I sit down at the dining room table together with my wife and friends, our laptops open in front of us. We’re at my friend’s parent’s country home for the weekend, and we’re there to work. Each of us has a written package to put together as part of our (shodan) black belt submission. (more…)
Today I’m going to be reviewing a useful product for DSLR photographers: the Hoya neutral density filter. It’s a product I personally use in my own photography, and one I wouldn’t hesitate to stand behind. (more…)
Earlier, I wrote a post about five must-read books for martial artists. I’m a big fan of broadening your knowledge of a subject if you’re serious about it, and reading about others’ perspectives is one of the best ways to do that. (more…)
This is the fifth post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.
Alright everyone, today we’re going to dive into one of my favourite styles of photography, the long exposure. Long exposure photography is extremely versatile, and I had a tough go of it trying to pick a header photo to walk through with you today. I’ve got a real winner picked out though, so let’s jump in! (more…)
This post is the fifth entry in my Karate Life Lessons Series, a collection of posts that examines how lessons learned training in the martial arts translate into other areas of life as well. You can read the previous entry here.
What is karate training, exactly? One way to look at it is that, at its core, karate training is preparation to deal with a situation you hope will never actually materialize: one where you need to defend yourself against an attacker. (more…)
This is the fourth post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.
Today, we’re going to dive into the world of portrait photography. This isn’t my strong suit when it comes to shooting; I know a good portrait when I see it though, and today we’ve got a good one! Here are the things that make it a standout in my eyes. (more…)
This post is the fourth entry in my Karate Life Lessons Series, a collection of posts that examines how lessons learned training in the martial arts translate into other areas of life as well. You can read the previous entry here.
I noticed something while I was training the other day. I realized I can do something that I’m not sure I could do before I began my training. See, I train with a good group of people in my dojo, and I like to have fun and laugh a bit while I train.
But the dojo’s a place of training first, and socializing takes second stage to that goal. What I found interesting though, is that I could go from laughing one moment, to completely serious and full intensity the next, and then back again, like flipping a switch.
Great. Who cares? (more…)
If you train in a martial art, you may already be doing some reading on topics related to what you’re studying. If not, you’re missing out. Martial arts books won’t make you a better fighter by themselves, make no mistake. But we both know there’s more to training than fighting… right? (more…)
The real name for this lens is the Canon EF-S 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 IS STM. Woah that’s a lot of acronyms! Canon (and most lens makers, to be honest) has a habit of throwing all kinds of technical jargon in its lens names, and trying to read a review of these lenses is honestly a test of most people’s sanity. I love this lens though, so I wanted to provide a review of why exactly I like it so much. Better still for most of the people who will be looking to buy it, I’m going to do it from a non-technical perspective. No technical data charts, no lofty terminology, just a plain and simple perspective on what, in my opinion, makes the lens great. (more…)
This is the third post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.
I promised last time that the next post in this series would focus on a wide-angle landscape shot, and I think we’ve got a beauty to work with today. This fantastic shot was taken by Frank Köhntopp, and it’s got a lot going for it. Let’s dive in, shall we? (more…)
