This is a shot of the top level of the Ritz-Carlton there in Okinawa. It’s a beautiful property, as you can see. This area is not really a pool, even though it looks like a pool. It’s more an area where you can walk around and take in all the environment and architecture. I thought the clouds piled up very nicely there along with the shape of the roof.
Here’s a great doco about Brian Rose taking Ayuasca and how it changed him… I haven’t tried the full thing yet, but I have tried the active molecule DMT about 15 times… so… yeah, I get it! 🙂
You can watch for free if you put in your email on his website. Check it out here.
These two guys were totally fun and cool! They were out in the streets trying to get people to come into their restaurant and acting totally crazy. I like that they took their job so seriously, and not seriously at all. They were really happy to ham it up in front of the camera. I got a lot of shots if that, but then I sneaked back by at another time to get them in their more natural element.
It was my plan to get to Tokyo for every single Halloween, but I missed it last year because of some family stuff. But, this year, coronavirus permitting, I plan to go! It’s absolutely amazing because everyone is in costume and the Shibuya area is completely crazy. Also, since it’s in Japan, everyone is super nice despite the insane number of people out partying in the streets. It’s a goldmine for photography, so I can’t wait to get back out there with my Leica lenses to capture more photos like this.
I know you love the Peak Design Products – my mom came across this cool video about a guy that was trying to use the Lifetime Warranty!
I’m probably being a bit hard on myself, but I find this photo to be a little bit boring. I was just thinking… if some rando showed me this photo to critique… I’d probably be a bit harsh and say that it is rather boring. And, it’s true! I don’t know. Osaka was such a cool and vibrant city and this photo feels rather staid. Okay, enough self-critique for the day. I’ll see if I can get out there and make something more interesting.
I hope you enjoy using these presets as much as I do!
When I look back at this amazing rainy night in Tokyo, it just makes me want to return! This night was actually completely freezing and below zero. Most of the “rain” was actually sleet. I stayed up extra late, roaming the streets of Shinjuku, hoping that the sleet would turn into snow but it never did.
My friend Pete sent me this video of Paris Hilton making lasagna. I always thought she was an idiot, but I was wondering if she was faking it. Now, I’m completely convinced she’s not just an idiot, but a self-deluded idiot. I think she was trying to be funny sometimes, but some of the things she said to be funny are things an idiot would say to be funny.
Remember Google+? Yeah, that was the best! Actually, it was an absolute blast for a while. I made a lot of great friends including this guy: Vic Gundotra! He was kind, he made me laugh, and he was always full of surprises. That’s about all I ask for in a friend! 🙂 I gave a talk at the Google HQ in Tokyo after a fun photowalk (where I took this photo).
This is one of the photos that encouraged me to release my Movie Night Presets. I hope you love them as much as I do!
I have a hot tip for you as a photographer on a rainy night in a city. See if you can convince a friend (or hire someone) to carry around a giant golf umbrella for a few hours while you take photos. Photographers really need two hands, so having a buddy do this for you is a huge game-changer. It’s kind of boring for your friend, but promise you’ll buy them a burger or something!
Here is one of my favorite recent interviews with Leo Laporte!
I stayed in a hotel that was kind of in a “boring” area near Shinjuku. It was all office buildings and kind of dull. But it was only a ten-minute walk over to the more intense part of Shinjuku, which is the most Blade Runner area of Tokyo. On the way, you begin to walk over a bridge and things suddenly start to come alive. This is the first scene I saw each night as my son and I walked into the city.
This is a pretty cool video that shows entropy and order in syncopation.
Osaka is one of the most underrated cities in the world! When people think about going to Japan, they think mostly about Tokyo. Hey, I mean, Tokyo is amazing, but it’s also worth it to jump on the bullet train and get over to Osaka. The nightlife is really quite unique and it’s fun to wander around and go into random restaurants and bars to see what is going on. It’s a good goal to try to visit five different places per night and not get stuck in one spot or another. It’s tough because each place you go into is so fun and interesting that you don’t want to leave!
I’ve recently updated my Portraits and People Portfolio on SmugMug. You might have to scroll down a bit to see some of the new goodies!
On this walk along a section of the Camino in Spain I’m with Craig Mod ( https://craigmod.com/ ). He’s a fantastic writer with some amazing content on walking (hikes) which you should check out… maybe start with his Review of Beds which is fun 🙂 Anyway, in this chat we discuss Craig’s various hikes through Japan and some of his observations on their varied culture. We also talk about his evolution from film cameras to ultimately opting for Leica as his main travel companion.
NOTE: If this is your first time seeing a 360 Video, note you can grab the screen and look anywhere!
And here is the audio version if 360 isn’t your thing:
Enjoy!
As one of the sunsets was winding up, I decided to start criss-crossing the bridges to see different vantage points. It’s such an easy (and fun!) city to photograph. I ended up doing a few different long exposures, and this one turned out to be my favorite one.
