For sheer majestic geography and sublime scale, nothing beats Alaska and the Yukon. For culture, Japan. And for all-around affection, Australia.

Above all, it's hard learning to live with vivid mental images of scenes I cared for and failed to photograph. It is the edgy existence within me of these unmade images that is the only assurance that the best photographs are yet to be made.

The best lesson I was given is that all of life teaches, especially if we have that expectation.

I now want to be a photographer of my time, and our common culture.

Editorial photography has to be energetic and visually competitive.

I started teaching in '76 and I'd been a photographer at the Geographic for six years. But prior to being at the Geographic I was a teacher. Plus my parents were teachers and my brother and my grandparents. So it was the culture of our family to think about teaching, to talk about teaching, to talk about teachers.

Teaching has never been far from my life. It's the most natural thing I do. Apparently, as I said, I cannot not do it.