Sometimes the Journey Is the Reward
Sometimes the Journey Is the Reward We were between locations, hours into yet another drive across the volcanic desert of southwestern Bolivia. The kind of place where the road is barely a suggestion, and the landscape shifts is just vast expanse without roads. We weren’t chasing a shot. It was supposed to be just the ...
Salar de Uyuni
There’s light. And then there’s Bolivian light. I've had strobes accidentally popping off in my eyes, but I've never known light, bright light, until I was here. Photographing the salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, of Bolivia, was one of the most disorienting and visually surreal experiences I’ve had behind a camera. It’s like ...
Bolivian Flamingoes
These photos was taken in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in the southwestern highlands of Bolivia, near the Altiplano region. I can't remember specifically, which scene is from Laguna Hedionda or Laguna Colorada, both of which are known for their high-altitude salt lakes and large populations of Andean flamingoes (along with James’s and ...
Cordillera del Paine with Fujifilm X-E3 and XC 50–230mm
I'm selling a bunch of gear, so I'll be posting some of my fav images shot with that equipment, sort of as a farewell or a homage. This one is shot using the budget XC 50-230mm lens. It is a very underrated lens, doubly so because it suffers the ignominity of being the mk I ...
A Portrait Does Not a Soul Capture
I love portraiture. It’s the kind of photography that I keep going back to, again and again because people are endlessly fascinating. The flicker of emotion. The in-between moments. The quiet tension. The laughter right before it spills. But let’s get one thing straight: A portrait cannot capture someone’s soul. I know that’s the cliché. ...
Squid Game and the Freelance Photographer: A Survival Story
Let’s be real: if you’ve ever tried to earn a living as a photographer, you’ve basically signed up for your own version of Squid Game. You may not be wearing a green tracksuit (although, hey, comfy), and there may not be a giant robot doll shouting “Red Light, Green Light!” but emotionally? It’s basically the ...
The Fuji X-E3 is not a cat
OK, let's try pets analogy... Cameras are like pets. Some are Labradors: loyal, helpful, but absolutely everywhere. Others are like cats: high-maintenance, and kinda judgy. But the Fujifilm X-E3? It’s like a Schnoodle: small but sturdy, clever, quick and also very good looking. This little thing might just be my (second) favorite pet ever. I’ve ...
Using GF50mm for Portraiture
Portrait of Mr. Phua: Making Space Where There Is None — with the GF 50mm Some portraits stay with you long after the shutter clicks. This one of SK Phua, the master craftsman carpenter in his impossibly packed workshop. is one of them. The space was tight. Every inch of wall, floor, and bench was ...
Why GF 50mm is the Perfect GFX Lens
When people think of medium format photography, they usually imagine something big, heavy, and slow. A tripod kind of camera. A “set it up and wait” kind of experience. And sure , medium format can be all those things. (I have a Contax 645 that I love) But what if I told you there’s a ...
Pentax 645 – The Quiet Romantic
Ode to the Pentax 645: The Quiet Romantic of Medium Format In the world of medium format photography, some names shout. Hasselblad shouts pretentiousness, I mean, status. Mamiya is more like a dependable workhorse, all business. But then there’s Pentax. Humble, earnest, quietly brilliant. And among its creations, the Pentax 645 stands as something truly ...