As I sat in a hotel in Amsterdam, after what is surely one of, if not the most, bizarre travel experiences of my life, I knew it was time to start putting on paper the stories from the road, air, sea, camels, tuk-tuks, and any other mode of transport you can think of. The moments that only traveling can bring. The unexpected, the thrill and excitement of wildlife encounters or amazing sunsets all are part of it and create amazing photographic moments. Yet, there is more.

When all is said and done, it’s really about the stories. The ones you could never script or see coming. Those strange, sometimes serendipitous moments that sneak up on you and stick around long after the journey is over. They’re the memories you return to, the ones that don’t quite make sense but somehow end up woven into who you are. They linger in your mind and heart, impossible to forget.

I’ve always thought I’d save these “Musings, Memories, Photographs and Stories of the Life of a Travel Photographer Tour Leader” for a book I’m slowly piecing together. But today, as I continue sifting through thousands of photographs, some for that book, some for my next  Fine Art collection, it hit me: why wait? Why not start sharing these stories now, as they surface, while the memories are still fresh and the inspiration hits?

A lot of you reading this are a part of these stories. You’ve been there in the thick of it along side us.  So maybe it’s time to offer these moments as they come, to let you in on the journey as it unfolds, and to share the images and memories that mean the most, right now, instead of some distant someday. After all, tomorrow is never promised.

It’s amazing, really, how a single image or moment, can cut through all the noise: politics, religion, the things we argue about, the ways we see the world. Suddenly, we’re just people, and we understand each other a little better.

That’s what keeps me coming back to this work. That’s why I love what we do. Because in some small way, every photo is a chance to build a bridge. And I get to be a part of that.

If you’ve ever joined us on an MPA photo tour, you know the feeling when everything goes off-script—the weather shifts, wildlife appears out of nowhere, or something magical just unfolds in front of us. Those moments aren’t just about great photos, they are moments that turn into stories you’ll tell for years, the kind of experiences that stick with you long after the trip is over.

My sincerest hope is that as you read through these experiences that I will be sharing from time to time, and the images that accompany them, not only do you enjoy the journey, but get a profound sense of inspiration and feel the heartbeat and pulses of the places, wildlife, and people I as well as our clients, have been blessed to encounter and photograph on this journey!

This is the heart beat of McKay Photography Academy and our team. Thank you for being on the journey with us!

– David McKay

It might make sense to tell these stories and memories in the order they happened. But I’ve chosen to write them as inspiration strikes. I want each one to come through me fresh and alive, like it just happened yesterday. Each story gets written when it feels right to me, in the moment. So, these “musings” aren’t arranged by timeline—except that they’re grouped by place. What matters isn’t the order but the feeling of the moments and the memories that have shaped this incredible journey. The “order” is as I am inspired or recall as I go.