Pete Saloutos photo of Reed Flute Cave in China Pete Saloutos
Pete Saloutos's path to unique images starts with research—in this case, learning that dramatic lighting in the Reed Flute Cave, outside Chilin, China, would accentuate shapes and reflections. D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of a woman with a red umbrella in Paris in the rain Pete Saloutos
“On the rainy days in Paris I’d go out and look for people with umbrellas. I took this in the Marais section of the city. I didn’t set this up; she’s carrying her own red umbrella. Honest.” D3, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of the Eiffel Tower taken from below, facing upwards Pete Saloutos
“I took this shot of the Eiffel Tower 15 minutes after sunset. For some reason, building and monument lights are not on in the morning, only in the evening. Paris may be known as the City of Light, but for me it’s the City of Nightlight. The half moon was in the sky, but too small, so I shot it separately with my 70-200mm and put it in place later.” D3, 16mm f/3.5 Fisheye-NIKKOR.
Pete Saloutos photo of a freeway overpass in Shanghai Pete Saloutos
“It seems they lit this freeway overpass just for photographers. Sometimes Shanghai is just like Vegas. The exposure was 1.3 seconds, with a tripod of course.” D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of a woman in Paris in the rain with a red umbrella Pete Saloutos
“Just walking around Paris in the early morning, looking for red umbrellas, I saw her right off the Pont Neuf bridge. I did a little work in Photoshop to add contrast, saturation and the blue tone to make the umbrella jump.” D3, AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of La Brasserie restaurant in the Printemps department store in Paris Pete Saloutos
“This is the La Brasserie restaurant in the Printemps department store in Paris. I shot from the topmost terrace area with the 14-24mm and got everything—the tables and chairs, the light globe, the stained glass ceiling.” D3, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel in Shanghai Pete Saloutos
“The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel goes under the Huangpu River in Shanghai. It’s a major tourist attraction, and the neon lights that stretch the length of the tunnel constantly change color. I shot this one-second exposure from the front of the tram.” D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of Xi’an, China, of the western gate of the city Pete Saloutos
“Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in China; the Terracotta Army was found in the Lintong District here in 1974. This is the western gate of the city, and I took an eight-second exposure to blur out the visitors.” D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.
Photo of the gardens in the center area of the Carnavalet museum in Paris, by Pete Saloutos Pete Saloutos
“The center area of the Carnavalet museum in Paris is all gardens. I took this in October, which accounts for the colors of the vines, and I asked my wife, Aleta, to pose for me. I carry two umbrellas with me on most shoots, maybe because I live in the Pacific Northwest and got into the habit—and maybe because they make great props for photos.” D3, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED.
Pete Saloutos photo of Nanjing Road in Shanghai on a rainy night Pete Saloutos
“The Nanjing Road in Shanghai on a rainy night. It’s about a one-second exposure with my tripod in the middle of the street.” D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.

Make them different; make them better. Those are the goals Pete Saloutos sets for his travel images, and to achieve those aims he does his homework and makes his plans.

“I research every area I’m going to be visiting,” Pete says, “and I try to find the best photos. I study them, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months. I look at the time of year and the time of day they were taken and the angles they were taken from. I want to improve on those pictures, to create the best photos of that particular place. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, but I never go out unprepared, never without a plan.”

Which is not to say that he doesn't welcome the unexpected, even hope for it—”I’ve got to be flexible,” he says—but a sense of purpose and a clear idea of what he wants is the starting point for bringing back more than the typical image or postcard view.

Obviously, Pete, who shoots commercial assignments, lifestyle images, stock and fine art photography, is not a vacationing snapshooter when it comes to travel. “I go to locations to shoot,” he says. “I enjoy myself, but the trip’s purpose is to get pictures.” When he went to China, he put in 16-hour days for a month, getting up before sunrise, shooting through the day and into the night. He did the same in Paris. “Sure, there are times when the light isn’t right and I’ll take a couple of hours off and go to a museum, and of course I’ll have some really nice dinners, but the purpose of these trips is always to shoot, to experience the world through my camera.”

Pete Saloutos