Tag: beaches

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Cliff Jumping at South Point (Big Island, Hawaii, USA)

Cliff jumping at the southernmost point in the U.S. -- South Point, Hawaii's Big Island

Cliff jumping at the southernmost point in the U.S. -- South Point, Hawaii's Big Island

I’m afraid of heights, so when we started talking about visiting South Point, I didn’t think I’d be jumping off any cliffs. I just wanted to see the southernmost point of the U.S.

But one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew I was splashing into the water. It was absolutely terrifying. But also exhilarating. And I don’t regret it one bit!

Thinking of trying cliff jumping yourself? Find out what you’re in for here!

Continue reading “Cliff Jumping at South Point (Big Island, Hawaii, USA)”

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U.S. Road Trip Re-Cap: Weeks Nine, Ten, Eleven & Twelve (Chicago & Oshkosh)

North to South U.S. road trip recap weeks nine, ten, eleven and twelve

North to South U.S. road trip recap weeks nine, ten, eleven and twelve

Two months of nearly non-stop road-tripping exhausted us, so we decided to take a break.

We wanted some time to relax, regroup, and work on our blogs, and to do that, we needed to stay still. Luckily, we were traveling around the midwest at the time, and my twin brother had a room available for rent in his Chicago apartment. So we settled down for a full month and used the time to explore Chicago more, set new goals for our projects, dabble in some artistic hobbies, and even launch a new business. See what else we accomplished during our month-long road trip break in Chicago below!

Note: I’m still catching up on our weekly road trip re-caps! This one covers July 5 – August 1.  Continue reading “U.S. Road Trip Re-Cap: Weeks Nine, Ten, Eleven & Twelve (Chicago & Oshkosh)”

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Shot of the Week: Encantada por el Mar, Enchanted by the Sea (Acapulco, México)

Shot of the Week: El Encanto del Mar (Acapulco, Mexico)

Shot of the Week: El Encanto del Mar (Acapulco, Mexico)

“Wait, what?… How did you….?” This is the typical response we hear when someone sees these photos.

Last weekend, we were invited to Acapulco by our new Mexican friends Rodrigo and Lu, and we met Mónica (the one pictured here) along the way. The five of us had an eventful weekend, complete with ocean splashing and wedding crashing, and the last sunset of our visit found us along the shore with bellies full of fish (we had a delicious dinner beforehand) and a plan to make some fun levitation portraits.

We raced the setting sun to capture the perfect shot, with no time to pause to review our results. In the end, we had some great shots to choose from. And let me tell you, that’s impressive — it’s damn hard to look relaxed when you’re floating four feet above the ground. This week’s post wouldn’t be complete without a photo of each of us being “enchanted by the sea,” so continue on to view them all!

This photo was taken on Sunday, March 22nd with the Sony a7 II and 35mm f/2.8 lens.  Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Encantada por el Mar, Enchanted by the Sea (Acapulco, México)”

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Shot of the Week: Sunset Surfer (Playa Espadilla, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)

Shot of the Week: Sunset Surfer at Playa Espadilla in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Shot of the Week: Sunset Surfer at Playa Espadilla in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Last week we concluded our month-long adventure in Costa Rica and headed onward to Mexico City. But before we left Costa Rica, we paid a visit to Manuel Antonio National Park.

It was the first time we’d ever gone swimming in an ocean at a national park. The sun was shining, the water was warm, and there were tons of monkeys jumping from tree to tree along the shore. We spent three days in the Manuel Atonio/Quepos area (see the place we stayed on our list of preferred accommodations), and we spent time at a different beach each day: the first at a private beach, the second in the park, and the third at Playa Espadilla, just outside the park entrance.

This photo of a surfer heading out into the waves during the last light of the day was taken on that third beach day, at Playa Espadilla, with the Sony a7 II and 35mm f/2.8 lens. (Continue to view full photo).  Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Sunset Surfer (Playa Espadilla, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)”

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Shot of the Week: Hump Day Jump Day (Malibu, USA)

Shot of the Week: Diana jump at Zuma Beach in Malibu, California

Shot of the Week: Diana jump at Zuma Beach in Malibu, California

The two of us have been keeping VERY busy this week prepping for the launch of our new photography website, The Photon Collective. As a result, we’ve visited a variety of landscapes. Lake Tahoe over the weekend, Rocky Peak on Monday… And on Wednesday, it was the beach, in my old college town of Malibu, California.

This week’s photo is a shot of me jumping as the daylight faded away at Zuma Beach. We’d just finished capturing some footage for our website’s video teaser, which we cut together last night! (Keep reading for the video at the bottom of this post.)

The above photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Sony 55mm f/1.8.  Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Hump Day Jump Day (Malibu, USA)”

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Shot of the Week: Bonsai Beach Winter Sunset (Lake Tahoe, USA)

Shot of the Week: Bonsai Beach Winter Sunset (Lake Tahoe, USA)

Bonsai Beach Winter Sunset (Lake Tahoe, USA)

We’ve been spending this past week up around Lake Tahoe, and it’s been amazing! Since it hasn’t been brutally cold this trip, we’ve enjoyed the outdoors quite a bit: skiing, flying in a seaplane, taking photos… it’s been super relaxing. (And our little Yaris is doing just fine with no snow or ice on the roads!) When choosing this week’s photo, I wanted to share the chilly, calm feeling of winter in Lake Tahoe, and I think this shot captures it perfectly.

This week’s shot is a photo of me that Ian took this afternoon.  We were out shooting photos near the infamous Bonsai Rock along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe. (Said rock is the large rock on the left side of the photo. It’s hard to see with the lack of light, but there’s a small tree growing out of the top of the rock, giving Bonsai Rock its name.) While Ian took photos, I had a good time rock-hopping like a 5-year-old! And with the low lake level this season, my favorite winter boots kept my feet dry when I landed in the water near the shore.

The above photo was taken with the Sony a7s and Sony E 10-18 f/4 OSS and edited with the Down preset from The Quantum Collection, our free pack of Lightroom presets available beginning February 10, 2015 on our new photo website, The Photon Collective.

Continue reading “Shot of the Week: Bonsai Beach Winter Sunset (Lake Tahoe, USA)”

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Salton Sea, California, USA

Salton Sea, California, USA on northtosouth.us

Salton Sea, California, USA on northtosouth.us

June 1, 2014

ABOUT THE SALTON SEA

This vast, shallow desert lake is the largest in California, with higher salinity levels than the Pacific Ocean. With no outflow, salinity levels continue to rise, creating an ecosystem in which few species of fish can live.

Salton Sea, California, USA on northtosouth.us

After our weekend camping trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, we visited the Salton Sea in Salton City, California, near the middle of the lake on the western side.
Continue reading “Salton Sea, California, USA”

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Avoiding the Busy Tourist Season in Eraclea Mare, Italy [TRAVEL JOURNAL]

Eraclea Mare beach, Eraclea Mare, Italy

Eraclea Mare beach, Eraclea Mare, Italy
Above: Eraclea Mare beach on a May evening, Eraclea Mare, Italy

In May Eraclea Mare is a serene oceanfront destination, especially for those who despise the touristy beach scene. It may be busy in summer, but in spring we had the beach all to ourselves! Read on to find out how we spent our time during our five-day stay in Eraclea Mare.  Continue reading “Avoiding the Busy Tourist Season in Eraclea Mare, Italy [TRAVEL JOURNAL]”