During our trip to Tokyo, we spent one of our mornings exploring the Tsukiji Market. While we didn't make it to the tuna auction, we did spent an hour or so wandering around the wholesale area. It was after 9am by the time we got to the market, so the activities in the wholesale area were starting to wind down for the day. Even though we weren't able to watch the early morning tuna auction, we were able to get a sense of all the activities that go on in this bustling market. After exploring the wholesale area, we visited the rest of the market and then enjoyed an early sushi lunch which was simply delicious.
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Asakusa
My wife and I spent four days in Tokyo at the end of May before heading to Hong Kong to visit our families. This was the second time each of us had visited Tokyo, but it was our first trip there together. We both loved the trip and felt that four days just wasn't enough to see and experience all that Tokyo had to offer. One of the places we really enjoyed visiting was the Asakusa district. We liked it so much that we ended up spending two afternoons there. We explored the area surrounding the Sensoji Temple and tried many of the snacks along the way. My favorite of all the food we tried was the freshly baked, jumbo melon pan from Kagetsudo. We had to line up for about twenty minutes since Kagetsudo is quite well known, but it was well worth the wait. If you ever find yourself in Toyko, you should definitely set aside some time to visit Asakusa. Just make sure you go hungry so that you can sample all the great, local food you'll find there.
An overcast morning in La Jolla
We made the ninety minute drive south to La Jolla recently for a quick weekend getaway. Even though we've been to La Jolla numerous times over the last couple years, I never get tired of exploring this stretch of beautiful shoreline with my camera. On this particular trip, we were fortunate enough to wake up on our last morning to overcast skies. While gloomy weather might not sound ideal for a day at the beach, it does make for more interesting and dramatic photographs. Here are three of my favorite images from the overcast morning we spent wandering along Coast Boulevard.
Palm Springs and the Fujinon XF 35mm
The Fujinon XF 35mm lens was the first X Mount lens I bought with my X-Pro1 back in early 2013. Nearly two years later, after all the other lenses I have rented, bought, and sold, the XF 35mm is still the lens I reach for most often. I've used the XF 35mm for everything from portraiture to landscape photography and I've always been impressed with the results.
After installing the latest firmware update on my X-T1, I decided to test out the new features using the XF 35mm on a road trip to Palm Springs. Of all the new and exciting things Fuji has given us original X-T1 owners, the one that I find most useful is the new high-speed electronic shutter option. Being able to the shoot the XF 35mm wide open at f/1.4 in broad daylight really opens up a lot of possibilities. To give you an idea of the versatility of the XF 35mm, and why it's my favorite lens, here are a few images from a short hike we took at the Mount San Jacinto State Park located at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Hawaii Island
My wife and I took our second trip to Hawaii Island last month for some rest and relaxation. Since the point of the trip was mostly for us to hang out and enjoy the beach, we didn't venture out nearly as much as we did during our first visit to the Big Island. The two short excursions we did make brought us to the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Center and the Pololu Valley Lookout. These were both places we visited before but both were well worth returning to. Even though I didn't spend much time shooting, I did manage to bring back a few images I really liked. Here are a few of my favorites.
