June 2021 I was able to take one of my dream trips with my now fiance to Washington state. It was a trip filled with good food, adventures, and some of the most scenic views I've ever witnessed. There were also a few really valuable lessons I learned when it comes to photography that helped shape how I took photos going forward. So this blog post will be a little bit of a combo of travel stories with some photography tips thrown in there. There is also a Spotify playlist I made for this trip that will be linked below, feel free to jam out while we relive this trip together. 

While packing for this trip I decided to pack ALL the camera gear and more. I rationalized this since we will be staying in Seattle for 3 nights, going to Port Angeles for 4 nights and ending the trip with a night in Tacoma. I thought I needed the gear to cover street photography, a telephoto lens for mountain views, and a camera that can handle anything the crazy weather the Pacific North West could throw at me. I quickly realized camera gear would be my enemy on this lovely vacation. 

Seattle

We landed in Seattle, took the train to the hotel and from there ventured out into the city. The photo above was the first I snapped. It was when I realized I was officially on the west coast for the first time and I was officially on vacation. Not only was every day we spent in Seattle sunny and warm but it did not rain a single day we were in Washington. We were quite lucky and took advantage of that. Each day in Seattle consisted of loads of coffee, walking, and filling up plenty of SD cards. It blew my mind that we were able to see Mount Rainier from Seattle every day, not to mention the stunning sunsets with endless mountain ranges.

Okay so let me nerd out really quickly about camera gear (if you’re not interested feel free to skip to the next photo). A few weeks before this trip I bought the Fuji x100f (blog post soon on that camera) and I decided to bring that camera EVERYWHERE I went as almost a point and shoot camera. I also brought a Canon EOS R, a 70-200mm, 24-70mm, 85mm lens, and a Panasonic xl100 for all the video clips I forgot to take. I quickly realized I would not be able to enjoy my vacation while carrying around a bag filled with 20+ pounds of camera gear that I wasn’t even using. So the Fuji camera became my best friend and honestly I took some of my favorite photos on this trip with that camera. Twice while in Seattle the EOS R and my telephoto lens did come in handy but was it worth all the other times it did not come in handy? I don’t know, that’s still up for debate. 

There were two really special moments that stand out when I think of Seattle. The first was a ferry ride. Watching the sunset the first night on the coast we decided we had to find a way to see the sunset from the water. We really didn’t want to spend the $70+ per person for a 30 minute guided boat tour. We wanted to find a way to sit on a boat, freak out about how beautiful the sunset was, and take some photos. Kyra found a ferry that was going to Bainbridge Island and back. So that evening we were on a ferry ride with some of the most unreal views. The whole 45 minute ferry ride felt like something out of a movie. 

The second moment was while we were exploring the city we found this park where we were able to see both the space needle and Mount Rainier from and decided that we had to come back for sunrise. The last morning we were in Seattle we decided to wake up at 5 am (vacations am I right?) and Uber to this park to watch the sun rise. It was stunning. I mean absolutely stunning. Watching the warm sunrise light kiss the top of Mount Rainier while the rest of the city was still covered in blue and pink color shadows blew my mind. It also helped set the tone for the rest of the trips. Our last full day in Washington was going to be spent exploring Mount Rainier, the exact mountain we have been staring at each day. 

After a 5 star Uber ride filled with fun facts about Nirvana, Seattle and Mount Rainier we picked up our rental car. A Subaru Outback. We fit it quite nicely with the locals in the PNW and we were officially on our way to Port Angeles.

Port Angeles

Going from Seattle to Port Angeles was not only a long drive but a huge change in culture and environment. We went from a city that is the 20th biggest city in the USA to a city where I had barely any service and was shut down by 8pm. So it was fitting that we stayed in a RV that was 20 feet from a chicken coop for the next 4 days. Port Angeles to us was a home base, each of the following days consisted of visiting a new national park, doing a full day hike or anything in between. 

Olympic National Park

There were a few hikes we did in Olympics and one of them was the ABSOLUTE hardest hike I’ve done in my life. I was raised in Queens NY, when you told someone you were going to go for a hike it meant you had to go somewhere far, like to the Bronx. As I hiked up this mountain with high ambition that slowly faded away, the back pain of carrying 3 lenses, 3 cameras, a tripod, lunch, a huge water bottle, and the shame of bringing all this gear started to settle in. Below were some of the photos I took but it was the first time I realized I didn’t need to bring all this camera gear with me and honestly speaking not only did my back hurt but my ego as well. I didn’t love the photos I took with my EOS R and I don’t think it was worth the struggle. 

Besides the camera situation, the hikes, the views, the cold reflective water was unbelievable. I never really cared for national parks but this sparked a new found appreciation for them. Soon the lack of service became a beautiful thing as well. It was just Kyra and I experiencing these views with no distraction and the playlist I made on repeat. 

Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach was wild. We almost didn’t get to make it, originally we were trying to get to La Push but it was closed. La Push was the one place near Port Angeles that I really wanted to see and was super bummed that that wasn’t going to happen. June 21st we ended up driving 2+ hours to Rialto Beach in hopes that we would be able to see the sun set from there. As we got closer and closer it got darker and darker. We were convinced we would just miss sunset and drive over 2 hours for no reason. As we parked and rushed to the beach we were greeted with this view that feels like something out of Blade Runner but on the coast. I specifically remember it was June 21st since that’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. We were able to walk around this beautiful beach with this warm yellow light glow as the sun set behind some rocks far out in the ocean. Slowly the sky turned this deep purple with hints of light pink lingering after. The sunset took so long and we appreciated every single moment of it.

Hurricane Ridge

The day we had planned to visit Hurricane Ridge I was exhausted, not only have I driven over 500 miles in the past 4 days but also did some of the longest hikes of my life at some of the highest altitudes yet (again, vacations am I right?). I was excited to see the views but I was not excited to move my body. At all. But nonetheless we set out a little tired and slow but as I white knuckled the whole drive up the mountain to finally get to the visitor's center my whole mood changed. This is the first time in my whole life I've had a 360 view of mountain ranges. It was beautiful. Seeing the snow caps on the mountains far off in the distance, the bright green grass contrasting the deep blue of the mountains cascading behind each other. The whole hike was filled with these views and I was filled with inspiration and awe.

Mount Rainier

Waking up to finally drive to Mount Rainier was a pretty special feeling. For the past week we have been seeing this mountain in the distance and finally were able to hike up it. We also learned after leaving Seattle that you can see Mount Rainier a max of 83 days a year. We got that view every single day. 

This was our last full day in Washington State, we drove almost 1000 miles and walked or hike every single day. If I was exhausted before this now I was running on empty. But how often can someone visit Washington and have 8 full days of sunshine? There was only one hike we did at Mount Rainier and it was an easy but weird one. It was about 80 degrees out but we hiked through the snow. Another first for me on this trip. That was the last hike we had planned before we set out to Tacoma to check into our Airbnb. All we had left on our schedule was to visit Twede’s Cafe the next morning before flying back to NY. If you don’t know Twede’s Cafe it’s the diner that the pilot episode Twin Peaks was filmed in. It was pretty rad to sit there and have cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee in this diner. As we walked around North Bend we heard the reports of a heatwave hitting Washington and the Pacific North West starting the next day. Not only did we have sunny days each day in Washington but we were missing a record heat wave by 1 day. 

This trip was everything I dreamed it would be. It took me a long time to get through the photos since I took way too many and editing them became frustrating. Like I mentioned, I had 3 different cameras. Each has their own color science so trying to make the colors match was not as simple as I hoped. I did slowly fall in love with the way that Fujifilm processed colors, especially the greens of the grass or the burnt orange sunsets at Rialto Beach. I took over 3000 images and so many of them in the moment I thought were so different but in reality they weren’t. After this trip I had a few other travel plans and learned to really think about what I needed to pack and stop bringing gear just in case I would need it. I also decided that I didn’t need to take 300 photos at each location I visit. Not only am I not as present but editing them is a pain. 

As I reviewed each of the edited photos all the memories of each day started to flood in. It was such a happy moment reliving this and it reminded me why I did take so many photos. I wanted to be able to share this with others but also have these moments captured so I can revisit them whenever I want to. Through that I decided to write this blog post so I could not only relive what this beautiful trip was like but also share it with all of you. 

-J

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Cold, windy, and snowy. That’s been the weather here in NY over the past few weeks. When I noticed today was going to be sunny and in the 50’s I decided I had to end my hibernation early, go out and take advantage of the fantastic weather by shooting some photos. I spent my afternoon out east in Northport Long Island. It was an eventful afternoon of coffee from Southdown, walking along the water, and taking photos of this beautiful day. Please enjoy the images below.

The year 2020, by a host of measures, will undoubtedly go down in history as a period of time not worth revisiting. Finding the words for blog posts about photography while the world was going up in flames felt insignificant at best but browsing through all the photos captured this year, it became clear I took images that fill me with pride for transforming a difficult year into beautiful memories. Instead of amassing an archive of just work photos, I documented my life and the love I have for photography. Let’s escape the noise of this past year and take a journey through some of my favorite photos of 2020. 

Londonderry, New Hampshire

2020 put me in a position to spend a lot of time with my loved ones and I didn’t want to only look back at this year with sadness but capture those moments of joy. This first photo, one I look back on often, was taken at the peak of COVID here in the states, snapped while on one of the numerous walks with my girlfriend in pursuit of sanity. I really love the contrasting colors of the sky and the power lines, the blue of the sky is really punchy and the clouds fill in the negative space on the top third of the image. I'm really proud of the emotion conveyed, a timeless photo full of fun and joy.

Woodstock, New York

Kerhonkson, New York

Kerhonkson, New York

I really don’t know why don’t I shoot in black and white more often. It’s photography at its purest, there isn’t color to mask mistakes or subpar composition. It really let’s the story and structure of the image shine. When I saw the scene unfold before me I knew it was going to be captured in black and white. I really enjoy the way the man in his canoe shows the scale of the mountains behind him and how he left a trail behind him in the still water. After editing this image I went back to some of the photos I was struggling to edit from that day, switching my approach to black and white, and was really surprised at how well they transformed. The image of the cliff, in black and white, framed the subject properly and enhanced the texture of the scene.  I’m very proud of capturing the photo of the bird. While eating lunch on a mountain top, a group of birds flew over me and I was excited to get a photo framing the birds in the foreground and the landscape in the background. Numerous lenses and attempts were made but eventually I gave up, thinking the moment had flown past. To my surprise, when I imported the photos, I discovered not only had I indeed accomplished my goal but I captured one of my favorite photos. The photo was well worth me almost dropping my lunch off a mountain top. 

Kerhonkson, New York

Woodstock, New York

You know that feeling when you’re driving, the lighting looks just right, a perfect song is playing, and for a brief moment it feels like you’re in a movie? Is it just me? Sometimes it’s within the silent moments we realize we’re living a romanticized life. Taking a sip of good coffee, wearing your favorite shirt, feeling a warm breeze. It may just be me but that feeling is evoked when I think of drone photography. I don’t fly my drone often but in spending a lot of time upstate this past year provided a few of those moments, resulting in these two photos. A sky full of blues, purples, and pinks in the first image feel mythical and the range of blue adds so much depth as the mountains go further in the background of the image. I love the sky’s purple reflection in the lake, accompanied by the trees clinging to the last bit of sunlight, capturing what dusk feels like up north. The colors and textures in the second image craft a calming feeling, capturing the sentiment of a road trip through the mountains. It was one of the last photos I captured before driving back to the city, a perfect bookend to a fall trip upstate.

North South Lake, New York

This year, as a result of the pandemic, I spent a lot more time in nature since it was safer than going to the city. With a view this stunning, you would think capturing this photo wouldn’t have been difficult but my camera wasn’t doing the spectacle view justice. Full disclosure, I snapped it after a full morning hiking one of the more challenging hikes I’ve endured, not to mention battling the harsh, direct lighting. A personal goal of mine was to work on framing, especially when it comes to objects in the foreground like the rocks in the bottom left of the photo above. Despite the challenges of the experience, I’m really happy with the photo and I was reminded New York is much more than just a city.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Color grading has become one of my favorite parts of the photo editing process. In the beginning of 2020, I spent a lot of time studying the vast different concepts of color theory and experimenting with new editing methods. The outcome of this education and experimentation is found in these two images above and boy am I in love with the tones and colors. They also represent the day they were photographed so well, both taken in Sleepy Hollow, New York, at the end of fall.

Bethpage, New York

Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get to the right place. While driving home, I made a wrong turn in Bethpage, New York and came across this view. Perhaps it was the charm of getting lost but I really love this photo and I’m not entirely sure why. There was something about the texture, the way all the trees and grass leaned right due to the strong wind, that caught my attention. I was excited to pull over and snap a few photos, this one my favorite of the bunch.

2020 was a strange year but through the tribulations, my love of photography definitely found new depths. In the pursuit of documenting my everyday life my camera started to feel like an extension of myself and the way I thought. It was a pretty rad feeling to look back on such a rough year and still have some moments of joy and memories that still make me smile.

As I type this out COVID-19 is at an all time high here in NY. Things are ridiculously frightening but I’ve been blessed with some amazing creative friends and keeping in contact with them has been great. During this pandemic we’ve cultivated a community of support and it’s been nothing short of inspiring. What I’ve done with all this free time is go through my hard drives and edit and finalize photo series I’ve haven’t had the time to edit. This is the first one, and I’m so excited to share it!

Early November 2019 my family and I decided to fly to Puerto Rico to visit relatives we don’t see often as well as take a much needed vacation. I am a classic over packer and when it comes to packing camera gear I tend to bring way more than I need or will ever use. I decided for this 2 weeks trip to only bring my phone, a Panasonic Lumix lx100 and DJI Drone. That was it. This may still seem like a lot but it was so difficult to not pack my DSLR, a telephoto lens and a lot of other “what if” gear. What if I needed a flash? What if I needed a prime lens? What if I needed a tripod for long exposures? What if (fill in the blank)? The gear listed was all I was allowing myself to bring and I had to be creative if I needed anything else.

One of the first days I was there I had to explore San Juan. There is something about the vibrant colors, new buildings mixed with the old structure and the unique history that is present in San Juan that excites me. I’ve been to San Juan a handful of times in my life but I’ve never really learned much about the history or taken tours of the old forts like El Morro that were built anywhere between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was a big change of scenery that felt ridiculously refreshing. 

The last time I visited Puerto Rico was in 2016, in 2017 both hurricane Maria and Irma destroyed Puerto Rico. The island was ripped apart. It was such a surreal experience going back to places I’ve visited a few years back that now look totally different. El Yunque National Forest was probably one of the most different for me. There were so many trees that were just gone and trails that I hiked just a few years back completely gone. But all of that still did not take away from the beauty that is El Yunque. 

One of the last things I did before flying back to NYC in the winter was go to Luquillo beach. It wasn't too far from the AirBnb I was staying at and I couldn’t say no to ending the trip on the beach drinking Pina Coladas and taking photos. Every day prior was way too windy to fly the drone and felt like a waste bringing it but while watching the sunset on the beach the wind died down and I was able to capture a few photos. I think that these are some of the best photos from the whole trip and maybe some of the best photos I’ve ever taken with my drone. I am so stoked on how they came out! 

I think as a photographer I can really get caught up in gear and make sure I have the best gear but personally miss so many moments or end up being disconnected from what’s going on around you. This was something I really was trying to avoid while visiting family and it honestly felt great. I have so many phone photos that aren’t the sharpest and have some grain but I was able to be in the moment and just snap the photo and not think about settings, lens, and lighting.

-Julian

In 2019 I took more photos documenting my life than I ever have before. Whether it was my professional camera, my daily carry camera and even my phone I’ve taken thousands of photos, but I barely shared anything on social media. To be honest I was tired of sharing things I was excited about and getting caught up in seeing how many people liked my photos or if my photos were “trendy” enough to get me more internet points. 

2020 has been a different year so far, I’ve continued to take so many photos but I truly feel like I’m creating some of the best images I’ve ever created. For the first time in a very long time, I’m excited and proud to share them. On Instagram, I tend to only share maybe 4-5 images but I take so many more photos I’m stoked on and I want to share them. When I went to Puerto Rico for a week in November I took over 300 images and shared only 2 on social media. After showing more photos to a few friends and family I was encouraged to share them but never did for bunch of reasons. Hence the blog. I want this to be an outlet where I can keep people up to date on what personal projects I’m working on, the work I’ve done recently, places I traveled, and a lot of photos of coffee shops. More importantly, I want this to be a place where I can share things and not worry about likes but worry about the heart behind it and sharing work I’m proud of with people who are interested.

-Julian