Don Smith spent his first 18 years in Omaha but has since lived in most parts of the United States and several countries in Asia and Europe. He was a journalist and taught Japanese and Korean history before taking a government job that allowed plenty of travel (and photography) opportunities. Mr. Smith first picked up a camera in grade school and dabbled in picture-taking over the years but gradually got serious about photography after buying his first DSLR in Bangkok in about 2004.

He has been to Kyoto several times before but last year was his first chance to visit with a decent camera (and without small children). Don and his wife, Tomoco, will be heading far west into retirement in 2025.

Don Smith will share suggestions on local travel and photography logistics, and discuss his favorite autumn gardens based on a trip to Kyoto he made November 23 – December 7 2023.

Mr. Smith was a Canon shooter until he found his DSLR getting heavier every year and switched to the mirrorless Fujifilm system, and he now shoots an XH-2. He loves travel photography, landscapes, and everything interesting. He has benefited tremendously from the education and fellowship that NVPS offers since joining the club in 2014. He has managed to lose his files from China and Australia, but a sampling of his work from East, South, and Southeast Asia; Western, Central, and Eastern Europe; Israel; and North America is available at https://donsmith.smugmug.com/.