For those celebrating today - a big Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The holidays are filled with food, family, and relaxation. But hey, if you’re just lounging around the house and taking a few days off, then why not get ahead of those 2016 resolutions than to dedicate this time of year to brush up on some new skills. Today, I'm kicking off a 3-part mini series on "Learning through the Holidays"

I’m starting with what I know best - photography. By far the most frequently asked question on my blog is about how I edit my photos. I do everything is done in Photoshop. I have built my own action packs and presets over time, but I also love to dabble in some commercial software created to give images an extra kick.

1. VSCO Film
VSCO is my jam. Not only do I use the VSCO Cam for all my iPhone photo editing, but VSCO Film is my go-to editing software. I put 80% of my digital camera images through VSCO as my starting point. VSCO offers a huge selection of processed film looks that give your images rich and vivid tones that emulated classic negative films.

2. RadLab
I have known about RadLab for a while but didn’t get around to trying the product until I saw Urban Pixxel’s post about it. I downloaded the 14-day trial and was sold immediately. I'm drawn to the simplicity of RadLab and how it allows me to build up an image one “action” at a time, and to eventually create my own ultimate recipe.

3. Mastin Labs
The processed film look is all the craze these days: enter Mastin Labs for even more Film presets. I think I know of more wedding photographers who use Mastin Labs than photographers of any other specialty, but I particularly like the classic looks of the Mastin Labs Fuji Pro Pack. It's perfect for travel images and portraits of all kinds.

I spend all year lusting after various photography gear, and when the holidays roll around, I like to pick out a photography item for myself, or two. It's not hard to convince myself that although I might not need it, I will love having it. December 25th is less than 10 days away, so here are some last minute gift ideas for those who are looking to treat the photographer in their life.

1. Lima camera strap | $79
2. On a Bags | $369
3. Lomography Diana Mini- 35mm Camera | $52.99
4. Moment Wide Angle Lens ($99.99) | Moment Telephoto Lens ($99.99)
5. Golden Half 135mm Size Camera | $34.38
6. Annual Subscription of Cereal Magazine | $30.21
7. The Outsiders | $41.37 
8. Gift Subscription to Kinfolk Magazine | $60

I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect camera bag. Even though I've tried a few camera bags, I haven't been 100% happy with any of them. And I could use your help in finding the right bag. First, this is a walkthrough of all the camera bags I've owned and tried.

My first camera bag was the Lowepro Toploader, I think it’s discontinued now as I was only able to find a near replica of the one I had. I bought this really as an afterthought when I’d already decided to pick up my first DSLR. I realized, standing at the cashier, that I needed a camera bag to put it in. At the time, I didn’t realize that (1) I would be investing in more lenses and camera gear in the future (2) just how much I would end up doing with my camera. So without the wisdom of any of this hindsight, this small pack seemed as good as any for what I needed it to do. I used this bag to death and moved on to a proper camera bag the next year.

Next came several Lower backpacks which I still use occasionally to this date. I have both the Flipside Sport 15L AW in bright orange and Transit Backpack 350AW. I know some photographers like Lowepro bags and some just don't. Here’s the thing about these backpacks, they are designed to have all these pockets for various camera accessories and convenient access points. I’m not actually really drawn to those - I travel pretty compact, usually 2-3 lenses only and usually just a back up of everything and a handful of memory cards depending on how long I’m shooting for. So I don’t need all the bells and whistles of these bags, but I like how much protection and padding it offers my camera gear - even if it makes me look like I’m carrying a big turtle shell when I’m wearing a fully-packed backpack. My only complaint with the bag is how much I sweat into it when I’m on a heavy travel day (think lots of hiking or walking).

Then I found ONA Bags and for a while, was very happy with Brixton in smoke. The bag is very high quality and so stylish, it also fit everything I needed for most of my travel needs and I liked that the bag didn’t make me look like a foolish tourist when I was traveling with it but helped me blend in like a local. However, I soon realized that a camera, 2-3 lenses, and a laptop was too heavy for me to carry on one shoulder. I would get so sore after wearing it for a few hours and I definitely could’t last a day of walking around the city with it. During this time, I was traveling around Asia and Europe extensively (I’d spent 3 weeks in China followed by 5 weeks across Scandinavia) I was already experiencing a lot of neck and shoulder pain from all the traveling and backpacking, and having all my gear in a messenger bag was not helping.

So that’s it - that’s everything I’ve tried and I’m still actively looking for a camera backpack. Currently I’m eying the Langley backpacks as I’ve heard great things about it. Do you have the perfect camera bag? Let me know what I should be using!

I currently have 4 lenses in my lens setup:

• 50mm f/1.8
• 35mm f/1.4
• 24-120mm f/3.5 (my kit lens)
• 70-300mm f/1.4 

I’ve talked about my love for the 50mm and 35mm as travel photography lenses before, but I don’t always bring up the other two lenses. I’m a Nikon shooter and use Nikon lenses. I’ve never tried other third party lenses although I’m definitely open to it. I’ve owned various lenses before and have settled on these four lens for now. Although four lenses is not a lot of gear, I wanted to show the versatility of the gear that I do have, even as I build out my gear list a little further and invest in a few more pieces.


The oldest lens I have in my lens line-up is the 50mm. I've had this lens back in 2007 when I had just started shooting with my first DSLR - a Nikon D60. I spent a lot of time thinking about the right lens for me before picking up the 50mm. I was doing a lot more portrait and fashion work back then, and this lens certainly came in handy. I don’t own a 50mm f/1.4 right now and although the f/1.4 is a much improvement from the f/1.8, I don’t get enough use out of the 50mm these days to prioritize the upgrade.

My most used lens is the 35mm f/1.4 - it’s my go-to lens for everything and if I could only take one lens with me to shoot just about anything, this would be it. There are so many reasons to love the 35mm, from it’s f-stop to composition to focal length. It’s everything I’m loving.

My least used lens is the 70-300mm, believe it or not I actually use my kit lens more than I use the 70-300mm. I technically inherited this lens from Alex when he sold all his Nikon gear. I didn’t have anything close to that focal length before so I got this lens from him. At the time, I imagined myself doing a lot more nature and animal photography - I was daydreaming about a trip to Alaska and a safari ride in Africa and I knew  the lens would come in handy. But alas, neither trip has happened yet although both are on the list of trips to take in the near future. So for now, I hardly ever find myself picking up this lens.

My most versatile lens is the 24-120mm. I mean, the focal distance is versatile alone, 24mm happens to be the widest angle I own so I use it a lot for interior shots when I need something wider than a 35mm. When I’m really in a pinch, I’ll even use the 24-120mm like a 35mm prime lens and put it at the 35mm focal length.

My most coveted lens is the 14-24mm f/2.8. For a while, I was really lusting after the 85mm prime lens, but more and more I’m finding that I want something at 24mm or wider since I want to capture more context in my travel work. In addition, I find that I’m fairly well covered in the long-end of the focal lengths and the gap in my gear is at the wide angle end.

That’s it for a quick look at my current lens set-up: what’s your favorite lens?

My mantra in life is to live for experiences, not things. I moved around a lot growing up and after a while, it felt a little insensible to own a lot of things as it just made moving a lot more work. I think those childhood experiences very much set the foundation for my minimalistic lifestyle. I’m very good at limiting my shopping, but like kyrptonite to superman, I have one weakness - gadgets. I’m constantly looking at photography-related toys, lo and behold, here is the camera gear I’m checking out this month.

• Sony Alpha a7 II Mirrorless
• Moment Wide Angle Lens
• Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Lens
• Lo & Sons The Claremont
• Langly Decoy
• ONA Bags The Clarendon
• Gorilla pod Focus Camera Tripod
• Fuji film Instax Mini 7s White Film Camera
• Herringbone Heritage Leather Camera Hand Grip

The 50mm f/1.4 lens was the first lens I purchased after my kit lens. A few years later, I got the 35mm f/1.4 lens - I have not looked back since. I rarely use the 50mm lens now since the 35mm f/1.4 has become my go to lens; if I could only take 1 lens with me to go out and shoot just about anything, it’s my 35mm lens. Needless to say, I think the 35mm f/1.4 lens is better for travel photography than the 50mm f/1.4 lens. I think the choice between the 50mm lens or the 35mm lens is a common question posed by photographers. Here’s why I prefer the 35mm lens for travel photography:



Focal Length
I’ve read that the 35mm is the closest focal length to the composition of the human eye, which is why when shooting with the 35mm lens the results are more realistic. Indeed, for me, the composition with the 35mm feels much more intuitive than the 50mm. When shooting with the 3mm, I move my body naturally without having to think too much about the focal length of the camera. The intuitive feel of the focal length is really important when I’m photographing on a trip, as I’m always browsing and chatting as I am shooting.

Composition
The focal length leads, naturally, to composition. I find the 35mm much easier to compose with as the wider lens allows more context for me to work with. In travel photography, so much is said in the context and background to the subject. I don’t have to worry about losing that when shooting with the 35mm lens.

Depth of Field
It’s true that the 50mm have a larger depth of field, but given the amazing layers of context I’m constantly trying to capture when traveling, this depth makes it harder for the 50mm lens to focus on my subject when I’m using a large aperture, as compared to the 35mm lens. Similarly, if there are several layers of background to my subject, it’s easier to capture sharpness on all planes on the 35mm lens than the 50mm lens.

Distance to subject
This one is sort of a double edged sword - as I explain below. But the reason I like the distance to subject the 35mm lens provides me is that I can shoot the subject at the distance I’m usually standing at when talking to them and observing them nearby. When shooting with the 50mm, I find that I often have to take one or steps back in order to create the same composition.

This wouldn’t be a fair comparison without addressing the downsides of the 35mm as compared to the 50mm. For me, all these are worth it in order to reap the benefit of the images the 35mm produces.

Downside: weight
My 35mm is heavier than my 50mm. The 35mm f/1.4 comes in at 21.2 oz (601g). It’s a little bulky when compared to the 50mm f/1.4 which comes in at just under 10 oz (281g). Again, this is a tradeoff I can live with, especially since I’m quite content just carrying 1 lens around.

Downside: Price
You can pick up the 35mm f/1.4 for $1,696.95, the 50mm f/1.4, on the other hand, costs only $426.95. The 35mm lens comes at a hefty price point, no doubt. At this point, I have to admit I received the 35mm lens as a present from Alex, after I’d saved up my pennies to purchase the 50mm - my first lens purchase after buying my camera body. If you’re saving up for one lens, then I would still recommend the 35mm, but if the price point is a deterrence, then go for the 50mm and with the money leftover, you can probably put your savings toward some other nice camera gear.

Downside: distance to subject
Although I mention the distance to subject as reason for why I prefer the 35mm over the 50mm, I can easily see how some might find this to be a disadvantage of the 35mm. In essence, the 50mm lens allows you to shoot your subject from slightly further away (about 1-2 steps). For the shy photographer, or just those new to street photography and not yet confident approaching their subject, the distance might provide some comfort and still allow you to capture the shot you want. Although I think practicing and working up the courage to actually work with and get close to the subject is important, I concede that the 50mm might be easier to begin with for this reason.

I picked up a camera at 16 years old and knew that I loved making images immediately. I began by commandeering my parents’ old film camera while saving up my pay from coaching kids basketball to buy my first DSLR. I used to spend my lunch hour during school in the darkroom and I blew through my allowance buying more film negatives. Some time in 2008, my interest in film photography turned into a love of media generally. In 2009, I got a summer job at a small magazine in town and soon after I returned to college later that fall, I started Just-in-Time.

The world of blogging has changed a lot since when I first began this blog. Photography has evolved with the affordability of cameras and significant quality improvements in mobile photography. Similarly, people are traveling more and information about far away places are more accessible than ever. The layout of this blog has been updated no less than three times. A year of backpacking through Europe from 2010-2011 and stacking up my country count has turned into month-long stays on far-off islands and returning to places I love over and over again.

When I started the blog, I had one goal: blog once a week. I didn’t even really know what I would share every week and I certainly didn’t know who I was writing it for. Now, through this blog, I am lucky to be able to immerse myself in unique destinations and indulge in memorable experiences.

This is just a long way to say, it’s been 5 years, I’m still here and I’m excited for 5 more years of images, destinations, and memories. The image above was taken at One World Observatory. I finally had the opportunity to check out the view from the top on my birthday, as a surprise from Alex. The view was hazy that day but I have no doubt I'll be back again soon. There is nothing more incredible than seeing New York City, at your feet.

A bump in the road woke me up from my nap in the car. As I slowly come back around, I realized from the different terrain that we were no longer in Moab. Now, we were driving through the desert in a landscape that looked simply jurassic. I had flown to Salt Lake City a few days earlier to embark on the Mighty 5 Tour with Southwest Adventure Tours. Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands are the five iconic national parks that make for a perfect week-long trip through the state of Utah.

Our 10-person group actually did the trip backwards, beginning in Canyonlands and Arches National Park before driving through Capitol Reef and traversing south until we hit Bryce National Park and Zion National Park before heading back to Salt Lake City. I hadn’t travelled like this before. Typically I travel with a small group of friends or, sometimes with only my camera. In recent years, Alex and I have also taken a liking to guided private tours for just the two of us and our crazy demands to see sunsets and sunrises. But a small group tour for 6 days, including hours spent in the car together as we drive across Utah - it was a first.


In addition to myself, the group consisted of 3 Canadians, two best friends, a couple of international exchange students, and a pair of endearing grandparents who were checking Utah off of their bucket list. This line reads like the introduction to a Hollywood comedy, but for 1 week, this group of people became my travel family. Somehow, this unlikely all over survived the trip with only minor bruises and beautiful memories.

When you meet a fellow traveler, it’s an unspoken social custom to share your stories of the road. Over lunches and dinners, I learned about the Canadians’ hiking trip to Guatemala a few years before, grandma and grandpa had vacationed in Egypt and Israel, and the exchange students had taken a summer in college to backpack in Southeast Asia. These conversations were always followed by questions about possible future trips, and exchanging ideas for how we could use our next vacation days to our advantage. Between chats, I instinctively reach for my passport and pat the pocket to check that it’s there. Over long drives between parks, we learned about the each other’s families, childhoods, and love for adventure. Not before long, I was looking through photos of family members on smartphones.

An incomplete group photo.

I have to admit, as much as I am a champion of solo travel, the desert can be a lonely place and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend 5 days doing the Mighty 5 alone. And I definitely would not have had any energy left to hike on top of driving 2-4 hours each day. Although the popular trails were quite busy at this time of the year, the ever changing weather sometimes deterred most tourists. I was glad to have a few companions with me on the longer hikes in the winding canyons. Together, we braved the hurried showers one minute and shielded our eyes from the sun the next. On the second day, half of us got lost off trail and took a 1 mile detour. As one of the girls would later retell this story to others in the car, on one of the last hikes in Zion, we had to use chains to pull ourselves up Angel’s Landing when the wind really picked up. In the sudden wind, I almost got blown away, but thankfully my fellow travelers held me down.

Follow Southwest Adventure Tours online to see more snaps from my trip:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SouthwestAdventureToursLLC
Instagram: @swatours
Twitter: @swatours

Disclaimer: I was invited to join the tour as a guest of Southwest Adventures, but all opinions written, friendships made, and knees scraped are my own. 

Tokyo is for the expressive.

The streets are lit up at night by the shiny billboards of Shibuya Crossing, and the smiles on lovers’ faces. The city center is full of colors. Individuals dressed in whatever outfits they feel best represent their mood, from traditional to street hip hop. You can be whoever you want to be.


Tokyo is for the spiritual.

The smell of incense fill the temples and prayers flags hang in the air. Visitors are asked to wash their hands and mouth before entering the temple, to cleanse of all sins and dirtiness. A short walk away, at the Japanese rock garden, lines and circles are drawn in white sand and resemble ripples in the water. The landscape is a careful arrangement of rocks, pruned trees, and raked sand.


Tokyo is for the early-risers.

At 4am, fish vendors are setting up their booths. The light at each vendor’s stand light up the aisles at Tsukiji Fish Market - the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Tsukiji seems intimidating on the outside, but a closer look reveals that everything and everyone is moving at a routined manner. Fresh catch is loaded into the market by car, boat, or truck then parts are auctioned off.

Tokyo is for the adventurous.