"I've travelled with people and I say, 'Gee doesn't that look great?' and they say, 'What? Oh that tree, oh yeah'," says Peter Walton, Melbourne-based landscape and travel photographer, who leads photography tours with World Expeditions. "And I'm thinking, 'How come you didn't see that?' "

Traveller, as part of this special, first edition on travel and photography, approached five leading local and overseas travel photographers, including Walton, for snapshots into their peripatetic lives and their perspective on the world through their collective lenses. They have also allowed us to present some of the best examples of their work on these and following pages.

But while they may see the world differently to the average person, their take on it through their own viewfinders is utterly distinct to their professional colleagues. "Sending six photographers to the same destination would result in six completely different visions, even if shooting exactly the same things in those places," says Sydney-based travel photographer Petrina Tinslay.

Malcolm Fackender, a travel photographer and tour leader, believes a photographer will most likely be aware of their surrounds and react faster to get the shot, but it's always subjective, since photographers and non-photographers are all attracted to, and interested in, different things.

"I can walk through a colourful market and be overwhelmed by the people and the photographic opportunities, whilst a landscape photographer can be completely uninspired," he says.

Something nearly every travel photographer shares is the desire to catch the early morning light, with a good alarm clock an essential part of their kit. "Nothing makes an image more than simple, gorgeous light," says Tinslay. "An ordinary scene can be made to look like magic in extraordinary light, plus at sunrise not many people are about and you can really capture the touristy areas."

Anson Smart, another professional travel photographer, who has just returned from a trip to Tokyo photographing traditional artisans, enjoys that fleeting morning light, too, but prefers to shoot in the day's last light. "It signifies the end of the day and also lasts longer than first light; I like the long shadows. Anyone who can capture the essence and shape natural light inspires me."

But while many of the enduring basics of photography, such as the pursuit of light, remain unchanged, nowadays many travel photographers take inspiration not just from the masters, but from images posted on social media platforms such as Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest. "In the modern age, where people can share their images instantaneously, travel photography has changed significantly," Fackender says. "The internet is abundant with images from unknown people, and is a great source of inspiration."

Tinslay often starts her day by checking Instagram, since "it has has made everyone across the board so much more visually aware and interested in capturing images".

Smart uses Instagram for travel inspiration. "I love it as an avenue to get information while travelling. People post about great cafes, restaurants, great moments – it's an immediate feed to what's happening anywhere in the world."

Professional travel photographers are now using their smartphone to shoot - after all, sometimes the best camera is the one that's with you. Tinslay says smartphones are a great tool for that "unexpected quick shot", describing the quality of smartphone photography as only getting better as the technology develops.

But with this proliferation of images comes a greater need for travel photographers to provide a real point of difference. As the world becomes more global, Tinslay finds herself increasingly seeking out the differences in location, noting the dramatic change in a place like Myanmar during the past decade. "The first time I went to there was well over 10 years ago, when tourism had barely touched it, but the things that made it so amazing and unspoilt are now largely gone: the waterways where locals grow their crops are now polluted with rubbish, and traditional clothes have been replaced with Western T-shirts and jeans," she says. "As time goes by, all places start to lose the unique things that make them so culturally interesting."

PETRINA TINSLAY

Sydney-based Tinslay specialises in travel, food and interiors photography. Her clients include Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Afar and Departures magazines and brands as diverse as The One & Only Resorts, Moet and Shiseido.

I SHOOT WITH a digital Canon 35mm kit, usually including two camera bodies and four to five lenses.

I'VE JUST GOT BACK FROM...Bali, focusing on the areas around Ubud and Nusa Dua, including temples, markets, the monkey forest, a traditional Balinese cremation ceremony and a gorgeous bird sanctuary.

NEXT I'M OFF TO...Thailand, around the islands in the Andaman Sea. I've never been, I love the feeling of adventure you get before heading off to an unknown region and discovering the most photogenic parts of it.

I USUALLY TRAVEL...at least half the year on and off. I usually stay in hotels arranged by the client, from small B&Bs through to grand French chateaux. When flying, I take my own healthy snacks. Upon arrival I take a quick 5-10 minute swim in the hotel pool to avoid jetlag at its worst. It works every time.

THE WORLD'S MOST PHOTOGENIC PLACE IS...Japan. I am drawn to it for the colliding modern versus ancient and the love of aesthetic in their every day.

MY IDEA OF A GREAT TRAVEL IMAGE IS...one that evokes a feeling of wonderment, mystery and beauty. I think most amateurs stand too far away from a subject, or try to get too much into the frame. Take a few steps closer and choose your time of day well to enhance the image.

THE ONE PLACE I WANT TO SHOOT IS...Cuba. The time-warp images we always associated with this destination will soon be lost with American companies moving in.

See petrinatinslay.com

MALCOLM FACKENDER

Sydney-based Fackender is a travel and commercial photographer who leads photographic tours. Through his business, Spotlight on Asia, Fackender works with local and international travel businesses, including Wildlife Safari Consultants, and is involved in a new international photographic tour business, Dream Photo Tours.

I SHOOT WITH...a range of Nikon DSLR cameras, with a variety of lenses.

I'VE JUST GOT BACK FROM…Guilin, China. This trip was predominantly about landscape and people. The highlight of the trip was photographing the cormorant fishermen on the Li River.

NEXT I'M OFF TO…four of the very best rice-terraced regions in Vietnam. I will also be photographing a number of the different ethnic minority groups, include Dao, H'mong, Giay, Ha Nhi, Lu and Thai.

I USUALLY TRAVEL...overseas six times a year, with trips ranging from two weeks to one month in length. I always research before departure and have some form of plan - a good plan will lead to better photographs. For example, in North Vietnam there are colourful markets that are held on certain dates based on the lunar calendar.

THE WORLD'S MOST PHOTOGENIC PLACE IS…Vietnam. Even though I've visited 23 times and taken hundreds of thousands of images, every time I see and photograph something new. I love the northern parts, in mountains that haven't been ruined by tourism yet.

MY IDEA OF A GREAT TRAVEL SHOT IS... all about light. Learn to understand the light and then learn how to use it best for photography. If you can evoke emotion in your images, people will remember it.

THE ONE PLACE I WANT TO SHOOT IS...Ethiopia. I have seen some very emotive photographs of Omo Valley tribes over the past couple of years, and would love the opportunity to travel there for the purpose of understanding the different cultures and hopefully take some amazing images.

See malcolmfackender.com

ANSON SMART

Based in Sydney, Smart specialises in travel, lifestyle and food photography. He shoots a mix of editorial and commercial work, mostly for the Australian and American markets

I SHOOT WITH...a medium-format Mamiya 645. I also travel with a Canon 5D.

I'VE JUST GOT BACK FROM...Tokyo. I was a story about traditional Japanese artisans for a US publication. I found it incredibly inspiring; these artists are continuing a tradition, but taking it to a modern place in very small but well-organised spaces.

NEXT I'M OFF TO...the US, including San Francisco and New York. Last time I was in New York I stayed in an Airbnb apartment in Little Italy. I was greeted by a huge guy who had a life-size nude photograph of himself up on the wall. I took it down straight away.

I USUALLY TRAVEL...on average every four to six weeks. I used to travel a lot more; now I have a family. When you get to a destination I think you need to ground yourself. It could be a walk, or jump in the ocean. You feel so much better, it rejuvenates. I try to travel as light as possible.

THE WORLD'S MOST PHOTOGENIC PLACE IS....India. I had a great assignment working with chef Christine Manfield, photographing for six weeks for a book called Tasting India. I travelled from the northern Pakistani border to the Himalayas and down south to Kerala. I enjoyed going into people's homes to meet and photograph them.

MY IDEA OF A GREAT TRAVEL IMAGE IS...capturing a moment that you're experiencing – that spontaneous moment. It can be anything: a scene with the marriage of great light. My advice to improve is to simplify what you use, just take photos. Don't get burdened, the simpler the better.

THE ONE PLACE I WANT TO SHOOT IS...Patagonia. I've spent so much time in cities I'd like to get out to the open spaces, and Patagonia just looks dramatic and amazing.

See ansonsmart.com

PETER WALTON

Walton is based in Melbourne. After a long career in commercial photography, and with his own travel and landscape image library, he now concentrates on escorting photography trips. His clients include tour operator World Expeditions, and he's also planning on producing a collection of images to market online.

I SHOOT WITH...the Canon 5D Mark III.

I JUST GOT BACK FROM...Tasmania's Tarkine region, where I've done eight group trips so far. We take photographs of the wilderness, and every second evening I gather the troops and we sit down and talk photography tips and tricks. It's a travel and learning expedition.

NEXT I'M OFF TO...Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The animals and landscapes are amazing, and the people are incredible.

I USUALLY TRAVEL...three to four months of the year. I like to travel light, and I see other photographers on the trips weighed down with a big backpack. When there's a good photo opportunity they spend two or three minutes dismounting themselves and finding right gear - it slows you down. I use a belt pack or fanny pack.

THE WORLD'S MOST PHOTOGENIC PLACE IS...the Kodachrome Basin in Utah. It's so named because years ago National Geographic sent a team of photographers there and said it was so photogenic that the name stuck.

MY IDEA OF A GREAT TRAVEL IMAGE IS...one that causes the viewer to look at it and say, 'Wow, I'd love to go there!' One ingredient I use is a wide lens; it captures foreground, middle ground and background. It leads the eye into picture, so you feel as if you're there.

THE ONE PLACE I WANT TO SHOOT IS...the North Pole. I have been to Antarctica, so I'd like to head north and photograph polar bears.

See peterwalton.com

STEVE WINTER

Winter is based in Hoboken, New Jersey, and works exclusively for National Geographic. He will be lecturing on his adventures in Australia in July.

I SHOOT WITH...Canon, but I also use Nikon.

I JUST GOT BACK FROM...right now, I am in the mountains of India working on a worldwide leopard story. We've just been to Africa, as well.

NEXT I'M OFF TO...Sri Lanka, as part of the leopard story -  via California, New Mexico, Australia and New Zealand for my lecture tour.

I USUALLY TRAVEL...around six months of the year, but it's incredibly variable, depending on the difficulty of the assignment. The nature of my photography requires quite a bit of research and planning before the trip, including who to work with, where to work, and getting permits, visas and customs papers. In terms of accommodation, I tend to camp or stay in people's homes in the middle of nowhere. Last night I stayed in a lodge at Jim Corbett National Park.

THE WORLD'S MOST PHOTOGENIC PLACE IS...India. I like stories that involve both animals and people, because animals don't invite you to dinner, they'd like to be your dinner – the ones I work with do – so it's nice having someone to be around. I enjoy those stories, so at the moment I would say India.

MY IDEA OF A GREAT TRAVEL IMAGE IS...working on composition and storytelling; it's the most important thing a photographer can do. Study the masters at great museums and galleries of the world and learn to be able to tell a visual story where you live. If you can tell a story within 15 kilometres of your home, you'll be successful.

THE ONE PLACE I WANT TO SHOOT IS...Sri Lanka. One of the main reasons is that I'm a real beach kind of guy – palm trees and blue water – but I work with big cats and very infrequently do those two join forces, but they do in Sri Lanka. They have a strong leopard population and it's a tropical paradise, what more could you ask for?

See nglive.org/pacific