Journals13
Newest
Upcoming Photo Trips
1 min read
March ~18th Shuttle Discovery launch Cape Canaveral Florida
May 18th-30th Ank Alaska to Vancouver BC
May 18th-30th Ank Alaska to Vancouver BC
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Gone
1 min read
Ive had a recent addition to the family! My baby boy Ethan has been taking up alllll my time! 
Wont be too much updates for a bit but hopefully some good stuff to come in the future like canada or portugal.
Cheers
Wont be too much updates for a bit but hopefully some good stuff to come in the future like canada or portugal.
Cheers
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Website Launch
1 min read
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Australia
1 min read
update soon
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The Search
9 min read
Where to begin.
Its hard to believe that before this trip I hadnt been outsite of the states.
My search this time drove me to a two week photo trip to Bali Indonesia, with a couple days in Tokyo Japan thrown in.
I chose Bali and Tokyo for my first trip because my Ripcurl contacts would give me a good base in traveling, esp since ive never done it before.
After weeks of reading and preparing it was finally time hop onto my first plane!
Everyone moment of this trip was 100% new so everyone was fresh and exciting, even the airport! After 11 hours of twiddling my thumbs I arrived in Narita Japan around 4pm.
I had to take a couple trains to get to Harajuku where Hiroko from Ripcurl Japan would meet me. I was told this would be easy!
Once I stepped off the plane the first thing I noticed was the extreme cold. 0 degrees Celsius to be exact...
Then shortly after that it dawned on me I had entered a whole other world. Right off the bat the Japanese exert a sense of urgency in all they do.
After 2 hours in immigration I found my way to the train station and after 1000 yen I was on my first train to Tokyo.
The train was extremely packed, clean, and very efficient. I was amazed at how fast the train got me into the city, even with all the stops it had to make.
After one more train and another hour or so I exited the train station for my first glimpse of Tokyo. I stood in shock and awe at this bustling city the likes Ive never could of imagined.
A few minutes later my Ripcurl coworker picked me up and gave me a walking tour of Harajuku and Shibuyah before taking me out to dinner.
After a beer, sake, and an amazing dinner I stumbled to my bed and slept like never before.
I woke early and traveled across Tokyo to various landmarks and temples before heading back to the airport for my 9 hour flight to Bali.
Tokyo whisked by in a blur.
After 9 delusion hours of flight I arrived in Bali around 10pm. I was greeting by an old coworker and amazing heat/humidity(the exact opposite of Japan).
After another great nights sleep I awoke no longer jet lagged and ready to travel!
I was taken to the Ripcurl office for introductions and then my driver picked me up and off we went. For the first couple of days it was hard for me to concentrate on taking pictures because I was just blown away by how different and beautiful Bali was.
My first days were spent in Ubud. Where I got to see amazing rice terraces, interesting culture, and a lot of monkeys.
Leaving Ubud I went East to Candi Dasa where I spend a few days here boating around and exploring the East. I was also lucky enough to experience a full moon ceremony at the tirtagangga water palace.
After Candi Dasa I was off to a late night in Sanur to catch the public boat to Nusa Lembongan early the next morning.
After a rough hour and a half at sea I arrived at the amazing island of Lembongan where I spent one day. Its here I saw the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen.
On arrival back to Bali I headed North to Danu Bratan and stayed a night here. I got to view the Pura Ulan Danu and just before I arrived the clouds broke up and gave me amazing mountain lake views. Although colder and a bit more shady (Muslim mosques blaring prayers over loudspeakers) this was an amazing place.
For the tail end of my trip I spend it in the South checking out famous surf spots, various zoo's and nature reserves, and relaxing in general.
By the 12th day I was anxious to get home and see my girlfriend and family. I somehow became desensitized to amazing weather, extremely affordable luxury living, and amazing sights.
One thing that had eluded me the whole trip was the famous Bali sunset. After 9 straight days of clouds and raining I had all but given up on capturing one. But on my last night there, I was given a very special gift. While leaving a nice day at Blue Point in South Bali, I was graced with the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. So beautiful it justified the 22+ hours of flight time, painful sores on my feet, hundreds of dollars spent, many sleepless nights due to insects and fear of large spiders, security check at 4 airports, and carrying around a 25 pound camera backpack at all times.
I learned a lot about photography, myself, others, and life in general on my trip. I want to say that this trip has been one of my greatest learning experiences and showcases some of my most mature work yet. I feel I have a lot more to learn, but for my first trip I think it was a huge success that I will never forget. Im sure I could of done things better and that I missed some prime opportunities for shots but for the first time ever I dont regret one thing. Everything turned out perfect and I wouldnt change a thing about the whole experience.
The Good
Amazing vistas and nature around every corner
The locals and their attitude towards life, family, and work
Extremely cheap
Amazing weather (Boardshorts at all times)
Friendly travelers
The Bad
Tourists (Like myself)
Destruction and disrespect of natural resources for tourism
Abnormally large insects
Lack of "civilized" amenities at times
Tourist culture at times
One track minded locals (money)
Learned
Sometimes its ok to relax
Sometimes its ok to splurge
Backpacking is hard
Sometimes its little things that make a big difference
Travel light
Its easy to take things for granted
ATM cards suck overseas
Wear a mask when everyone else is
You dont know what you got until its gone
Sometimes the greatest risks reveal the greatest rewards
With beauty and kindness like that how could there not be something greater than us
Anywho...
Please enjoy.
Its hard to believe that before this trip I hadnt been outsite of the states.
My search this time drove me to a two week photo trip to Bali Indonesia, with a couple days in Tokyo Japan thrown in.
I chose Bali and Tokyo for my first trip because my Ripcurl contacts would give me a good base in traveling, esp since ive never done it before.
After weeks of reading and preparing it was finally time hop onto my first plane!
Everyone moment of this trip was 100% new so everyone was fresh and exciting, even the airport! After 11 hours of twiddling my thumbs I arrived in Narita Japan around 4pm.
I had to take a couple trains to get to Harajuku where Hiroko from Ripcurl Japan would meet me. I was told this would be easy!
Once I stepped off the plane the first thing I noticed was the extreme cold. 0 degrees Celsius to be exact...
Then shortly after that it dawned on me I had entered a whole other world. Right off the bat the Japanese exert a sense of urgency in all they do.
After 2 hours in immigration I found my way to the train station and after 1000 yen I was on my first train to Tokyo.
The train was extremely packed, clean, and very efficient. I was amazed at how fast the train got me into the city, even with all the stops it had to make.
After one more train and another hour or so I exited the train station for my first glimpse of Tokyo. I stood in shock and awe at this bustling city the likes Ive never could of imagined.
A few minutes later my Ripcurl coworker picked me up and gave me a walking tour of Harajuku and Shibuyah before taking me out to dinner.
After a beer, sake, and an amazing dinner I stumbled to my bed and slept like never before.
I woke early and traveled across Tokyo to various landmarks and temples before heading back to the airport for my 9 hour flight to Bali.
Tokyo whisked by in a blur.
After 9 delusion hours of flight I arrived in Bali around 10pm. I was greeting by an old coworker and amazing heat/humidity(the exact opposite of Japan).
After another great nights sleep I awoke no longer jet lagged and ready to travel!
I was taken to the Ripcurl office for introductions and then my driver picked me up and off we went. For the first couple of days it was hard for me to concentrate on taking pictures because I was just blown away by how different and beautiful Bali was.
My first days were spent in Ubud. Where I got to see amazing rice terraces, interesting culture, and a lot of monkeys.
Leaving Ubud I went East to Candi Dasa where I spend a few days here boating around and exploring the East. I was also lucky enough to experience a full moon ceremony at the tirtagangga water palace.
After Candi Dasa I was off to a late night in Sanur to catch the public boat to Nusa Lembongan early the next morning.
After a rough hour and a half at sea I arrived at the amazing island of Lembongan where I spent one day. Its here I saw the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen.
On arrival back to Bali I headed North to Danu Bratan and stayed a night here. I got to view the Pura Ulan Danu and just before I arrived the clouds broke up and gave me amazing mountain lake views. Although colder and a bit more shady (Muslim mosques blaring prayers over loudspeakers) this was an amazing place.
For the tail end of my trip I spend it in the South checking out famous surf spots, various zoo's and nature reserves, and relaxing in general.
By the 12th day I was anxious to get home and see my girlfriend and family. I somehow became desensitized to amazing weather, extremely affordable luxury living, and amazing sights.
One thing that had eluded me the whole trip was the famous Bali sunset. After 9 straight days of clouds and raining I had all but given up on capturing one. But on my last night there, I was given a very special gift. While leaving a nice day at Blue Point in South Bali, I was graced with the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. So beautiful it justified the 22+ hours of flight time, painful sores on my feet, hundreds of dollars spent, many sleepless nights due to insects and fear of large spiders, security check at 4 airports, and carrying around a 25 pound camera backpack at all times.
I learned a lot about photography, myself, others, and life in general on my trip. I want to say that this trip has been one of my greatest learning experiences and showcases some of my most mature work yet. I feel I have a lot more to learn, but for my first trip I think it was a huge success that I will never forget. Im sure I could of done things better and that I missed some prime opportunities for shots but for the first time ever I dont regret one thing. Everything turned out perfect and I wouldnt change a thing about the whole experience.
The Good
Amazing vistas and nature around every corner
The locals and their attitude towards life, family, and work
Extremely cheap
Amazing weather (Boardshorts at all times)
Friendly travelers
The Bad
Tourists (Like myself)
Destruction and disrespect of natural resources for tourism
Abnormally large insects
Lack of "civilized" amenities at times
Tourist culture at times
One track minded locals (money)
Learned
Sometimes its ok to relax
Sometimes its ok to splurge
Backpacking is hard
Sometimes its little things that make a big difference
Travel light
Its easy to take things for granted
ATM cards suck overseas
Wear a mask when everyone else is
You dont know what you got until its gone
Sometimes the greatest risks reveal the greatest rewards
With beauty and kindness like that how could there not be something greater than us
Anywho...
Please enjoy.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In