what I have, so asking me to pick from a closet full of equipment would probably overwhelm me.
Ah... but c'est la vie.. it's just a dream.
R. Preston

Hej!
OM, jag skulle få chansen till detta fantastiska pris så skulle jag hem vilja resa till Lappland, över till Nordnorge och till norra Finland för att dokumentera våra samers liv år 2010. Följa med på deras arbete, jakt och fiske. Utrustningen en Nikon D3 med lämpliga objektiv skulle sitta fint. Ha en fin fortsättning på 2010
Bernt O'Johan Järnepalm
PS: Ring mig och berätta När jag Skall åka

I would go to Patagonia, Chile. That's probably the most beautiful place on earth! I would capture the nuance of the dramatic stone sculptsures, icebergs, landscape, and wildlife that surrounds the area, like no other place.

I am a lover of wolves. I would go to as many wolf sanctuaries I can and photography these magnificient animals. Then I would spend three months in the wilds photographing then.

Hej!
OM, jag skulle få chansen till detta fantastiska pris så skulle jag hem vilja resa till Lappland, över till Nordnorge och till norra Finland för att dokumentera våra samers liv år 2010. Följa med på deras arbete, jakt och fiske. Utrustningen en Nikon D3 med lämpliga objektiv skulle sitta fint. Ha en fin fortsättning på 2010
Bernt O'Johan Järnepalm
PS: Ring mig och berätta När jag Skall åka

I would continue the My Life Project I started last year - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sKzmlvweVk, a series of "final portraits" of hospice patients or terminally ill people to give to families, while bringing awareness to the issue of end-of-life care, only I would take it nationally and set up chapters of the project all over the Country, with other volunteer photographers and participating hospices...

I'd revisit so many of the places that I visited years ago before I knew as much as I think I know now about photography, but not before I visited all the new places I want to visit. Alas, age is a factor. I'd better get going!

Vanishing traditional cultures/languages/lifestyles threatened by modernization/globalization/assimilation. Remarkably little attention paid to the disappearance of traditional societies globally and/or the loss of languages and oral histories that identified them relative to endangered animal species.

No need to travel to exotic places! I'd use the $10,000 to pay for fuel and daily expenses take the great American tour by road. This is my culture. These are my people. This is the land I know and love. Where could I possibly find anything better to photograph?

Over the last 18 months family and friends have been dropping like flies. Some of these were iconic figures in my life, people that made a difference.

Recently I made a list of 17 people and 12 places, alive or still standing, that were landmarks in my life. I would like to make a road trip and make a dignified portrait of each of these people and places. This road trip would take about 3 ½ weeks and cover a little over 4,500 miles.

Thanks for your consideration,

Ziv

I would head for the Greek Islands in Spring and board a Windjammer cruise to photograph the azure waters and island architecture and local culture of some of the lesser visited islands.

I would love to fly to Malaysia, and use a medium format Leaf/Mamiya camera with a 50 or 60 megapixel back to macro-photograph some of the amazingly beautiful and exotic flowers and insects/small creatures which live in the countryside/jungle of Malaysia.
I saw one macro photo taken by the chap who runs a website for old manual canon 35mm cameras Leo Foo, I think - he is an industrial millionaire, but an excellent photographer, living in Malaysia, and I was so impressed by that, and many of his macro photographs of the woods/jungle flowers, that I wanted to go immediately - but of course, I couldn't afford it. I photograph woodland flowers and scenic views of fishing villages and boats, which we have lots of round here - a summer delight! (Come to think of it, we have some lovely places in Britain which I have not photographed yet, which could do with some loving photographs - I tend to like Joe Cornish type pix - he is a famous and quite local photographer of international acclaim)
I also would love to take the same camera and a selection of lenses to photograph some of the beautiful areas of China - there is some gorgeous scenery there which doesn't see much publicity here in England, and I would just delight in it, and would make the photos available to whoever would like to have them - (same with the Malaysian shots). If your question is not purely academic, and there is even a faint chance someone is thinking of actually making this a reality for a lucky photographer, please put my name down as a keen candidate.
Hmm! - there is Utah, of course - some wonderful scenery there, especially off the beaten track - actually, most places in the world have some lovely areas, and I delight in being in the beautiful outdoors almost wherever I am. The light on the picture can make or break the shot, I feel, and the timing of the shot, and the attention to the light qualities can really make a huge difference between a very nice shot, and an unforgettable feast of an image. Happy is the photographer who can use the light to carefully extract the best qualities of a scene or a person in a portrait - I love to photograph people too - use to drive my family mad, but got some lovely shots of them through the years
PS. Can I keep the camera gear after the trip, please, please, pretty please?

I would go to Yosemite National Park (Never been to California) with my family and spend about a week photographing some of the most beautiful and tranquil sites I have ever seen from photos, only I would get to photograph them the way I would like to see them. I may have to make a quick stop in San Fran to get a portrait with the Golden Gate as a backdrop. I do love bridges.

U.S. roadtrip. My father travelled a lot when i was a kid, and he had a distinct and purposeful habit of staying in weirdo motels when he could easily have afforded fancier accommodations. He also made a habit of keeping his room key from every single place he stayed. After he died we discovered a red metal toolbox full of over 200 keys from all these places. I've kept them for years, and intend to one day drive across the country to return them all in person. I will use his Yashica Mat (my first 'real' camera) to document the adventure.

I loved reading everyone else's responses. My dream trip would be unrelated to the "equipment in the closet" as I still shoot film (being a dinosaur!) and have most all the equipment I would want. I would do people shots where ever the news would take me. Haiti to shoot people at their best, Iran to see people making a difference, or any where where change is taking place. Other than that I would be documenting architecture anywhere in the world.

I would be on the next transport to Haiti.

I would ask to be blindfolded and put on a plane whose destination would be revealed only when I deplaned. My photo gear would fit in carry-on, no matter where I was going or what I was photographing. When do I get to collect my $10k worth and go?

I'm going to do this in April, but driving...can't stand to fly anymore. I'll pack a couple of Canon digitals, my Rollei 3.5F, maybe even the Fuji GW670III the Pentax 67II and a Fuji J38 for out the window or sunroof shots and head for the US Southwest. Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, Moab, Capitol Reef, San Rafael Swell, Goblin Valley and anything in between is on the see-it-while-it's-still-there agenda. See an old friend in the Boulder, CO area.

Sure is a great way to shake off the cabin fever from winter and boost the film business while I'm at it!

I'd first choose a VERY good digital camera and lenses to be able to photograph the tiniest creature to the biggest landscape. With all that money I think I would start by travelling and photographing my beautiful small country (Portugal) and then choose other countries like Cambodja, Patagonia for sure, the remote and still almost unknown parts of India, venture into some country in the Pacifi Ocean (Palau, for example). Oh, let's not forget a Transsiberian trip. I'm not sure I could squeeze all this in a round trip flight. I don't think a trip should have one photography-related project only to focus on. Why not people and monuments ; or all sorts of landscapes ; or animals and flowers ; or traditional culture of a country and its people ? I have all the time in the world to do all this. The only little detail I don't have is money and a really good camera.
Thanks for your time.
Bye for now
Maria Silva

I spent two weeks in Cuba on a tour. I would go back and photograph the people and their way of life in depth. The hard ships and sorrows of a people living in a Communist country. Photograph their homes, business, schools, churches and farms. Then publish a book on this subject. The people in Cuba love Americans. So the trip would be an eye opener, for most Americans to see how happy the Cuban people are, with very little things they have.
Richard Rickard

I would travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar to photograph the amazing sights and people. My husband and I sent our teenage daughter there 2 summers ago and I'm envious!

Tom, Head for Bryce too....My husband and I were speachless, when we first approached the rim.
Lucia, I would love to help you with the Hospice project...I was, before I retired, a palliative care RN, for the last 7 yrs. of my 36 yr. career. Was very, very rewarding...they taught me much about living.
Also, would really love to travel my home province of BC, and especially document the small towns, that do not appear on any map, but in the memories of those who lived there. Taking photos of the old mines, and log cabins...barns...abandoned ,rusting vehicles...these are my loves (other than my family and friends,of course!)

I have a number of places on my bucket list, but the area that tops the list would be May-October in Australia. It is almost as diverse as my native Canada. If Australia is out I would like to go to Africa for the start or end of the rainy season.
Two dSLR bodies, a crossover digital camera, three zoom lens to cover from 15mm to 500mm, plus the regular assortment of support technology for the digital equipment.
I am ready anytime. Anybody offering?

Since 2006 i’m working photographing the essence of the dance movements. You don’t need to imagine my results, just go to www.torija.mx and you’ll see what I mean. Until now I have photographed more than 50 international, national and local dance companies from classical to contemporary, ethnic, jazz, ritual, modern, folklore, performance, etc. and with enough support I would keep developing this project for several years more. Said that, is easy for you all to understand that I’ll need part of the money to print my work large size on canvas (as stated in the specifications of my project), and the ticket (and the rest of the money) to travel to different places to exhibit it (I would go to N.Y or Chicago). What would I pick from the closet? Not much, only a Canon EOS 7D and a Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM; a heavy Bogen/Manfrotto photo tripod, two very big Compact Flash cards (16 mb each at least), and three fresh camera batteries…Ahh and keeping my good luck to be permitted to go inside the theaters with all my gear and take the pictures!

Arturo Rodriguez Torija.

I would probably return to Hangzhou China where I spent the summer of my first year MFA while at Pratt Institute (1988 with SVA). I would take this trip with my 11 year old son who is just getting into photography. I think a trip where we could shoot together in a place where I took some amazing pictures would be an amazing experience for both of us. Oh and gimme a digital Leica M with a 24 mm and a few bricks of TMax 3200 to load in my trusty old M4P.

Editorial on Myanmar, Landscape, People, Architectural.
Canon 5D Mark II 16-35 f2.8, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8is 30 delkin 16gig cards an armed bodyguard with government clearance!

A horseman involved in therapeutic horse back riding programs in North Carolina for years, I would like to donate sets of photographs, showcasing their work and unique approaches, to fledgling therapeutic programs (most of which are non profit) from each state. Too often the essential gap that these programs struggle to close is one of communication - supply and demand can't find one another in a timely way. I have found the magic of the special unions that these programs create between giving horses and people with varuious needs (physical, emotional, cognitive, etc.) avail themselves to capture by photography and videography - and these images serve the programs well by attracting donors and energizing participants.

I'd do the same as James Harr but for Native American Indians on reservations - the poorest, most forgotten, neglected, and abused people in this country. All I'd need for equipment is what I already have. The balance after paying for the trip I would donate directly to the tribes.

Hi, As critical care nurse and photographer I have dreamt for along time about traveling to various regions of the world, and documenting what nurses do in their own environmemt, from the high tech of north america where supplies and medical support are at our finger tips, to africa where high tech is a chest tube that drains into a bucket. I see this project as a way of bring to light what nurses truly do in this day and age. We no longer just empty bed pans and hold hands. Although when there is nothing left to do, holding a hand is all you can do as some's loved one passes. When it comes to nursing and health care pictures can truly be worth a thousand words and then some. Wow what a dream come to true to be able to travel and do this project. Thanks for your time Steve Munn

We would continue doing as we are doing, traveling around the United States in our RV, taking photos, telling our wonderful stories and sharing them with our many readers. Living our dream is what this life is all about and our adventures get better every year, we are now on year five and having the time of our lives.

Awesome proposition. Living in Vancouver BC, I wouldn't go far - I'd use a fraction of the $10K to buy some proper camping gear and make the day long journey to the northern tip of Vancouver Island and do a week at Cape Scott Park. Since it's hike-in only, and usually soaking wet, I'm convinced there's lots of photos that still need to be taken. Sand and surf, birds and beasts, rocks and rain, fog and infinity are all there waiting to be captured and shared.
I would search the closet for the Nikon D3s, and do my shooting with a view to integrating movies with stills. I would anguish over which telephoto lens to bring along....but would have to carry....for a rainy week.

Easy one. I've lost both of my parents to cancer in the last two years and I've realized just how short life really is. My thoughts have turned toward (dream) travel recently so I'd be headed to southeast Asia; Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Japan (brother & sister born here) and Okinawa (Dad stationed in the Air Force here) would be in there somewhere along the way too. Camera would be a Canon 5d, 50mm 1.2L, and a 28-300mm 3.5L. I don't have any of the aforementioned gear yet, but a girl's gotta have her dreams...

I would travel to one or two of the poorest places on the planet where people have little or nothing in worldly possessions. I would hope to capture their plight and their enduring spirit to survive.
My attempt would be to record the worst of life's blows to man and in stark contrast, the ability
of man to overcome with such a will to live that it boggles the mind.

I would then submit these images to galleries, news forums etc...so we all might see how blessed we are.

I would buy a 5d mark II and some good glass and go with Scott Bourne to Bosque del Apache and learn to shoot birds with one of the best bird photographers around.

OMG I would go to Ladakh and spent whole month there documenting life and nature at Ladakh.

As a new photography teacher in high school who's just bringing the program into the digital age...(and who loves to use this forum's photographers' photos for class critiques!), I'd use the $10,000 to buy more camera equipment and computers to get more students hands-on and add the closet full of gear for their experience. THEN...with the roundtrip flight, I'd go somewhere QUIET for a few days... long enough to plan some new and exciting lessons/projects for the students to try when I got back. LOVE the cool stuff they come up with when you give them a starter idea!

I would persue a main life goal of documenting endangerd, invasive, and all around preditory animals in the Brazilian Rain Forest. My goal is to provide data, education, and images on the preditory species effect on the eco systme's health. My goal in this is to show the facts proving the importance of preditory mamals and reptiles in the natural maintinance of the forest. People tend to over look the importance of what the natural world provides for us. The end result of the research would be for the pourpose of educating upcoming generations. I would hope to record facts and observations along with the emotional impact of the experiance to support them. The basic gear off the top of my head would be infrared camera traps, 2 nikon d3 bodys with proper weather proofing for the climate, a 50mm f1.4 prime lense, 55-200 mm lens, 150-500mm lens, along with at least two lightweight carbonfiiber tripods. I'll spare the list of accesories/backup gear, journals, and such.

I would definitely fly to Beijing, catch the Trans-Siberian train through Mongolia to Russia (documenting the culture along the way), then head east on the train to Khabarovsk. There the trip changes to action photography when we go heli skiing in Northern Russia!

I would basically need the kit I have + replace the 5D body and 16-35mm lens that got stolen from me last summer. I would ad a quantum head/pack and a radio slave, then it would be on.

That is my dream. Maybe if I keep dreaming it, it will happen someday :)

Where: Haiti
What: The rebuilding of Haiti, focusing on it's people, and those helping them.
Why: I've been to Haiti and seen the poverty and hopelessness of it's people. I simply can't understand how they could have any hope at all. These people started with almost nothing. Now, with the loss of family, friends and what little property they might have must be the most heart-broken people on the planet.

Where: Haiti
What: The rebuilding of Haiti, focusing on it's people, and those helping them.
Why: I've been to Haiti and seen the poverty and hopelessness of it's people. I simply can't understand how they could have any hope at all. These people started with almost nothing. Now, with the loss of family, friends and what little property they might have must be the most heart-broken people on the planet.

Go back to Germany (Southern Bavaria) and document the working class and the non working (unemployed) people of the region. Capturing the areas that are off the beaten path. The 'REAL' Germany.

As much as I would love to travel the world photographing people and places, I honestly have the biggest passion for those in my backyard. I would trade in the plane ticket to pay for gas and car upkeep and travel the USA photographing the unsung heroes... the families of the military, police, and firefighters. After having my closest friends be military wives and being a volunteer firefighter girlfriend I think there is a lot of misguided notions of what it is to be a wife or husband of one of our country's bravest. I would want to show them both at their best and their day to day lives including the waiting by the phone, talking on skype, taking care of the kids, participating in FRG's and so on. I would then create a book to showcase the images and their stories.

I would trek to Kruger National Park in South Africa. I would then drive from North to South trying to capture that once in a life time scene of "animals in the wild". This would of coarse take me a month or so to achieve...maybe longer? My motto would be...sit....wait...and snap....snap....snap..then...sit....wait....and snap some more...hopefully bringing home at least one spectacular shot.

I would travel to best dive spot to document spectacular underwater life which is so incredible and not reachable by everyone
Stefano

I would spend as much time as possible documenting the impact that Italy has made on the world through the ages. Architecture, Food (including wine), Art, Religion, Music, Automobiles, etc. would be studied both in an historical and contemporary context.

~Rege Garris

I would like to visit major cities of the world and photograph the differences of their cultures. Not to emphasis negative aspects but to record the differences of each country that add to the totally of the human condition. Strength in our diversity.

Don Sunlin

I would travel to Scotland and photograph all the subjects that my father painted in his youth, at the same view point and time of day/year.

I'd photo document every known cave in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico and West Texas and create a photo book with the results. Half way there already. Anybody want to provide me with the money so I can finish the project?
Peter Jones
Shot in the Dark Cave Photography

This is a no-brainer for me - I've thought about this for a long time. I have always wanted to photograph veterans who are now grandfathers or great grandfathers with their grandsons or great grandsons. I would incorporate any of their military memorobilia such uniforms, weapons, photographs as young men/soldiers, medals and ribbons, etc. I want to capture that stark contrast of age and youth and stress that the youth has been made possible by the sacrifices made by those veterans. Traveling the world to do this would indeed be wonderful (Japan, Germany, England, France, Poland, Viet Nam and the US) but I could do a lot right here in the US at locations such as our National Cemeteries (Arlington). I wouldn't need a lot of equipment either because I prefer natural settings. After I'm done, I would want to publish a photobook and provide copies to all the subjects.

My dream photography project is to create my own photo book capturing the awesome beauty of Glacier National Park. For over 20 years, I have wanted to see this wonderful park. To prepare for this dream trip, I would upgrade from Photoshop Elements to Adobe Lightroom and CS4. Then I would expand my lens collection beyond the kit lens and the nifty fifty, and add a few necessary accessories. And since there are no formal photography classes locally, I would then begin to work my way down my wish list of on-line photography and Photoshop courses. And as my photography and post-processing skills begin to improve, I'd make my travel plans.

i just love taking photos outside ...learning and finding interesting corners of all areas. i would love to fly to newfoundland canada and start learning there and making my way back to british columbia...i was born in toronto ontario but grew up in maple ridge bc. i now reside in kamloops bc and through the many years i still have not seen all that canada has to offer. i have thought of alaska, australia and iceland which all have outstanding scenery and animals to grab anyones attention. A photographers dream they all are, but the thrill to learn what is all around me just makes me giggle everytime i plan a drive or trip. All the provinces have outstanding scenery, animals the other may not and each water way has a different wave or splash always changing views, glaciers, waterfalls, bears puffins, we have it all and its right in my backyard so to say. i may not have a chance to do all, but to start - that would be photo project, to learn what canada has to offer us.
anna newbery

i just love taking photos outside ...learning and finding interesting corners of all areas. i would love to fly to newfoundland canada and start learning there and making my way back to british columbia...i was born in toronto ontario but grew up in maple ridge bc. i now reside in kamloops bc and through the many years i still have not seen all that canada has to offer. i have thought of alaska, australia and iceland which all have outstanding scenery and animals to grab anyones attention.
A photographers dream they all are, but the thrill to learn what is all around me just makes me giggle everytime i plan a drive or trip. All the provinces have outstanding scenery, animals the other may not and each water way has a different wave or splash always changing views, glaciers, waterfalls, bears, puffins, we have it all and its right in my backyard so to say. i may not have a chance to do all, but to start - that would be photo project, to learn what canada has to offer us.
anna newbery

Ever since I have discovered the pleasure of macro photography it has been my wish to photograph the hidden world of the equatorial jungle. While my original goal was to visit the Amazon, I now think it would be far more important to visit the last remaining rainforests of Madagascar. It is estimated that Madagascar has already lost almost 75% of its forests and the remaining rainforest is under threat from the expansion of farmlands, tree harvesting and the workings of mining companies. It would be thrilling to capture images of the exotic life of this disappearing jungle, especially if I could work alongside a scientific team.

Wow, great question is right. I would love to document a year in the life... a prisoner in the US. Not to glorify them but to be a cautionary tale for young people going the wrong way. Follow them through committing the crime, arrest, jail, court, prison. Include shots of the families of the victim and the perpetrator, police, judges and life in prison. I know it would never happen because I could never get the access I would need to do it right but I think it would be a powerful essay.

I would travel the perimeter of the US shooting a combo of panos and portraits. I think I would also do it on a motorcycle in order to feel the land more intensely. $10,000 should cover a few months of meals and motels. 6x9 and 6x17

My long time photography dream is to take 2 or 3 months leave and go live with some ethnic minority group in Northern Viet Nam, Lao or China (for a start). I would just take a translator, my laptop, my two cameras and a handful of lenses, and do a photo documentary about the day to day life of these people. On my return i would write an article/paper about my experience and either sell it to a magazine or just start a blog to share it. If i had the luxury i would do this type of expedition about twice/year. I already own most of the equipment i need, i would probably complement my set of lenses with one 70-200 f/2.8 L and bring along my 17-40 f/4 L, 50 f/1.4, and 85 f/1.8 and maybe a few flashes.

I'm sure you will call this 'socialising' or something.
But really, have you nothing better to do ?

I would take a couple of Canon MarkII SLRs. an assortment of Canon L Lenses including 16-35/2.8,24-70/2.8,70-200/2.8,300/2.8, 1.4teleconverter,a pair of GITZO carbon lightweight tripods with ball head, a pocketful of SanDisc Extreme IV cards and some spare batteries and Whibal cards and due HDR in all seasons of the Norwegian Fjords from as many vantage points as I could handle.

While photographing Wildlife is a tremendous passion, chosing the project would take some thought as I like to shot many different subjects(bull riding for example). But if I concentrate on the here and now the winter olympics is would be an incredible photo opp.
bryan stark

My dream is about to happen in May/June. I go from New Zealand to Germany, Italy and France. 5 weeks in all. I will be accompanied by my fairly new Sony A850, 24-70 f2.8 and my 100mm macro.
The Germany visit will include Black Forest, Stuttgart, Berlin and Munich. Italy includes Lake Como, Stelvio pass, the Dolomites, Venice and a week in Tuscany and Florence, finally to Rome. France is a quick visit to Mulhouse and a weekend in Paris.
Thank you for the $10,000 which will reimburse some of my travel expenses

:-)

I would like to fly around the world with the bets camera gear i can choose to documenting the effect of global warming and find out the causes through my lenses hence a better awareness is needed in this regard i would like to dedicate my time and effort along with the grant to aware the mass through my photographs...

This is simple. Every winter, I'd drive across the country to document the plight of homeless people and what they have to do to keep from freezing to death three months of every year.
Then I'd use about 20 percent of the cash to set up a website, show the photos, play taped interviews and then market it so people would know to look at it.
Of course, I'd skim $200 and buy the best bottle of single malt scotch that would afford and drink it.

A round trip airfare to Haiti: weeks worth of instant mashed potatoes, cheese and hot sauce or ramen noodles, I would bring my own photo gear and my hammock. The rest could go to a relief fund.

Right now, it would be to Haiti, and the devastation that faces the people for years to come. I would tell their stories, of loss, of hope......

I'd go to sub-saharan Africa to document the demise of the elephant population. The poachers are destroying
the species, and the habitat is threatened as well. The situation is under-recognized and deteriorating at an
accelerating pace.

I would choose Berlin, during june and july, since the end of the cold war and the fall of the wall there have been many changes. The construction since and cultural changes in the city since WWII and the fall. I visited for a month when there was still an East and a West Berlin in 1964 and 1974. A second choice would be Ireland. Early to middle spring would be the time i would choose. such a diverse landscape in such a small place.

Go everywhere National Geographic goes. Possibly document an episode from the series Nature from beginning to end. Go somewhere that I feel completely alone. Independence would clear the mind for me.

That's a good question since there are plenty of projects I'd focus on. Geographically, I'd go to ancient Egypt, the Southwestern US, or go along the Appalachian Trail. Or, I'd go urban: Washington DC, Tokyo, or Prague. To be honest, I'd need a little more than $10K!

The first visit will be definitely to the Himalayas... Specially Leh Laddak.. The flora and fauna around leh.. A bike trip to the highest motorable road on Khardumgla Pass... Later maye be trip to the Tso pangong...
Then a trip a around India visiting all b-e-a-u-tiful temples... Halebidu, Belur, Madurai, Konark,... khajuraho... the list is endless....

I just turned 60 and may not have many more photos left in me. Photographing Thailand was one of the best experiences of my life, even with my film camera. But I am still moved to tears every time I see beautiful photos of the wildlife in Africa or Alaska or even the landscapes of our great national parks. The reality is that I will never make it to Africa, Yellowstone or Alaska. I am shooting digital now and recall one of the happiest days of my photography, when I was sitting on the ground in a field in Cades Cove, Smoky Mountains National Park, with the deer very close around me. I thought that was as good as it gets. I can't even think about the closet of camera gear. I cannot imagine that kind of gear. I just want something that gets the shot and does not fail me. I want a camera with focus that can find the subject. I want to see how long I cry, standing there in front of the great wild yonder before I can see to fire the camera. One dream of mine was to photograph a steeple race. When the dream came true, I cried half of the day, there in the middle of all that beautiful flesh, just because I was there.

Something that I have been wanting to do is to visit Botswana with my camera equipment packed in a 4x4. I would visit the Central Kalahari National park, Chobe Game reserve and the Okovango Delta. This is for me the utopia of african nature. You can even find nature surrounding you on some of the national roads towards the North. I would take all the equipment that I own, since it is not allot; and head into the velt with a local guide for at least a month. This natural utopia is what dreams; my dreams are made of.

I will visit Indonesian tribes and take pictures of their life, their tradition, their culture, etc.

So many choices ,I don't live to far from the Polar Bears, so I can go see them anytime, Antartica would be nice, because my wife would like to see the penguins. But I think I would like to go and see the snow Leppards.
Happy dreaming
Jeff

Fly them 1,500 miles in any direction over land and back. If they start or end up on an island, come up with some option to deal with the water.

People will want to go a lot of different places for a lot of different reasons. Sightseers, people wanting to document something of academic or political interest; there could be a lot of motivations for the photos.

Give 'em an airlift and a stack of cash and see what they do. If the photos turn out to be a pile of rejects, get 'em the Big Makeover with some retoucher if they want. The airlift and almost no cash until they get back might be more interesting. Some random flight to noplace might be good fodder.

1,500 miles and 1,500 bucks. You've got up to 15 days to pull it off. Show us what you do when you get back. There'd still be a way to factor in the grand prize. Spice it up with a little challenge, but factor in a chance at discovery and creativity would bewhat I'm trying to send.

There are two things which I would probably combine into one thing. I have always wanted to fight against modern day slavery by using my photography skills... so the hope would be to go to some place like Mumbai deep into the red light district and capture the face of these women and children who are being sold and used and abused... capture their stories and then be a voice for those who till now have had no voice. And the second thing would be to take some of the money and buy some cheap cameras and hold some sort of a photography workshop with the kids of the prostitutes there in the red light district and eventually other places around the world. I would teach them the basics of good photography and then we would go out and take pictures... which I would then compile and try to sell for these children, either in book form large prints. This would be a way for these kids to make some money so that their fate would not be the same as their mothers or their captors. Been wanting to do something like this for quite sometime, just lacking the funds and equipment- the passion and heart is there. Anyway, that is what I would do!

Oh wow........for me it would be people, anyone from anywhere. People from all around the world. At home, at work , at play. But mostly I would love to go behind the glamour into the places that would normaly be shyed away from........with my husband and myself I would start off at home in South Africa and go into the informal settlements and from there who knows? I would follow the pictures and the camera and let them take me on my life long dream.

after 10 days in china, last summer, where we visited beijing, xi'an, suzhou and shanghai,i would love to go back. 2 leicas and 4 lenses were quite sufficient.the chinese treated us very well,but the air quality in the major cities needs a lot of improvement.i only realized how bad it was when i printed pictures from the top of the television tower in shanghai. don kahn

I would embark on seeing every state in my country, the United States, and seek to photograph the vast diversity of the people it holds dear to our culture. I would take the time to photograph many cultures and put together a book that honors the cultural, ethnic, and racial differences of our people, regardless of their gender. I would create a work that shows the passion and presence of every culture I could find to photograph, a presentation that would help Americans learn about each other through the way I see the world. Every photograph would strive to show not only the diversity of each culture, but the differences that make America the great melting pot that it is. This would be a dream come true. A dream to help Americans understand each other on a level that shares photos and stories, passions, and dream. A work that reaches to the heart of the viewer and shows everyone that even though we each have our diversity, we also each value many of the same things; a work that embodies and respects our differences. This would be a dream that is vastly huge, and its reach may be beyond the scale of this contest, but it is a dream worth investing every penny of time and attention to the people who matter most, the people who make up our culture.

I'd know what i'd do!
I have been thinking about a tree project for a long time. It would be awesome to go worldwide and capture images of "worlds greatest trees" To seek out the most beautiful species on the globe, and make the best possible (somtimes even abstract) images, see how everywhere on the world light would be filtered, air would be filtered by the finest representators of the world!

I'd know what i'd do!
I have been thinking about a tree project for a long time. It would be awesome to go worldwide and capture images of "worlds greatest trees" To seek out the most beautiful species on the globe, and make the best possible (somtimes even abstract) images, see how everywhere on the world light would be filtered, air would be filtered by the finest representators of the world!

If I really could make a trip to collect my emotions with a camera using the $10,000 prize I think I will buy a professional 35mm film camera (may be a Nikon F5 o F6), some prime good lenses, some zooms and a better digital body than mine (it may be D700 plus a teleconverter) and I'll travel along Europe spending the less I could to save the more money I could to extendmy trip.
Spain, the Southen Italy (my country), England, Ireland, Germany, .. Poland, Czech Republic ..
All I would like to collect would be the natural places around small towns where people usually live ..
P.S. Can I really trust "dreams come true sometimes"? ;)

I would grab a Nikon and a long lens and go follow the Mountain bike Downhill World championship. capturing the thrills and spills and documenting the the behind the scenes life of the riders mechanics and the rest of the teams that put this fabulous and dangerous show on.

Les Farnham, Jan 20th 2010: 1930hrs

I have reached an age where my thinking can get very deep, and there are many ideas that come to mind, one of them is to try and capture images that show unconditional LOVE.
Destination, that is a hard one, as I have not been out of Austraila. I would have to take the time to talk to others that could guide me in the direction that I hope to go.
It's nice to day dream sometimes, and it's good to read the dreams of others.
Thanks for sharing

Les Farnham, Jan 20th 2010: 1930hrs

I have reached an age where my thinking can get very deep, and there are many ideas that come to mind, one of them is to try and capture images that show unconditional LOVE.
Destination, that is a hard one, as I have not been out of Australia. I would have to take the time to talk to others that could guide me in the direction that I hope to go.
It's nice to day dream sometimes, and it's good to read the dreams of others.
Thanks for sharing

I'd pack up a Canon 7D and housing, and head for my dream location, South Africa. It's all about Great White sharks breaching the water. I've dreamed about photographing them for years, and have every intention of making it there some day. Me in the water, cage in the water, shark in the water, oh yeah!

My answer is that after 47 years of travel and photograph I do not have an answer. Such beautiful images appear on forum like this that I feel defeated and intent only of preserving images of the skills that are dying with my generation who were born in the 2nd world war. In sheds around the world their are craftsmen making clocks, wooden toys, small steam locomotives and engines on machine tools and craftswomen (mostly) in spare bedrooms using dress making skills or in kitchens making unnecessarily beautiful food - I would like to capture that tradition before the world become Tescopolis (Wallmartopolis for Americans). I would give the $10,000 as a scholarship prize for a photographic student.

Hi all
Probably i would choosea to go to India shooting rituals and festivity. A whirl of colours, music and people.

I am a NAUI certified DiveMaster, and I live in the middle of a desert. I have traveled to several wonderful locations, and shot many pictures. My gear was some of the best I could afford but when it came to low light and depths below 100 feet, my slave strobe backscattered and housings leaked. I missed macro shots that were thrilling, tiny creatures most people don't see, and shots of animals that are so rarely seen and misunderstood. I know the names and can spot these animals when others are inches away and when I point they still can't see past the camouflage.It wasn't my ability to dive that stopped me it was my gear. I drool at the new waterproof digital cameras and wish I could afford them. I would travel back to the Channel Islands of California and shoot the endangered species as well as those like the angel shark, I swam with one at one hundred and thirty feet deep only an arms length away and was helpless to take its' picture. A shot missed and kept only in my minds eye.

Visit various under-privileged areas of the world, take a load of reasonable, small, but good quality digital cameras and ask the local children to take photos from their viewpoint. Then mount an international travelling exhibition and associated website with the results.

Wow! The list is lengthy but off the top of my head, I'd love to photograph old world architecture. Behind that, I'd like to become part of another person's dream. A family member, who is a veterinarian, wants to open a pachyderm center. I'd like to document his work with rescued elephants and their rehabilitation. I'd also like to explore the world of circus elephants leading up to retirement or abandonment.

Oh my, to be able to dream about what I would do with $10K for photography. I guess that really wouldn't be too hard to figure out... I would take a road trip with my Mother (she is 73 now) and we would travel together on a road trip, and see the west coast this year. We would start in Oregon and visit the beautifu waterfalls, and fields of flower. Then across California and discover its beauty, taking our time and enjoy each special moment together. I would save enough money to do the east coast next year. That would be my dream.

Vietnam... a photographic essay on Vietnam 45 years after the end of the Vietnam War - April 30, 1975.
My father served in Vietnam with French forces before the United States became involved.
My classmates and friends served and died in Vietnam in the 1960s.
Both conflicts have left an enduring mark on the landscape and the people.

It would be amazing to travel round the coast of Africa or Madagascar (on a small boat, maybe?) with my underwater photographic gear, taking pics of the local children living in the coastal villages. I would have the children make 'landscape art pieces' with all the 'treasures' the ocean has washed up on the shore (driftwood, plastic, shells, old fishing gear, lost shoes etc etc). The children would then find a way to 'display' these artworks and pose with them in the shallows of their own little local piece of ocean, and viola! Pics underwater of the children . . . and their extraordinary imaginations! Making them (and us!) aware of how much we Westerners pollute, and how even that can be re-used in the creation of beautiful art. I am not a scuba diver and will be taking shots in the shallows (both me and the kids hold our breath and go under for the shot). I can also teach those children who might show an interest the basics of photography, by having them take pics of their own works using a small 'point and shoot' underwater camera. We will exhibit the photographs internationally (with the help/guidance of you guys of course), and pick a winner, who will win a prize of some underwater photographic gear and a course in how to use it all. I trust that this may empower someone somewhere and give them the chance to share what they have learned ...

I will volunteer to document any activities such as wedding, birthdays, town fiesta in order to fully know the people and its culture.

Oh, that's an easy choice - finding the "living blues" along Route 66 - and all over the place - and documenting it would be a treat. The only problem would be - I am still using film, and this would be an opportunity of lifetime to use 6x6 format for this not cropped.

Glacier de la Sierra Nevada de Güicán-Cocuy, in Colombia, is disappearing by the effect of global warm, I´ll dedicate to photograph every inch of the Sierra so that future generations know the beauty that existed and disappeared in the course of four generations .

Hi Hannah!
Knowing that you have $10k in your account gives you a sense of security and belonging. Now that is enough for me to leave the 'conscious' me at home and take the 'curious' me out for the real world. I'd start off with capturing night life because I work in night shifts and stay in my cubicle most of the dark hours. To keep a long story short, I'd follow the inside-to-the-outter approach capturing anything and everything that would just not kill the cat!
Cheers!

Thanks for asking! It is clear that everyone here has a unique vision of what they would like to do!  I am no different in that aspect.  I have had the priviledge of visiting other countries and photographing some famous sights, but there is so much in the United States that I have not seen and I think that if I were given this opportunity, I would  love to take a tour of the entire United States and go to each of the National Parks and explore, hike and do a lot of extensive photography.  Yes, I know that has probably been done, but this would be from my perspective and it would be MY adventure ...
Thanks and happy shooting to every one!

The shortest answer:
- India
- Ganges
- Benares

If I was given the chance to photograph anything I wanted, I would choose to photograph the forgoten,
who in my mind are those in parts of this world that we fail to remember. Poor countries, people in need.
Children, families, elders. Perhaps through photography we can shed some light to those of us who get tangled up in every day life and forget that there are people who have it much harder than we do.

If I was given the chance to photograph anything I wanted, I would choose to photograph the forgoten,
who in my mind are those in parts of this world that we fail to remember. Poor countries, people in need.
Children, families, elders. Perhaps through photography we can shed some light to those of us who get tangled up in every day life and forget that there are people who have it much harder than we do.

The eyes have it! Every emotion is transmitted through the eyes. I think capturing close-ups of the the "mirror to the heart" of a child making a goal, and the parent's pride. The fear and excitement of the "first time behind the wheel" of a teen. The longing in a grandparents eyes watching their grandchildren, and wishing they could be young again. The difference in a sad look from failing a task compare to losing a loved one. The joy expressed when winning a game, finding out you are going to be a daddy, or finding a crab on the beach.
Then, with all these images, produce a book or game to see if people can read the emotions depicted correctly. That would be a fun, rewarding, and revealing project.

I would load my gear onto my motorcycle and see how far I could get across Europe and beyond on $10,000 dollars worth of fuel.

It would be great to head north to James Bay loaded with b&w film, and maybe even a Bronica 6x7 thrown in and then head down east.
After that at trip to the U.S in Colorado, shooting the Rockies in b&w,.
So much to see in this part of the world. Canada's north has true potential from a photographic aspect.

The eyes have it! Every emotion is transmitted through the eyes. I think capturing close-ups of people's faces, and their eyes "the mirror to the heart" and the expression of a child making a goal, and the parent's pride. The fear and excitement of the "first time behind the wheel" of a teen. The longing in a grandparents eyes watching their grandchildren, and wishing they could be young again. The difference in a sad look from failing a task compare to losing a loved one. The joy expressed when winning a game, finding out you are going to be a daddy, or finding a crab on the beach.
Then, with all these images, produce a book or game to see if people can read the emotions depicted correctly. That would be a fun, rewarding, and revealing project.

I would love to document a trip from the beginning of the Appalachian Trail to the end in photos.

Golden Eagles in Mongolia.

Photographing the pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.

My ultimate reward in photography is going to a neo-natal ICU at a hospital and photographing newborn infants struggling to survive. When my grandson at five weeks was struggling, all I could do is photograph the memories. Fortunately, for us, he survived but many don't. I know parents would want these same memories but taken in a more professional manner. I would also volunteer my time to photograph children & adults of special needs. Professionals find this time consuming and complex, therefore avoid altogether. I would also include homeless women and their children. My photography group does this 2x a year. I would like to provide this service as each new homeless family moves in to the shelter where we shoot. As I gave one women a portrait of herself, she replied "I've never had a photograph of me" That left a lasting impression.
I would take that $10,000 and buy the right camera and lens since the D80 I have is not adequate to achieve this goal and use the leftover to furnish one framed print and CD for each person or infant I photograph. Yep!, that's what I'd do with $10,000.

A few have mentioned a dream I have as well of documenting more of Route 66. I would also love to document the old cathedrals of Russia that I did not have a great camera for when I was there as a teen. Mostly I would love to visit a place that has significance to my family and document it for those who cannot make it there.

Spend 25 days in France in July with an all access pass photographing the Tour de France.

Paris. Oh, Paris.....

I'd like to do a tour of all 50 states taking photos of the national and state parks and other scenic places. I'd love to just drive around with one of my photo friends and do this kind of a tour. That would definitely be a dream come true.

Dream photography project? I am right in the middle of the start of it, it's called the Kodachrome Project:
http://www.kodachromeproject.com
Seriously though, I am in my pop-up camper having coffee at the moment, outside of a coal mine this week having a wonderful time getting to know the town. It is possible I will be going to Haiti to help out an orphanage, otherwise, I am on the road for a year, Burning Man, the last space shuttle launch, drive in movie theaters, truck stops, Route 66, all roads less traveled, all towns less visited. Then of course there are stories in big towns like Times Square in New York, China Town in San Fran, etc.
In 2004, I had a dream of shooting the last 1,000 rolls of Kodachrome film in the 75th and final year.....now I am doing it.

I have a closet full of gear, only one digital camera, the rest film....and this has cost me about 7 times the amount mentioned in the original post, but that's OK, life's too short for partial effort.

I would split this project in two. First, I would go to well known exotic diving spots (eg. Tahiti, Bali, Hawaii) in order to portrait the sea creatures and document the amazing marine biodiversity of this area. After that, I would travel to the most isolated island where human impact is unknown (if this still exists somewhere) and the coral reefs untouched... Portraying the marine live there will certainly reveal unknown species and a different (bigger?) biodiversity compared to highly frequented diving sites and show what we humans irreversibly do to our oceans.

I would like to photograph the high places, snow covered mountain regions where man has had little interference.

I'd love to travel to Egypt, photograph the Pyramids, visit the Valley of the Kings, look and photograph all those old artifacts. This time period is just so interesting to me.

Lester B

nice ideas i've seen so far!
i would travel through the alpes in a van or campervan with a 4x5 view camera, preferable with rangefinder as a linhof or speedgraphic has. a lot of 4x5 sheetfilm, black and white and chemistry to develop it on the road.
trying to come home with beautifull landscape photos!
for the street and village photos a 35mm or 120 type rangefinder, or my current dslr!

I`d spend time traveling round the Dominican Republic, the cameras I would take would be two Sony A200s one of which would be converted to Infrared, also a selection of lenses from from primes to long zooms.

I would remain in the Louisiana area and document plants, people and the disappearing coast along the Gulf Coast. I know of a couple of carniv. bogs that are disappearing due to polution, overgrowth and people to start, then head west toward Texas. There is so much, so many places, might as well start here. The Disappearing United States.

i would probally buy a bunch of front row tickets to a bunch of country stars that i wanna see and get some really good shots! i've already got a photo i took into keith urban's 2010 calendar and dierks bentley has photo copies of my work that he asked me personally for :)

i would probably take a 1ds (mk whatever) and a couple of variable lenses. i'd probably start somewhere in europe and travel as much of the world as i could while documenting my travels. i'd probably focus on local issues, people mostly.

I have to admit I initially struggled with greed on this "what if?" There are any number of astonishing places that I'd give my eye-teeth to photograph for my own personal pleasure (Victoria Falls, the Great Barrier Reef, the Serengeti, Antarctica, etc...) All have been explored, photographed, and reported on extensively. I had to ask myself what, when I finished documenting, would I be most proud of? What would carry the most meaning - not just for me, but for an audience?
I came to the conclusion that if I was given the opportunity to photograph anything that my heart desired, I'd chronicle how well or how poorly our Veteran's Administration health care system - specifically set up to care for our wounded Veterans - actually serves them. How we treat those who ensured the freedom of our nation and ensured the freedom of nations not their own is, in my mind, very telling of the thankfulness of a people. A side story would be the history of those veterans that I followed through the system. This would not be designed to be a story on either socialized medicine or corporate profits - just a photo story about people; and how we, as a nation, treat them. I wouldn't set out with any preconceived notions other than wanting to bring to light the good, the bad, and the ugly for the benefit of those to whom we owe so much.
Regarding the photo gear involved, I think the most important gear for this assignment would not be exotic lenses (except for the occasional micro shot), but rather some portable studio lighting equipment. Photo gear would consist of a Nikon D700, 14-24, 50mm f1.4, a couple other wide primes, 70-210 f2.8 VRII, SB-900, and remotes. Since my laptop is on its last legs I'll probably have to spring for one of those also.
Great question, and some really interesting answers!

I would do a relaxing project: Shoot the doors and windows in Venice in B&W. Equipment: two Zeiss Ikon bodies, 12mm f/5.6 Voiglander, 28mm f/2.8 ZM, 50mm f/1.5 ZM, 80mm f/2.0 ZM. The shoot should take approx. one month.

I'm open for anything, anywhere, anytime. I have fantasized of a photographing the ''Old Florida'' before it gets swallowed up by what many call progress. Also would like to do a cross country trip of ''off the beaten track'' in the Spring or Fall. How many of us have dreamed of being a National Geographic Photographer? Then there is the all day/night shoot at the Playboy Mansion:)

my project will be teaching photograpy in two different schools, one little boys students, the other childs with sicologic problems. In a year, I think I will come up with a lot of new and very creative artists.

I would travel and show hunger and horror in the children's eyes worldwide. I would show how they survive despite lack of interest and indifference of the world to them.

I would return to Haiti to continue the work I began there in 2006, working with The Lazarus Project
( www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org). The children and the people of Haiti are remarkable... filled with hope and tremendous strength, even in the face of abject poverty and desperation.
I would follow the lives of the subjects I photographed then and add to their stories, as uplifting or disturbing as those stories might be. I would work to get the images exhibited and published, as I did in 2007 and 2008. The world's attention will soon be diverted from Haiti and the rock star news anchors will fly home or on the next assignment. Then, the people of Haiti will need our attention and our help more than ever.
Neil Colton

Wouldn't need the flight. North-South American Geological tour on my bike, with a focus on time lapse/Astrophotography.

Wouldn't need the flight. North-South American Geological tour on my bike, with a focus on time lapse/Astrophotography.

I would go to the Galapagos Islands to take pictures of nature and animals. Would take my Canon D50 and add a few zoom lenses to the pack :)

Why settle for one location when you can shoot for the stars. How about a round trip flight on the space shuttle to photograph the entire world and the stars. As for the gear; a space suit and a really long Nikon lens will do.

Find whats left of Route 66 on the way to Arizona and Canyon de Chelly then on to New Mexico and finally Central America and the land of the Maya. I have to hurry, 2012 is coming, No I don't believe that.....

I would visit the National Forests and the lakes in India. I would carry a Nikon D700 SLR Digital Camera with Nikkor 24-120mm VR Lens, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 AFS and a fairly sturdy tripod. I would want to capture images such a s this :

I would head to Yellowstone National park and shoot all it has to offer.

1)...document living conditions in the Navajo and Hopi nations. Title: "An American Disgrace".

1)...document living conditions in the Navajo and Hopi nations. Title: "An American Disgrace".

Hannah, make it happen!
Photograph the 600 miles of wall between USA and Mexico that cost to date 2.5 billion. Show what the local inhabitants are dealing with in every day life.
LostinNM

To record a trip of a lifetime, I've often commented: If I could only chose one camera in my collection, it would be my Stereo Realist. Nothing captures a scene in a more spectacular fashion, then a stereo camera loaded with Velvia 50 film. Use the $10K purely for the film, travel and a couple more viewers.

Armed with this camera & film; the real challenge would be to make the images more than ordinary, while hitting the typical European points of interest...

I'd visit the USA, and photograph all the wolf conservation efforts, particularly the Wolf Park in Indiana... I'm slightly envious of Monty Sloan's job.

Alvin

I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately! My cousin and I have been working on a World War II project documenting local veteran's stories and photographing them for a coffee-table book we're putting together. As a follow-up this summer, I would LOVE to be able to spend three weeks following the footsteps of my grandfather in Africa, Italy, and France. He was in the 85th Division of the Army in 1944-45. My cousin and I would write about and photograph the sites and people. And coming back we'd put together a second book about the pilgrimage. Just looking for the money and a roundtrip ticket:)

I have never been to Haiti, but my heart goes out to them for the suffering they have seen and they shock they are going through. I'm sure there have been thousands of pictures of their plight, but if I could be on the ground there for a few days I know I could find stories and pictures that have not yet been explored. That would be my dream assignment

After reading a good portion of the responses I would have to agree with those folks who said they would stay home.  In the military I traveled around the world. Calif., Hawaii, Guam, Diego Garcia, Somolia, Morrocco and a few Caribbean Islands (the short list) and I would have to say I too would stay home and shoot the flora and fauna of southern MS.  We have rivers, swamps, great sunsets and sunrises and loads of history, not to mention the Barrier Islands off the coast.  I have been working on trying to shoot the islands the last couple of years. I actually started before Hurricane Katrina.  Anyway with the money I could hire a chopper to fly over all these scenic places then get a boat or what ever vehical I needed to get in to them.  As far as the closet of equip. I agree with the Marine I would only take what I can carry. I have most of what I need.  I could use a another body and 1 or 2 more lenses and a good tripod.  Well thats about it so, good luck y'all and I wish y'all safe travel. 

After reading a good portion of the responses I would have to agree with those folks who said they would stay home. In the military I traveled around the world. Calif., Hawaii, Guam, Diego Garcia, Somolia, Morrocco and a few Caribbean Islands (the short list) and I would have to say I too would stay home and shoot the flora and fauna of southern MS. We have rivers, swamps, great sunsets and sunrises and loads of history, not to mention the Barrier Islands off the coast. I have been working on trying to shoot the islands the last couple of years. I actually started before Hurricane Katrina. Anyway with the money I could hire a chopper to fly over all these scenic places then get a boat or what ever vehical I needed to get in to them. As far as the closet of equip. I agree with the Marine I would only take what I can carry. I have most of what I need. I could use a another body and 1 or 2 more lenses and a good tripod. Well thats about it so, good luck y'all and I wish y'all safe travel.

After reading a good portion of the responses I would have to agree with those folks who said they would stay home.  In the military I traveled around the world. Calif., Hawaii, Guam, Diego Garcia, Somolia, Morrocco and a few Caribbean Islands (the short list) and I would have to say I too would stay home and shoot the flora and fauna of southern MS.  We have rivers, swamps, great sunsets and sunrises and loads of history, not to mention the Barrier Islands off the coast.  I have been working on trying to shoot the islands the last couple of years. I actually started before Hurricane Katrina.  Anyway with the money I could hire a chopper to fly over all these scenic places then get a boat or what ever vehical I needed to get in to them.  As far as the closet of equip. I agree with the Marine I would only take what I can carry. I have most of what I need.  I could use a another body and 1 or 2 more lenses and a good tripod.  Well thats about it so, good luck y'all and I wish y'all safe travel. 

I would document all of the hometowns (and homes) of my family tree.

I would have to agree with Dimiter, Loyd & Neil....Haiti, would be my go to place. Having worked by association with Compassion International on their House of Hope Haiti project, World Vision & MSF.org on others, I'm sure there are many untold stories. Haitians still feeling the impact of the serious flooding of a few short years ago, now have to deal with the insanity of this horrible earthquate & its related aftershocks.
Cameras & Gear? 1 quality lens digital, & chances are one of my medium format kits.
Cheers,
Richard
www.compassion.ca , www.worldvision.com , www.msf.org

I would have to agree with Dimiter, Loyd & Neil....Haiti, would be my go to place. Having worked by association with Compassion International on their House of Hope Haiti project, World Vision & MSF.org on others, I'm sure there are many untold stories. Haitians still feeling the impact of the serious flooding of a few short years ago, now have to deal with the insanity of this horrible earthquate & its related aftershocks.
Cameras & Gear? 1 quality lens digital, & chances are one of my medium format kits.
Cheers,
Richard
www.compassion.ca , www.worldvision.com , www.msf.org

I would use every penny for living expenses on the road. I would travel only on back roads as much as possible and document, the people, landscape, small towns, neighborhoods, and events that I came across.

I would photograph photographers while they work. Everyday working photographers, like wedding, portrait mills, people running passport photo services, state drivers license stations, those guys who hang out at blues festivals and take the same low-angle shots of B.B. King over and over and over..... I already have a compulsive habit of filming wedding photographers:

I want to photograph the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs between Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez, Mississippi. The parkway covers an unassuming landscape, and yet reveals a different experience for travelers each season - and also changes moods depending on the time of day and weather conditions. I've driven the Trace countless times, and always thought what a beautiful and historic photo opportunity it would be. On a drive to Nashville in January 2009, I took a photograph of a large tree along the trace. Besides the road itself, the parkway features abundant wildlife, ancient landmarks (natural and man-made), and original paths followed by early American settlers. The Natchez Trace Parkway is an underappreciated treasure, right here in America's backyard.

I would write the names of five countries (Cuba, Yemen, Namibia, Mali & Burma) on scraps of paper, wad them up, put them in a hat and draw one. I'd rent a car in whichever country I selected and probably hire a local to go with me, then drive around the country for a month photographying people, architecture, street scenes, landscapes and wildlife. I'd be toting two Sony bodies (A100 & A350), 4 lenses covering 11mm to 500mm plus a 35mm prime, lite Gitzo tripod, a small laptop with a couple of external portable drives for backup. Just show me the money and I am off!

Angel Falls, Venezuela here I come. The water falls are so high that the water is atomized and turned into gas before it reaches the bottom. I want to photograph this. I would take my Canon 5D MK 2 with 100mm-400mm, 24-105mm, and Nikon 14-24 mm lens and tripod. I would rent a helicopter for some aerial photos as well.

I would have two choices
1.Take my Nikons and travel protographing all the lesser known tribes of the NorthEast of India.The costs are also so little.

2.This summer take my lenses and pphotograph all the existing,OLD musical instruments that come to the fairs on the
In the Britanny coast during summer.Music composed and plyed on thsee historical instruments is fantastic. and the care
with which these intruments are preserved singnifies the love for them.

It's great to see so many dreams.
For me, I would want to photograph wolves in the wild...all over the world

i would purchase a couple of old abuse LF camera and restore them than take my jeep and and photograph places only accessible by dirt roads all over california

This may sound a little crazy to some but I would like to go to Afganastan to photograph our troops as they serve our country and fight to spread freedom and democracy. I would concentrate on both men and women as they perform their duties. Specific attention would be on the combat patrols as they pack gear to go on a mission never knowing if this will be their last. When they return from the mission, I would concentrate on the faces for expressions as they are debriefed. As a retired Army Sergeant Major, I know what to watch for and get it recorded. I would need some rugged photo equipment to make this happen. Thanks

I have family in Morocco, and a standing invitation, so I would fly to Casablanca. After enjoying the initial cultural immersion, we would be off to Fez, and all points beyond as suggested by my personal tour guides. It might be best to consider shooting with an old TLR with a WLF in this culture, in addition to a Nikon DSLR. If a visit to Egypt could be arranged, I would be ready. After a few weeks, I would then cross the Mediteranian to Europe, and continue a journey that I started long ago, that of exploring the cities and countryside of Eastern Europe. Perhaps this time I will be able to visit Bratislava. I would then travel to Paris to visit family. Having lived there for 9 months in the 1980's, I could get around. Perhaps now I would shoot a bunch of 35mm black and white film. I would want to again visit the D-Day beaches in Normandy, where my father was a Captain at the D-Day Invasion (I have his Purple Heart and all his decorations and his military history). Every American should visit the American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy. Hopefully I would be able then to travel to Amsterdam where I went to the UofA for a semester, and walk the city again at length, camera ready. I would then fly to Iceland for a pure photographic journey. I would then visit Olympic National Park, and any other National Parks that the budget allowed.

Canada for a shoot with Tricia Helfer, but seeing she hasn't called back yet (I just don't get women) then I'll stay here and photograph Western Australia, starting with the coastline and working my way inland to the gorges. My home state is over 1 million square miles...I'm going to be busy then.

I love to get away from the city life and head for the great outdoors. I would be a dream come true to go to Africa to see the Rainforest photograph the wildlife and scenery. Slithering through a narrow river and not knowing what could be lurking around the next bend would be so exhilarating.

I would not need a round trip flight. I would take several weeks and drive from Atlanta to the Northwest, ie., Seattle, on a photo trip of the USA. On the way, I would photograph places I have never visited, not just the standard scenic views, but places off the beaten path, places few people ever see. My return trip, would take a different route, through different towns and cities. Afterwords, I would create a photo book of the trip.

I would like to wander slowly through the now independent ex-colonies of Africa, ex-Iron Curtain countries, or China documenting what life is like in those countries. For equipment I would choose a 6x7 film camera, probably a Mamiya RZ67 Pro iiD, a variety of prime lenses from 50mm - 350mm, a Noblex, a solid tripod, some accessories, and a load of of of film. The ten thousand smackeroonies would be used to hire 2 assistants with strong backs and weak minds to drag my stuff around.

My dream is exploring my country (Indonesia ), from Sabang to Merauke which consist of more than 13.000 Big and small islands, more than 200 tribes with their traditions and cultures, exotic places of interest and lot more to do. Take photos of all tribes with their unique/exotic traditions, cultures and make a book of Indonesia, publish, share to the world. I will bring along with me D3 or D700, afs14-24 / 24-70 /70-200 mm.

I would like to go to Alaska and take pictures of the northern lights. I was there from 75 to 80 and this was the best thing I ever have seen im my life. One night the northern lights was in the shape of a circle right over Anchorage it looked like eye looking down on Anchorage. I don't expect to win but at 65 it would be a great big thrill to be chosen to do this. Oh well that's what I would do for everyone to see.

Wildflowers in the Himalayas....You choose the gear :-)

Hello all this my first post on this website, have to say glad I found it to, there is some amazing good pictures here, thank you all for sharing.
As for my dream project, I would continue my current one which is graffiti, on my face book I have an album just to graffiti around my local city Guelph Ontario. so i think with my 10 grand I would get a decent DSRL, I currently only have a Pentax program plus and a yachica FXD quartz. then I would travel to Canadian towns and city's snapping up all the graffiti I find, and would have a blast doing it as well.

I'd like to go to Bali, The Island of Gods where the people living with their culture surrounded by beautiful landspace. Mountains, beaches, waterfalls, lakes, forests, traditional dances, traditional ceremonies, are the reasons this place will be a little paradise for me to have a photograph project.

I'd upgrade my telephoto lens to a 70-200 2.8L and stick with a lowly 450D or 50D, and then use the 10k to fund a series of trips to every state/national park and nature preserve in my home state of Kentucky. Three days minimum in smaller parks, and upwards of a week in the larger ones. The 15+ miles I can walk in a single day with all of my camping gear on my back is bad enough, and I can't even imagine lugging at least that much more weight in camera gear the same distances. Most of the parks here rival the more well-known natural land marks so long as you're willing to mend a few blisters.
I'm actually at least starting this once spring rolls around, but I'd love to have the funds and free time to actually get it done in a single year. I highly doubt I'd get an actual book published out of all of it, but I'm just going to do it and see where it all goes.

I would like to explore by road Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, North-east India, Kerala, Tamilnadu (infact all the beautiful places of India) states of India by road and show the beauty of India to the whole word through my photographs.

I must be very shallow, but I would love to photograph a day in the life of a very, very handsome man... from his head to his toes. :) After that, I would love to explore Italy, Greece, France and Africa.

I would buy a Mamiya 7 II and document my entire journey up K2, and hopefully the way down as well. In addition to that, I would make a nice long trip to Patagonia and Antarctica.

Memo Trisha...I am free the first week in March...does that suit your schedule?

Id grab a mamiya 645 afd (with a 22mp back) but film is fine, a pair of sneakers and i would focus on taking the picture that would inspire, enrage, offend and soothe the entire world. then I would give the mamiya back to its owner.

I will travel to New York City (My favorite city after mine -La Paz, Bolivia -) and start shooting everything about the city... The skylines, the bridges, the people, the landmarks, the Ellis Island, the buildings, absolutely everything I could. I've seen this city zillions of times through movies and photographs, that I'm dreaming about the day that finally, I can hold a New York picture of my own making...

Well... I must admit, I'd love to do a nice slow photo shoot of some far off place like New Zealand, Australia, Japan or Europe. I'm 66-years old, did 3 years of military service and have never traveled abroad, so that would fulfill a life long desire of mine. Taking photos with "good" equipment would be icing on my cake. But... I've long had an idea that I believe should take precedence, would also be fulfilling, and meaningful to far more people that just myself.

If I could afford it, I'd like to work my way from one side of the country to the other making a photographic record of what most of us never see; moreover, don't want to see. I'd like to photograph dumps and landfills across this nation; and then photograph the beauty of the surrounding area that's being lost to them. When people see things of this nature with their own eyes, it becomes real and they lose the bliss that comes from ignorance. This often incites them to a sense of urgency to change things for the better. My theme would be; "Which do you want leave for YOUR descendants?"

I would grab Canon 16-35L and 100-400L, before someone locks that closet and than head to the south. Antarctica is my dream destination. Start saying "cheese" penguins!

I would travel to several different cities and countries to document the places that our foreign exchange students came from, their life styles, and how they have chnaged. This I woulduse to help the organization.
That would cover:
San Palo, Brazil
Prague, Czec Republic
Vilhe, Copenhagen, and Odsense, Denmark
Boda, Norway,
Paris, France
Hamberg, Munich, and Kiel Germany
Switzerland
Estonia
Helsinke, Finland
Budapest, Hungary

I would love to travel to Africa. Wildlife everywhere, fantastic landscapes, elephants, zebras, Mara, wildebeest, Tanzania, hippos, Kenya, sunrise, rain, Namibia, rhinos, sun, odors, sunset... AFRICA.
I wish all dreams come true.

Do I get to stay as long as I want? I would like to continue working on a project of the children and people of South East Asia. I am so excited about the new PoGo printer. I will now be able to hand out little photos to all the kids as I photograph them. I can't say enough about my new little printer. If will fit in my pocket. As a war torn area the love and joy these people have is unbelievable. The color of all the hill tribes is so amazing too.
With all that money I'm sure I would be able to publish a beautiful book and share the beauty of the people of SEA.
Mickey Perreaud

Cuba of course - and plenty of Kodachrome!

Thanks for your responses! These are all really great. Now, let's see if anyone's listening...

I'd probably go throughout Japan, trying to find ancient and historical Japanese characteristics. I'd go from the top island to the bottom. Also, I'd like to go to Mexico and do some photography of the Mayan and Aztec history.

I will travel all over India, from northern corner of Kashmir to southern tip of Kanyakumari, from east of seven sister states to western corner of Cutch, where twenty persent of humanity lives,capturing human faces.....

Hannah, What's yours?

I would travel to asia to document the decline of the various vulture species across the region. It is little known that they are dying out more quickley than the dodo and I hope that my photos could help get some small interest.

hmmm First I wanna buy Nikon D 700 as a full frame camera and 12-24mm and I will go to Tibet make a colourfull picture of a monk harmony living.

10K would go very far in Indonesia - I have just spent 3 months there on a yacht and would happily go back as we only scratched the surface... * they're a beautiful, smiling and happy nation * European travellers are a total fascination in remote areas - and you're the photographic subject (everyone has a mobile phone nowadays!) * get to the crater of Gunung Sibayak in northern Sumatra in time for sunset * Borneo's Orang-utans * on the flipside, the poverty is heartbreaking * Bali's Hindu temples, not forgetting the beautiful Balinese dancers * awesome underwater photography in southern Rinca, Banda and Wakatobi * how about a close encounter with the Komodo dragons to get the adrenalin pumping? * the ancient art of weaving in Flores * the surfers in Lombok.... it's a very humbling country. You should go there someday.

My dream photography project would be to document the all the remaining people of the world that to this day live away from modern civilization and fiercely defend their traditions, lifestyles, foods, cooking methods, legends, beliefs, etc.

I would, hopefully will with or without the dream photog package, be photographing my daughter competing in the World Vaulting Championships in the at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY in early October. Wish us luck!

Great Question. Cuba - people, cities , towns and countryside - to capture its uniqueness before it becomes open to America again. Second choice ( virtually anywhere! )

This is both an extraordinarily easy and difficult question at the same time. The real dilemma here is to choose between a selfish project or a selfless one, or in other words, something I long to do for my own self or something that I feel would be of great service. An opportunity like this should not be taken lightly.
At first impulse, it's a no-brainer for me: Denali. I used to be a naturalist there, and it's where I first cut my teeth as a serious nature photographer, turning semi-pro in 1998. When I left twelve years ago, I vowed I would someday return on my own terms, fully prepared to absorb all that it had to reveal to me and my creative potential. Living inexpensively, one could conceivable spend an entire season, late April through September there on $10,000.
But then it suddenly becomes more complex when I think of all the places in Alaska that I want to photograph: the Pribilof Islands, Katmai, Glacier Bay.
It becomes even more complex when I think of what I could do with this opportunity to help environmental and human rights causes. I'm very active in Mountaintop Removal mining issues, but this is a topic that has already received considerable photojournalism coverage. Someone earlier mentioned the Congo: this is an area of extreme human conflict that should receive a lot more attention, and it is an area in which I have had great interest as well.
Ultimately, it may not be that easy, because if I were to embark on such an expedition, it could and probably would be life-changing. I would seriously have to be ready for it, because I don't think I'd be able to go back to my day job after something like this.
Ultimately, it makes me think that if I'm not already doing these things, and I really want to do them, why am I wasting my time? Why am I not doing them already, or planning a way to do them as soon as possible? Perhaps these are the questions we should be asking.....

I would cover the life of a racehorse from birth to death. They are so precious and funny and proud, and I would want to capture all of the personality of the horse, his ups and downs, his triumphs and failures, and how he interacted with the people in his life. To do this, I would want my dream camera - the EOS1D Mark IV. I already have all the lenses I need.

i will go to tibet and help tibetian people and document the current situation

I would like to go to Andaman & Nicobar Islands to document lost tribes ,people and flora fauna of these islands ,not visited by many but am sure quite visual treat ,sharing them with a world and get it published ,to perhaps provide them education and enhance their stories through pictures , I would take My sony a-700 with all the lenses I own with memory cards using the money only for travel and basic survival. All proceeds of the book or sale of any picture would go to charity or fund any scientific project on these islands.Just today one of the oldest inhabitants passed away and a language known ,spoken by him was lost for ever.Hope to open more doors and discover ancient customs and document languages of these little known islands. Would love to have more people join this cause and appeal to those who have time/money to spare to spare a thought to support this cause. I do wish everyone good luck and pray all have their dreams fulfilled ,never stop dreaming, having hope,faith, help humanity for sustainable future for the future generation. Thanks Hannah and all the fellow members of this site, this post has all of Photo.net members excited sharing their dreams, although the prize only should not be a motivator to pursue any dream /project its the thought and purpose of goal that's more important ,just sharing My thoughts.

I already live my photographic dreams with annual trips to the Himalaya: Ladakh, Zanskar, Tibet, Pakistan and Nepal. Many of these regions have roads that are almost indescribable, such is the palpable danger they sometimes present to travellers. These areas are prone to rockfall, landslides, heavy snow, unbelievable temperatures - it's just the most hostile environment imaginable short of actually climbing.

Road maintenance often proceeds around the clock to keep the high passes open - many all through winter. As vehicles inch along centimetres away from a tumble down the precipice, all eyes are on the rock walls towering overhead, especially after recent snowfall. Passengers lean away from the cliffside, chatter dies away to nothing, drivers summon all their concentration and skill...

Many of these roads are kept open by gangs of workers, militia, dedicated organisations like the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in India. The military is inevitably involved in such sensitive projects as road construction in the heavily militarised Himal, but the heros of the piece are the road gangs who labour in these majestic high places.

I would like to document these people in their travails, camps and in the little relaxation they manage to gain. Last October, late in the summer in Ladakh, a medium size army of road workers, mostly from the impoverished state of Bihar, toiled in the Indus gorge as the main road from Leh to Srinigar climbs away from the mighty river, up over 1,000 metres of crumbling rock. My heart goes out to these cheerful friendly people with perhaps the toughest job in the world. This image (http://www.philippartridge.com/images/l/p1/seven.html) is of this area from near the Fotu La at 4400m, I hope it conveys the nature of the landscape, for those interested.

Wow, what a great answers all.
I'd offer the money to Art Wolfe for taking me as his assistant on the next "Travels to the edge" series.
If you'd given me 100K, I'd make the series myself :-) Maybe hire Art to help out? ;-)

I would go to the Middle East and document the lives of the people caught in the middle of this struggle

I can think of all kinds of places around the world where I'd love to go- Torres de Paine, Gates of the Arctic, etc. However, right now I'd be happy just going to the Inyo-Mono area in California (east side of the Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake, Owens Valley, White Mountains, Death Valley, etc.) and spending a few months or a year there so I could catch good light when it happens. I'd camp out most nights in my truck to stretch the $10K, though film and processing would eat up some money. I'd need an occasional short break back home, then it would be back to the hills for some more photography.

There's a reason Galen Rowell lived there. He knew what he was doing.

But it would be even better for me to take a whole series of courses in nature photography from great teachers over a period of months. Just set aside everything else and dedicate my time and energy to improving my photography. *Then* I could spend some time out there waiting for the light...

In my humble opinion, this thread is an extremely important one. All have taken the time to publicly express the dreams they have for themselves. Publicly stating a goal or dream is the most important step... But, now what? Merely let those dreams fade and die out? I hope not. I am hopeful that everyone will keep their dreams alive and work hard to achieve them! There is an old adage that "you will get what you think you will get" which, in my mind applies here. If you keep thinking you will achieve your dream you probably will!

Now, for my dream. After 40+ years on the job, I am about to retire and am really excited that I may be able to achieve a dream I've had for many years. I hope to take off on my motorcycle with like minded friends, travel the US and Europe exploring and photographing the serendipity we encounter. We won't have an agenda and won't hurry. We'll explore small towns and interesting places like Pie Town, New Mexico or Hallstatt, Austria. While the images that result from this journey will not win awards, they will be extremely meaningful to me and maybe to others.......

Gael

Dear Hannah, a question like this would arouse great passions. I am very sad right now and ...

If I had to start a project that last, say in three years, it would sound like this: the smile looked.

Then we take a sample of people and we aim to specify the smile in this period determined. :)