14 days, 2050 miles of driving, 6 national parks in southern Utah and northern Arizona, and a few extra attractions. Prepare yourselves. Continue reading Red Rocks
Category Archives: Photography
Wedding Season 2019
It’s summer in my mid-to-late 20s, so you know what that means: it’s wedding season! Being invited to take photos at three of my friends’ special days is such an honor that I’ll remember forever, and not only because I have literally thousands more photos of them than anyone else… Continue reading Wedding Season 2019
2018 in Retrospect
Hi folks! Sorry for the silence. 2018 has come and gone. Here I am doing my annual public reflection before a Sat-Sun night shift.
The Traverse Traversed
Two years ago, four of my friends and I attempted the Presidential Traverse: a formidable hike that links together eight peaks in the White Mountains of New Hampshire: Mounts Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce (and sometimes Jackson). The hike didn’t go well. We were thwarted by gastroenteritis, impenetrable fog, and a thunderstorm that forced us to bail halfway. I vowed to return. Continue reading The Traverse Traversed
March around Iceland
Iceland. Land of Ice and Fire.
As a subarctic volcanic island, Iceland looks so unreal because its volcanic rock and black sand are contrasted by pristine snow and ice. Everywhere you turn, you can see where the geologically young island is being battered by water in many forms—the ocean, the glaciers, the waterfalls. Moreover, Iceland’s disturbing lack of trees makes it look even more alien. Instead, the land is studded with glaciers, moors, jagged cliffs, eroding mountains, and mossy lava fields. Continue reading March around Iceland
Iceland Tips
I did loads of research for a thorough road trip around Iceland. This is what I’ve got in text form, but contact me and I’ll happily rave about the place. I’m organizing all my photos for a photo book, but I’ll see how that shapes up for a website post.
Tips for Traveling in Iceland
General: Iceland, a land of raw natural attractions, is quite rural but weirdly tourist-friendly with hotels everywhere. It is always cold but not super cold (20s in winter, low 50s in summer), but Icelandic weather is notoriously fickle.
Seasons: High season is May-Aug., filled with lush greens, sheep, midnight sun, and way too many tourists. Winter has a genuine winter wonderland feel, but days are short, and many roads and trails are closed. You can chase aurora (forecaster: http://en.vedur.is/, but I estimate only 25% chance that clouds and solar conditions favor you) and do wintry tours like snowmobiling, dog-sledding, or ice caves, but pursue commercial tours at your own peril. March/April, when I went, is thawing season, so it’s muddy.
Where to go: Read below but also I MADE A THOROUGH MAP. Reykjavik, the only city, is in the southwest. Visit, in order of priority: the south coast, the nearby Golden Circle loop, the western Snæfellsnes peninsula, the northern Mývatn region, the southern highlands (if summer), the distant northwestern Westfjords, the Eastfjords. Reykjavik itself needs only a day at most. Blue Lagoon? If you like luxury spas, then definitely go. However, wading in mining runoff amongst hundreds of tourists in the least Icelandic attraction for $100 was not for me. Continue reading Iceland Tips
2017 in Retrospect
2017 was strange mix of freedom, commitment, and uncertainty. Never in med school have I had so much unscheduled time, during which I committed to and hacked away at several big projects. Meanwhile, I also made enormous binding decisions, the result of which still floats in a cloud of vague possible futures…
Autumn in Central Park
Autumn in Central Park is such an idyllic scene. Vibrant foliage, characteristic New York props, and convenient proximity makes it an ideal place for a magazine-style photoshoot, so my ridiculously photogenic friends (and also classmate) did just that! Continue reading Autumn in Central Park