April First Forever • New York City

Olympus OM-D E-M1 MkII
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

The last of our mini-moons was spent in one of our favorite cities, New York City.  We landed early April 1st, excited to start our 16 year celebration and our first year as a married couple.  Little did we know that heartbreak was around corner.  I vividly remember that day.  Seeing the hurt in my wife's eyes was the most painful feeling.  Her sister, our angel on earth, now the guardian angel of our family.  This was Kate's city as well.  It was in the stars for her to transition to a life in Brooklyn.  Kate reminded us of her constant love for NY, even in our last moments dropping us off to the airport.  

Sony a7rii
Zeiss 35mm + Canon 50mm LTM

It's hard realizing how much someone so special has left us so soon.  Reflecting on these photos 6 months later, it dawned on me how little motivation I had for photography.  Just that sadness took a toll on all of us in different ways.  But it's time to channel these feelings into more photography.  Looking back on these photos, I feel I owe it to my wife and my family to stay motivated in things that drive me to be a better person.  

Sunday Funday

Olympus OM-D E-M1
Canon FD 24mm

Out with the wife celebrating family birthdays.  Thought it'd be fun to take out the E-M1 with the new FD mount glass I picked up.  The AE-1 didn't get a chance to come out the bag, but it was rewarding either way.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
Canon FD 24mm

My favorite little man was there!  We brought along the D-Lux Typ 109 and those quick hands of his started snapping away.  He's easily now my favorite Leica photographer.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
Canon FD 24mm

Meanwhile, my favorite Leica photographer became my favorite Olympus photographer.  Some awesome captures he took of his younger brother.  Good work little man!

Olympus OM-D E-M1
Canon FD 24mm

Few more snaps of the day, just not enough time to get in more.  Still wrapping up the rest of my photos from our Nova Scotia trip.  I'll be getting those up soon, keep an eye out.

Explore • Old Quebec Continued • Canada

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

More exploring our second day in Old Quebec.  The colors were beautiful as expected. I couldn't help but include those fall colors in the frame.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

Had to snap this dude.  He was everywhere we went.  I honestly wanted to ask to see his photos for some inspiration.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

So happy to spend these days away from routine with wifey.  Cheers to 15 years of exploring and getting lost together and to the past 6 months celebrating life together.  On top of that, she has a bad ass camera lol.

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

Some vantage points the wife found.  Thankfully the focal range of the M. Zuiko 12-40mm offers that subtle wide angle to a stunning 80mm focal length (35mm equivalent) providing sharp images wide open at f/2.8.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm

The best part of photographing somewhere foreign to the eye is that everything goes; that overwhelmingness and forgiveness for something new.  Through the years, I've implemented my personal Rule of Content;  Color, Contrast, Concrete, and Culture.  Any two combinations of these C's, help keep my focus and consistency when all you want to do is keep your finger on the shutter.

Explore • Old Quebec • Canada

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8

It's already been two days out here in Canada and only now am I getting the chance to post up some of our explorations. The wife and I have been so excited to take this trip and I still can't believe we're here.  

We took a red-eye flight out of San Diego, one stopover in Toronto, and we out here in Old Quebec, Canada.  Our hotel has a beautiful view of the St. Lawrence River, less than a minute away from the boardwalk.  

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Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8

I couldn't wait to get lost and get some photos with the E-M1.  With the recently announced Mark II, I can feel the refueled excitement back in the Olympus community.  I, too, am so stoked for this release, I've committed to using this bad boy for the next 8 days.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8

Whenever I shoot with an OM-D camera, first thought that comes to mind is color and detail.  Seriously, those warm, green tones right from the camera paired with it's quick auto focus equal an amazing image.  

Olympus OM-D E-M1
M. Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8

Now the E-M1 and lowlight.  Honestly, for my particular taste, it performs perfect for my use, even at handheld.  I'm not a fan of bringing around tripods, but rarely am I out shooting in those types of settings these days.  Wifey and I went out for a night stroll and the ambient light around the city was enough to help capture details of our surroundings.  

The E-M1 still gets the job done.  Sure, only now are we seeing a refresh with the Mark II.  But I applaud Olympus for taking care of their OM-D users.  They've done a solid job keeping OM-D owners happy with numerous firmware updates these past 3 years.  Even with this last update, I couldn't believe the features added to the camera.  And let's be completely honest, there are so many other systems out there these days that refresh constantly, there's not enough time to breathe and a new model will be out.