Video

Shooting Beautiful Landscapes on my iPhone X

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This week I’ve made two YouTube videos on my experience with the iPhone X as a photography tool!

The first video talks about how, ever since I upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone X, I’ve been leaving my Sony A7RII at home more, for reasons including improved image processing, the telephoto lens, 4K video at 24p and 60p, portrait mode, and RAW shooting and editing. If you’re into the more technical side of things and been wondering if you should upgrade from a previous generation iPhone, this is the episode for you!

The second video talks about how my most popular landscape photo on social media this year was shot on an iPhone X and what that unexpected occurrence taught me. In this video I address the issue of the gap that exists between how we regard our work and how the audience receives it by digging into the question: If an iPhone photo that took me seconds to capture and edit is more popular than photos that took so much more effort to shoot and process, does that mean that the effort I put into the latter actually doesn’t matter?

Hope you enjoy and learn something from this week’s twin episodes! The truth is that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the iPhone X as compared to my iPhone 6 and have gotten surprisingly good results from it. Check out my current gallery of iPhone X photos below (click on each image to see larger):

A morning in Sagada. iPhone X JPG, telephoto lens.

Elevated view of Bontoc. iPhone X JPG, telephoto lens, unedited.

Flying into Siargao. iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

Spectacular morning landing in Rome. iPhone X RAW DNG shot and edited Lightroom CC mobile.

Tappiya Falls, Batad. iPhone X live photo converted to long exposure.

Dead tree on Sabang Beach, Baler. iPhone X live photo converted to long exposure.


The Straight Life Path is a Lie, Don't Feel Bad If You're Not On It

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Most of us have been told to live life in a certain way, but the truth is that there are so many ways to live a good life.

This is another short, off-the-cuff episode where I talk about how the straight life path most of us are expected to follow can become a source of unnecessary angst that hinders you from fully living the kind of life you choose. I cite another passage from Getting There: A Book of Mentors that many of my Instagram followers responded to a few days ago that shares the words of Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company.

Links:

Getting There: A Book of Mentors [affiliate link]

Lazy Dog Homestay Baguio

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

How Instagram Makes You Feel Uninspired

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This week I share some ways that Instagram, despite the amount of opportunities and inspiration it provides, actually becomes a hindrance to creating after spending a lot of time on it.

I'm always searching for inspiration and new ideas, and Instagram is one of the easiest places to find it for visual art. But oftentimes it has the opposite effect on me, for reasons that in many ways correspond to how it makes you feel bad about your life.

About my channel: Aside from my films, I post weekly videos about life an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning and doing will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

This episode what shot in The Seedling Eco-Retreat and Artist Residency at Sagada, Mountain Province, in the Philippines.

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoL430ePuoPY70T9B0aLPNqH0jkyen2-

How to Advance Your Photography Career By Shooting What You Love

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Today I share one of my favorite photographers' story on how focusing on shooting what you love can lead to your dream career in photography.

Chris Burkard is one of the world's most well-known and successful adventure photographers and his advice is simple: SHOOT WHAT YOU LOVE.

Welcome to my channel! Aside from my films, I post weekly videos about life an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning and doing will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

Read the full interview with Chris Burkard here.

Watch his amazing film Under an Arctic Sky on Netflix.

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

How to Come Up With Ideas When You're Not Naturally Creative

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How do you think of original ideas if you're not naturally creative? I learned that a simple change of mindset can unlock the creativity we all are capable of.

About my YouTube channel: Aside from my films, I post weekly dispatches from my life as an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning, doing, and dealing with will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

My main resource for this episode is The Creative Thinker's Toolkit by Professor Gerard Puccio from The Great Courses on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Creati...

Matt Bellasai's Skillshare class on Writing Shareable Content: https://skl.sh/2OLpZJN

My film "No English" with Polish artist Agnieszka Rowińska: https://vimeo.com/248093730

Follow Agnieszka on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnieszka.r...

Watch other episodes of The Artist Life here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

The Best Advice I Ever Received as a Young Artist

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In this week’s episode, I share a piece of advice my mentor gave me a decade ago that’s led to living a life I could only have dreamed of.

If you’re new to my channel, I post weekly dispatches from my life as an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning, seeing, doing, and dealing with will be helpful to you on your own journey, either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life. If that sounds good to you, please don’t forget to subscribe here!

Watch the other episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

This week, I had the chance to be a guest speaker at a Social Media Symposium at Holy Angel University in Angeles, Pampanga, alongside (much more famous) Filipino social media personalities including Nate Punzalan, Benedict Cua, Jericho Arceo, and Mr. Speaks. I was able to share with them some of my experiences as a young artist, including the key, life-changing piece of advice I received from my mentor right at the beginning of my career.

Thanks to Sorrento Sunwear for the awesome polarized shades!

My super cool Polish Milky Way t-shirt is from Pan Tu Nie Stał (not sponsored).

Thanks for watching and I’ll catch you again next week!

Launching a new weekly series on YouTube!

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Excited to officially launch my new weekly series on YouTube today! Starting today, I'll be posting weekly content, consisting mainly of dispatches from my life of an emerging artist, in the hopes that the things I'm learning, seeing, doing, and dealing with will be helpful to you on your own journey either as an artist or a person who wants to live a more creative and fulfilling life.

Today I share some of my favorite passages from Jeff Goins's book, Real Artists Don't Starve, and relate it to my own experience of trying to make it as an independent artist.

Thanks for watching and I’ll catch you again next week!

Buy the book here - Real Artists Don't Starve by Jeff Goins http://a.co/d/5RBFIXz

Watch my South America video, an ode to solo travel: https://youtu.be/K7Sbq81K88E

Christine Herrin's Instagram account: http://Instagram.com/christine.herrin

Travel With a Difference - Tribes & Treks Zambales with MAD Travel & The Circle Hostel

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Documenting my experience on the Tribes & Trikes tour in Zambales with MAD (Make a Difference) Travel and The Circle Hostel. It was a lovely day out starting with a 90-minute flat trek, followed by an environmental briefing and tree-planting.

Walking on the river to keep cooler on this very hot day

Carabao carts help to haul gear during the 90-minute hike

Walking with a view of the Zambales mountains

Enzo enjoying a ride on an uncooperative carabao

Our group after tree-planting on Tribes & Treks

After tree-planting, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Sitio Yangil, to share a day with the Aetas. In the process, we also learned about the local medicinal herbs, got a native archery lesson, and participated in some traditional song and dance.

We then ended the day with a perfect sunset at the beach nearby.

Signature Zambales sunset at the end of our Tribes & Treks tour

All in all, a highly recommended tour for someone looking for more than the usual tourist experience and wanting to contribute to local community and environmental preservation.

    Here's a description of the program from MAD Travel:

    MAD Travel is a social tourism platform which inspires people from all over the world to have fun and Make A Difference in the Philippines. We create alternative travel experiences that bring together people from different walks of life to share their time and talent, and to inspire each other to build a kinder, fairer world.

    Walang Iwanan, or ensuring that no one is left behind, is at the centre of all that we do. Our organization and our guests give their best to the poor, so the poor may rise to achieve their best. Working in close partnership with Gawad Kalinga, an award-winning local NGO that has already built 2,500 communities for the poorest Filipinos, we aim to achieve goals and objectives that are valued and determined by the communities we seek to serve.

    The Tribes and Treks sustainable development program aims to connect people with the land through Tourism, feed the people sustainably through Agriculture, and save Mother Earth through Reforestation. Every guest will plant trees to help build a 3000-hectare rain forest, food security forest (animals, fruits and veggies) and medical forest. So far, they have planted around 18,000 seedlings as of December 2017, but with your help, we can do more!

    Tribes and Treks Zambales is a joint partnership of Mad Travel, The Circle Hostel with the Municipality of San Felipe, Zambales, and the Hineleban Foundation.  To learn more about this trip, visit the following:

    MAD Travel: Website     Facebook     Instagram

    The Circle Hostel: Website     Facebook     Instagram

    Equipment used:

    • Sony A7RII
    • Sony RX100IV
    • Zhiyun Crane v2
    • Rode Videomic 2
    • MeFoto RoadTrip Tripod

    The Light in the North - 4K Northwest Iceland Time-lapse Film + Behind-the-scenes Vlog

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    It's finally here! Exploring a place of ever-changing sunsets and strange, beautiful light, THE LIGHT IN THE NORTH is a time-lapse film shot over two months in the transition from autumn to winter in a single remote town between a mountain and the sea in northwest Iceland. Produced during the Nes Artist Residency in Skagaströnd, Iceland.

    Watch the behind-the-scenes here:

     

    Gear used:

    Sony A7RII
    Sony 24-240 f/3.5-6.3
    Samyang 24mm f/1.4
    Samyang 14mm f/2.8
    Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8
    Sony RX100IV
    Edelkrone SliderPlus XL with Action Module
    MeFoto RoadTrip Tripod
    Varavon Battery Pack for A7 series

    Edited using LRTimelapse, Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, and FCP X

    72 Hours in Armenia

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    72 Hours in Armenia

    Prior to doing the Grand Trans-Siberian Express, we went on a whirlwind three-day tour of Armenia. Like most people from this part of the world, I had very little, if any, preconceptions about Armenia, and what I found is a country with a deep, ancient history, fierce pride, and beautiful people. I hope to have captured some of that experience in the video above.

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