I'm in Greece leading a photo trek for American Photo. We've had a great time so far, starting in Athens and then going on to the island of Mykonos. After three days here, today we take the ferry to Santorini. We've made a lot of good photos, but perhaps as important, we've had fun and time to relax as well.

A good photo trip should be packed with lots of photo opportunities of different types of subjects. From people to scenics to wildlife to village life, variety gives you a chance to shoot things that you don't normally photograph. We've done that on this trip, from the Acropolis in Athens to the changing of the guard to small seaside villages and monasteries. This time though, we've been able to stay in one location for a longer stretch, which lets us slow down a bit and take time off. The advantage is that we're able to spend more time together socially. And that's the other thing that I think is important on a trip.

Obviously everyone wants to return home with good pictures. And one great way to do that is by talking to others on the trip, and getting ideas from them. While I go on these trips as an instructor, I always look forward to what I'll learn from the students and the photo ideas I'll get from them. No one knows it all (despite what some folks tell you), and I love the fact that I go home not just with pictures, but with new knowledge, and some shots that I wouldn't have gotten without someone else in the group pointing them out to me.

That's why the best part of a trip like this is not the photos, but the new friendships you come away with. After all, there are some things more important than photography.