✨ Dust-free photos, future trips, and Cappadocia light

January flew by, yet the year still feels like it’s only just beginning.

Lately, I’ve been busy planning new trips and tours—lots of maps, calendars, emails, and “what if” scenarios. One big milestone: my client Randy and I reached an agreement on a 26-day photo tour this May through the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, and Switzerland. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic trip, but the amount of logistics behind the scenes is… substantial. Worth it—but substantial.

In this newsletter, I’ll share a few updates, ideas, and bits of inspiration and education that have been on my mind lately.

✨ Quick Tip: AI Dust Removal in Lightroom Classic

Adobe’s latest update in Lightroom Classic (October 2025) added an AI-powered Dust Removal option right inside the Distraction Removal tools — a feature I’ve personally been missing for years. It’s a huge time-saver, especially when prepping files for stock libraries or printing where images must be spotless.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open your image in the Develop module — ideally one with some obvious dust spots on sky, walls or smooth areas.
2. Select the Remove tool (the spot-healing icon). Then expand the Distraction Removal section and choose Dust.
3. Click Apply. Lightroom Classic will scan and automatically remove the dust spots it detects.
4. Click on any spot in the image if you want to refresh or delete specific removals manually.
5. (Optional) Zoom in and pan around — Lightroom often finds most obvious spots, but you may want to add a few manual corrections with the Remove tool.

My two cents: I was really excited about this update because dust-spot cleanup has always been one of the most tedious parts of prepping landscape work — and for stock submissions it’s non-negotiable. In my tests it does a great job on obvious sensor dust, but it can still miss tiny spots against very busy backgrounds. Still — considering this is just the first generation of the feature — the starting point is already more than good enough for daily editing.

What’s next: Uzbekistan in October 2027?

A quick update first: the Morocco trip I teased in the last newsletter sold out in just 10 days. Thank you — that level of interest really helps shape what comes next.

And something is coming next.

I’m currently working on a 12-day journey to Uzbekistan, planned for mid-October 2027 (roughly October 15–26). While photography will naturally be a big part of it, this is not “just” a photo tour. It’s designed in the same spirit as Morocco: immersive, culturally rich, and enjoyable for photographers and non-photographers alike — ideal for couples where one person loves photography and the other simply loves meaningful travel.

Why Uzbekistan?It’s one of those rare destinations that still feels authentic. Visually stunning, deeply historical, incredibly friendly — and crucially, it hasn’t turned into a Disneyland version of itself yet. Despite that, very few photo-focused trips take place there, which makes it especially appealing right now.

What the trip is likely to revolve around:

• 🕌 Samarkand — iconic Islamic architecture, blue tiles, Registan Square, evening light, and quiet corners beyond the postcards
• 🏜 Bukhara — a living old town, markets, workshops, everyday life, and excellent opportunities for street photography
• 🧱 Khiva — a perfectly preserved inner city with strong graphic compositions and atmosphere, especially early and late in the day

Add to that lively bazaars, urban street scenes, ceramics workshops, local food culture, and time to simply observe and photograph daily life without pressure.

The trip will be led by Petr Maděřič (and co-led by me), who has been guiding Uzbekistan for my travel agency for over 5 years. He’s also a photographer whose work has been exhibited — and a few years ago, he sold his camera and now shoots exclusively on an iPhone, which says a lot about how this trip is approached: photography as seeing, not gear obsession

A few important notes at this stage:

• Maximum group size: 10 participants
• Estimated cost: around €5,500 (very early ballpark)
• Accommodation: comfortable (aiming for European 3-star quality, likely 4-star in Uzbekistan)
• Pace: balanced, unhurried, with space for both photography and experience

Right now, I’m simply gauging interest. This is not a booking and no deposit is required. It’s just a way to let me know you’d like to hear more before the trip is officially announced.

👉 If Uzbekistan sounds like your kind of journey, you can register your interest here:

You’ll be the first to get updates once things become concrete.

Inspiration from Cappadocia

I’ll end with a small selection from Cappadocia, shot last September on my photo tour. These are from several equine shoots we did there—next time, I’ll share more landscape and cultural scenes from the same trip.

Horse silhouette (400 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 640)

White horse (100 mm, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, ISO 200)

Brave woman (100 mm, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, ISO 320)

Horses racing with balloons (35 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 800)

Refreshing run (400 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 3200)

Wrap Up

Thanks for reading. As always, I’ll be sharing more places, images, and small things that make traveling — and photographing — more meaningful.