04Feb 2016 by Tommy No Comments

Japan – A Travel Report

Travel

Japan Where to begin when broaching something as large as Japan? I personally have always been interested in the country because of their rich history and culture, and have since my first visit there studied a few semesters of the Japanese language. Which might be an indication that I really enjoyed my stay there. In an effort to minimise my ramblings this post will be divided into sections and since there is far to much to write about this will be about Japan in general. More about specific things you can do, destinations etc. will be in separate posts. The Climate Japan has a mainly temperate climate but it varies greatly because of the country length. From the northernmost Hokkaido with cold winters and cool summers to Okinawa in the south with a subtropical climate. Therefore…

14Jan 2016 by Tommy No Comments

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 Review

Review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 The DMC-GM5 was my introduction into the world of mirrorless and micro 4/3 cameras. The reason for my choice was that it filled my main criteria at the time which were picture quality, portability and a viewfinder. This was because I had noticed that my Nikon DSLR had remained at home far to often recently because of the space and weight it took up. It often lead to me have to care an extra bag since it did't fit in with the rest of the gear I often had to take with me when we went climbing, hiking or whatever else. Which made it sometimes feel like more of a bother than the joyous thing it should be. At the time the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 was the smallest available…

14Jan 2016 by Tommy No Comments

Travel

Travel is in my experience the best way to broaden your horizons. There is no better or faster way to learn things about different cultures or places than to actually go there and experiencing them in person. Although prior knowledge of your destination is most often a good thing but in my opinion the actual learning doesn't start until you are. Books, movies or articles is simply no substitute for the real thing, they can't impart the nuances or emotions of a place or a people. They can try an explain them, but they can't impart them. Only the real thing can. But travel doesn't only make you learn things about your surroundings but it also helps you grow as a person. Because, let's face it, doing the same thing…

13Jan 2016 by Tommy No Comments

Photography

Experiencing the world through a lens can give it another dimension. By this I don't mean that you should go through your day with your eyes glued to a viewfinder or lcd screen instead of actually being there in the moment. But in my experience I can often find myself being surprised by how beautiful, breathtaking, exhilarating or interesting something actually was when viewing photos I've taken. If nothing else photography can give you a reason to stop up and soak in the moment. It could be something as easy as framing a view or sunset on the beach, something we probably all done once or twice, or capturing a moment of a activity such as climbing or road racing. It can shed an entirely new light on things we've done or seen a…