Monday Inspiration

"Nothing happens unless first a dream." 

―Carl Sandburg

Let Yourself Go

Music is equally important for me as photography is and I'm really picky when it comes to music. I don't like just one particular genre of music; I actually like many. Not so much into the mainstream stuff as I'm more into artists who create their own road for themselves rather than following someone else's.

Ronlad Jenkees is one of them. Definitely unique and does it right to create music when letting himself loose on his machines. Check out his latest stuff here.

On Top of the World in Dubai

A lot has happened over the course of these past few months that sometimes it's difficult knowing what to post and when. You know when you're just overwhelmed with many ideas but don't know where to start so you just end up sitting on them? That's exactly how I feel about these posts.

So let me just start right here: Dubai.

I traveled to the UAE last April on the worst airline ever (Air China) and would never use them again even if it's the cheapest. With that being said, it was my first time over there and had one of the best times of my life. I couldn't believe I didn't make it a priority to visit much sooner rather than later. Met many good people there from the taxi drivers, waiters, to random strangers. Dubai kinda reminds me a whole lot like Las Vegas in a way.

The above photo was taken atop of the world's tallest building at the Burj Khalifa. When people post photos up from some building with a caption that they are "standing on top of the world," they're total baloney.

On the trip I packed the 5D Mark III body, one flash, 16-35 2.8, 24-70 2.8, and 50 1.8 into my Domke F-2. Ended up using the 16-35 in the city and the 24-70 for the desert most of the time. Photography is rich in Dubai and I believe there is so much to photograph there.

Sadly, my 5-month-old $2,600 MacBook Pro (along with my 16-35 F2.8L lens) was stolen from me shortly after I arrived back in Tokyo, and so what also went along with it are the rest of my Dubai photos. The only picture I bring back is the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa.

Shit happens in life... you can either let mishaps pull you down or you can climb back up that rocky mountain while the others prefer to remain safe on the ground. As with photography being a career about failure, I've learned a ton by doing this for a living and will continue to climb up the mountain at a faster pace. Something I have still having trouble convincing myself is that I live a life that works well for me where I'm all about it rather than just talking about it. I have zero debt and rarely use credit cards so Dubai round two here we go again.

Modest Street Fashion

Ray, Mohammed Langston Hues, or Langston Hues has been a good friend of mine since way back in the day. We first initially connected over the internet and then he came over to Japan from Detroit, Michigan where we both got the chance to meet face to face. As we both share a lot common interests like skateboarding, music, fashion, traveling, and photography, we got around to hanging out a ton in Japan. This all happened back in early 2007 and I actually haven't seen him since until just the other night.

Seven years later I met up with Ray (R) along with some new friends Brandon (L) and Alaa (C) as he was only in Tokyo for a night. We headed for a sheesha lounge to catch up on life and it is amazing to see how much Ray has grown as a person both personally and professionally.

He runs this popular movement called Modest Street Fashion, which is a collection of photographs that commemorate the emerging culture of modest street style that has erupted around the world - particularly Muslim fashion. There are tons of "street fashion" blogs out there but I like this one because it's super niche.

Ray has been traveling the world photographing people on the streets and has gotten a lot of media coverage regarding his Modest Street Fashion project. One particular interview that I'm deeply honored to hear is Ray's interview on BFM 89.9 The Business Station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Listen to it here. At the 6:53 mark, my name was mentioned for some reason as being a mentor or inspiration to Ray's photography work. Although I've been shooting full-time professionally since 2008 (which is not that long at all), I still don't think I have enough street cred to label myself has being either a mentor or inspiration to someone else. But I guess for me to change someone's life by doing what I love, even if it's just one single person, is all that matters to me at the end of the day. Money, being present in the crowd of cool people, and the number Likes don't mean a damn thing for what I do but to turn someone's life around is everything for me.

www.modeststreetfashion.com. Check it out.

Let Us Roam - Atiba Jefferson

Skateboarding has played an important part in my life up until now. Even though I can't go out and hit the streets with my board as often as I'd like to, skateboarding will always be a part of me until I die. Within that industry comes with some influential people like photographer Atiba Jefferson.

Atiba is one of the handful of photographers out there that truly inspire me to keep on doing what I’m doing. Although I haven’t gotten the chance to connect with him in person yet, I’m sure that day will come some time soon.

Reflection of a Photograph

I made a series of pictures last week of a friend of mine whose a full-time model from France. Don't recall me ever playing with reflections before but I thought this photo worked out for the most part.

Shot with the 5D III and 50 F1.4. 125th @ F3.2, ISO 400.