I’ll be in Japan March 21 - April 1st celebrating my 40th birthday!

I’m penning this post while flying to Japan to celebrate my 40th birthday. How the time flies? It seems like yesterday I had just arrived in New York at 25 years old. All bright eyed bushy tailed.

15 years? That’s crazy.

It was fifteen fun, chaotic, drama filled, peaceful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, happy, maddening, thrilling, purposeful, educational, and unforgettable years. And now I’m heading out of my 30’s into the big 4-0. Ain’t life something?

Here’s to 40!

And here are the musings:

To Shoot or Not to Shoot (Japan Edition)

I was considering doing a few shoots during my trip, but I’ve been feeling very cautious about it. I have my camera gear with me, but similar to Korea, it can be very challenging finding a good studio to work in in Japan. I’ve scoured the web for days and most are either not suitable, unavailable, or haven’t replied. It’s been making me anxious.

So I decided to take a breath and reconsider. Why do I even need to shoot? It’s okay to take it easy sometimes and just enjoy the trip.

But I’m addicted to photography so I’ll probably shoot something anyway. Lol

The biggest thing I’d like to take away from this trip is just to use it as an opportunity to recenter myself and map out my plans for the rest of the year. The past month has been such a whirlwind of events and shoots, I haven’t been taken care of myself like I should be. Gotta work on that and find the balance again.

My Last Europe Tour Was Amazing

Straight out of camera portrait of the amazing Ksenia Lytvynova in Paris. She is phenomenal. Captured on the Sony A7RV

As amazing as it was grueling, this last trip was by far the most successful. I felt like creatively I was on fire. I was really dialed in. But I’m only half the equation. You’re only as good as the people you work with and all of the models I worked with(some old, some new), were just brilliant. Such talented models and beautiful people. I’ve been blessed to have worked with some of the most amazing women in the world.

It’s humbling to say the least.

I’m going to do an entire post thanking Europe for its influence on my work and motivation, but for now I just have to say it’s really boosted me as an artist. I don’t think I’ll go back for a while, but I know when I do, it’ll push me even farther. Something about that place.

Oh and my Sony A7RV is by far my favorite camera of all time. Out of all the cameras I have ever used, this one really makes my work sing. There has been no other tool that has felt like a true extension of my creative being more than that camera. It is perfect for what I do and how I work.

What Does Turning 40 Feel Like? Or what are my thoughts about it?

I’m embracing it. I’ve been someone who has advocated for people to embrace their age. Each decade represents a different chapter in one’s life and I feel it’s healthy to let go of past self in favor of embracing the new chapter in your life. We have to transition or otherwise we’ll remain mentally, emotionally, hell spiritually stunted if we don’t embrace each stage in life with the respect and duty it deserves.

So that’s where I’m at with it.

40? Let’s go. I feel like the next 5 years will be most creative and productive years. And if so, I’m ecstatic to have arrived at this point.

Blogging on the Go

I’ll be posting regularly during my Japan trip. I’ve set of goal of getting out, exploring the city and taking lots of photos. Just snapshots really, but it will be a good exercise and force me to be a bit more consistent with the blog. Lol

Now I’m going to post this and watch YouTube videos about all the cool things I should do in Japan! Happy Birthdsy to Me!

Thanks for reading!