On the cover: David Sanger’s image of a shepherd and his sheep on the Silk Road in western China was shot quickly and low to the ground, with a 300mm lens, as the herd walked briskly past. 

Cover photo: © David Sanger

Home and studio: Albany, Calif.

Website: davidsanger.com

Family Life: Lives with his wife, Sally. "My whole family likes to travel," Sanger says. "My son and I just went to Peru last year."

Favorite locales in which to work: "South Africa, for the light; Europe, for the density of interesting subjects; and the Caribbean. I'm the guy you see in the Caribbean with the tripod, big lens, black camera bag and long pants, trudging down the beach, sweating."

By noticing small details that others may miss, the Bay Area's David Sanger specializes in finding sublime images in even the most mundane locations.

Veteran travel photographer David Sanger often wonders why anyone would visit some of the places he goes, especially when he struggles to find the photographs hiding there.

He knows some magic will probably happen, and eventually he'll find the shots to make the trip worthwhile. But first, there's often some real and powerful discouragement he must overcome...