Since we are approaching the end of the year, I wanted to take a minute to look back on it. 2018 has been full of new opportunities; it has been great.
I have been doing more and more video, because clients have been asking for it, and it keeps me constantly learning. I also did some traveling with my wife this year, to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. We started in Spain, and from there we turned the globe: Turkey, India, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, Los Angeles, before returning to our home to Miami. We had a great time!!
Photography isn't only my profession, it's been my hobby since I can remember. And, since we were going to be visiting some interesting places, I decided to bring along a camera and a few lenses.
I brought a 11-24 mm, a 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm lens; the backpack weighed around 22 pounds—but a little back pain is a small price to pay for the pictures I had the chance to shoot. The 11-24mm was the best lens to bring because, if you know how to use it, you're able to get the coverage a fish eye lens gets, but with almost no distortion.
My wife and I turned the globe. We visited a myriad of cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, New Dehli, Agra, Bali, Sydney, Honolulu and Los Angeles.
Here are a few of my favorites shots:
The first one I took in a mosque in Ankara, Turkey. I begin shooting on my knees, and if no one says anything… a few moments later you will see me lying on the floor. I always try to use the lowest ISO possible, but with the Canon Mark 4 even at ISO800 you will get great detail and almost no grain.
I find it incredibly helpful to have the grid in the viewer, so that way you can build a symmetrical frame. It’s amazing how perfectly built most of the buildings are. If you take a look on @kikorphotos, my Instagram account, you will get more information about each shot.
The 2nd and 3rd photos were shot in Barcelona, at the Palau de la Musica. One can spend a few hours shooting there since it has quite some interesting areas. The only bad thing is that you have to be patient, because it is usually very crowded and you do have to wait a while to get a clean shot.
The 4th picture is from a place that is a paradise for any photographer: Cappadocia. Ideally, one should spend a couple of days visiting this beautiful town, but we only had one day. We were able to get on the hot air balloon for the sunrise; we were lucky that the weather was perfect.
Each place had its magic. India was so much fun to shoot. The Taj Mahal was an experience beyond words. I didn’t have much time to go off and take photos, since the traveling was for a different purpose, but I know I’ll go back just to shoot.
From India, we flew to Bali which has interesting rice fields and temples that are worth visiting. It is very touristic but, if you tour the island, it’s beautiful. From there we flew to Sydney, where I got this fabulous shot with the Opera and it's reflection, the cityscape, and the bridge—in one shot.
Finally, we went to Honolulu, another very touristic but beautiful place; there we were able to relax, after so many days traveling. We ended in Los Angeles, visiting our eldest daughter before returning home to Miami.
Right after we arrived in Miami, I had to leave to the Cayman Islands for a week to shoot a Westin Hotel. There I got this shot of a beautiful Sunset with kids playing. The same day I got back I had to leave for Jacksonville to shoot a wood-mill for 4 days.
Now I get to bear the fruits. It is the nicest moment when you get to sit down and relish in what has been done.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
