High in the sky

"Blue Skies" Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/2700 sec, ISO200
“Blue Skies” Cedar Park, 2016

Summer traveling will be starting for many people. Safe journeys everyone!

I took this photo at the elementary school athletic field. My son, Koa, and I went there to throw the baseball and enjoy the outdoors. The clouds had been so interesting for the past few days so I was planning on getting a couple nice photos of them, and when this plane flew by, I snapped one of it between the clouds. I adjusted the exposure levels and color a bit in Lightroom, and also bumped up the clarity.

Cloudy skies

"Cloudy Skies" SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
“Cloudy Skies” SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.

This is a photo from the end of August 2015 when I went on a business trip to Stockholm. The city is beautiful, especially because it is on the water, where reflections can highlight the city and bridges, making for some wonderful photo opportunities. I am not sure exactly how much distance I covered during the days I had free, but the city is so walk-able that it I found it impossible not to just wander around the city. In fact, there were a couple of times where I stepped outside the hotel doors, chose a direction and just started walking. There are even some fantastic routes for running right in the middle of the city, which is so convenient. If you ever have the chance to visit Stockholm, you should!

Being early

Here’s a wonderful post over at Unclutterer all about the benefits of being early.

I try to be early for my appointments, but especially for things like arriving at the airport. I would rather get there an hour earlier than recommended and spend the time reading or getting a bite to eat, than stressing over missing my flight, worrying about traffic, getting stuck in long security lines, etc. In fact, I feel good when I am in a long security line but realize that I have plenty of time and don’t need to stress. Or if traffic backs up unexpectedly (which fortunately Google Maps/Navigation can alleviate), I know I don’t need to worry. I’ll make it in time!

View over Osaka

JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO100
JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.

I miss Japan! Unfortunately, I won’t be traveling there this summer 😢, but perhaps next year! I took this photo from the Tsutenkaku observation deck. In it you can see the tallest building in Osaka prefecture, “Abeno Harukas”.

One thing I love when traveling in Japan is that my wife (who was born and raised in Kansai area of Japan) really takes care of us and we get to do lots of cool things. It’s kind of like we have a tour guide wherever we go! She treats us so well, and for that I am truly grateful. 🙇 You know, I would be happy just hanging out in the city during our visits, but my wife often takes us around the country to see new places (and eat local foods). It’s kind of surprising for me (as someone who grew up in the U.S.) to realize that there are so many regional differences throughout the country of Japan. I love it! So much to explore… 🇯🇵