Prior to purchasing the Leica Q2 this year, I conducted significant research to learn as much as possible about other people's experiences and opinions on such a costly piece of equipment. We're talking about blogs, vlogs, technical YouTube videos, and anything else that will make me happy with my purchase. I eventually bought the camera and I've had no regrets. It's been an incredible joy photography with it, which is difficult to put into words, but I believe Peter McKinnon stated it best, "The Leica's have a look to them, they have a feel, they have a vibe."

Cory Vanderploeg delivers another insightful video. I'm a huge fan of his portrait work, as well as the quantity of information he regularly gives on his Youtube channel about the business side of the trade we all adore, photography. 

"If you can't answer "yes" to all of these things, then you should be charging for your work" he says: 

• Will I use this in my portfolio for years to come?
• Will I end up showing this on Instagram and my social media?
• Will this be on my website?
• Am I going to be proud of this work?

Comuna 13 is still evolving. And the vibrant hillside neighborhood is busier than ever, and you can't properly appreciate the beauty of a place like Comuna 13 until you understand its horrifyingly terrible past and all it has overcome. 

Instead of aimlessly meandering through Comuna 13's wide maze, a tour guide will not only explain the significance and history of the neighborhood's prominent landmarks, but will also expose you to locations you would have otherwise missed discovering on your own. Without this understanding and awareness, a stroll around Comuna 13's streets is reduced to a shallow picture of many works of lovely street art. This neighborhood was at the top of my list to explore during our stay to Medellin because I had read so much about it before even arriving in the country.

As a side note, having the ability to document our entire trip in Medellin with just a curiosity and my freshly purchased Leica Q2 was extremely liberating because how compact the camera is. 

Editorial vibes with Julie 'JAW$' Nelson.

Vision matters. But sometimes you have to dig for a while with no sense of what you’re looking for so that you’ll know it when you see it.

David duChemin was the one photographer I continually resorted to in not only studying his documentary work but also his written words and his thought process when photographing anything way before even having a camera in hand.

I figured out the technical aspects of photographing and I'm still learning to this day, but it's that "no idea what you're looking for" drive until you finally discover what you enjoy photographing, documenting, and creating that has kept me inspired to pick up my camera everyday and I without question attribute him to instilling that in me through his writing.

If you've ever struggled to figure out which questions to ask your clients on the phone, or if you've ever felt stuck when it comes to pricing, I highly recommend listening to this short but insightful podcast episode MIDCONVO with Ed and Paul. I always appreciate it when other creatives share not only the tools they use to create, but also the business side of things, because it's not something that's typically discussed.

I finally had the chance to connect with a New York-based personal trainer that I've admired for a long time. The one and only Julie 'JAW$' Nelson.

Paintings, sculptures, and art in general are sometimes labored over in the stillness of an artist's studio for months or even years before being seen anyplace. Most individuals, I believe, would never get the opportunity to see behind the scenes of these studios, but thanks to a combination of pure curiosity and Instagram, I was able to pay Emilio Perez, a Cuban-American artist residing in New York, a visit after seeing his work online. Surprisingly, his Brooklyn studio, which is more akin to a full-fledged residence, is close to studios I've rented for personal photoshoots in the past, so I was well acquainted with the neighborhood.

There was a time when I connected more with local artists, but somewhere along the way of discovering myself as a photographer, I lost touch with that camaraderie of what it means to exchange ideas, processes, and recognize that inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, such as the person in front of you and not always within a glaring small screen.

There are times when I feel more like a sociologist or anthropologist than a photographer, when taking images is motivated by a desire to learn more about someone else rather than simply having something pleasant to share at the end of the day and visiting Emilio at his studio was certainly one of those instances. 

I was recently in Florida for a photoshoot with a friend, but I flew in a day early to take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with Annie Cooper, with whom I had the pleasure of working earlier in 2021. Annie is such an incredible athlete and is so active on social media that I find myself bookmarking so much of the useful material she gives as a reference for future training. 

Life rarely changes in a positive way without an increase in responsibility. That can mean taking ownership of your health or committing to a relationship or starting a business. Whatever it is, if you want the trajectory to change, the amount of responsibility usually has to change.

It's impossible to envision how this reality does not relate to some aspect of our lives in this very moment.We all have personal goals and objectives that we want to reach, but it's important to consider how whatever action you're likely to take to attain them will almost certainly need you to take on more responsibility, no matter how appealing it is to simply stay in the shade. In terms of my photography, there's a lot of newness going on behind the scenes, including increased risk and responsibility, but I can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. It's the way the world works.

I recollect the news of Anthony Bourdain's death vividly back in 2018 and the way it destroyed everyone's day with unexpectedly widespread impact. To me, he was more than just an author and a host, above all, he was a guide. 

He taught you how to communicate with people regardless of their native language. He taught you how to savor different cuisines without being afraid of them, something that we have the liberty and endless option to do living here in New York. Even if you didn't have the financial means or the will to go on these journeys, Bourdain taught you to perceive the world as a large and intriguing menu to be savored in good company. 

I recently finished reading a book entitled In the Weeds by Tom Vitale who was Bourdain's long time director and producer. In it, he “takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the insanity of filming television in some of the most volatile places in the world and what it was like to work with a legend.” Clinging to every word, every tale in the book was a true thrill since, aside from his show and documentary on Tony's life, it's the closest thing to understanding who he was as a person when the cameras were off. 

Despite all of the shared experiences throughout the book, I can't help but return to this phrase, which, strangely enough, occurs at the end of a chapter in which Tom muses on Tony's death:

“After Tony died, one of the first thing people ask is if he left a note. I was horrified when I realized that I’ve been unwittingly helping him make one for 16 years.”

There's just too much good stuff here, so take your time reading it. You'll need it, not because of the list's length, but because of its depth. Here’s some of my favorite:

• “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. At your funeral people will not recall what you did; they will only remember how you made them feel.”
• “Don’t create things to make money; make money so you can create things. The reward for good work is more work.”
• “Train employees well enough they could get another job, but treat them well enough so they never want to.”
  
• “Your passion in life should fit you exactly; but your purpose in life should exceed you. Work for something much larger than yourself.”
  
• “Bad things can happen fast, but almost all good things happen slowly.”