When I was 18, I took my first international trip to Baja Mexico with my mom to go kayaking down a stretch of the peninsula, ending with some amazing sights of grey whales. Each year, the whales migrate south to give birth in several bays along the coast – this helps keep the baby whales safe from predators in the ocean when they are first born.

In any case, it was perfect timing to head down there this year, and reports had said that there were more whales than they had ever seen before – so naturally it clicked in my mind that I had to go, one way or another.

I posted the idea to a local travel group I belong to on Facebook – the only time I had available was the next day. Within a few hours, we had our group set up. Naturally, as with anything one tries to plan…things come up.

Dan flaked.

Jason attempted to flake out of fear of the weather. (It was predicted that the entire day would be covered in rain.)

Tim persisted and made things happen. Jason ended up being pretty stoked (you’ll find out why later.)

So Jason, Andrew, and I headed out of San Diego come around 5:30 AM. We had about 10 hours of driving time to get down to the location that was best for whale watching, so the majority of the trip was actually spent here:

And most of what we saw consisted of this:

The Xterra handled it like a champ, and we even talked our way out of a speeding ticket after Jason nailed some speed bumps going about 90 mph

We came across this crazy field filled with these little red succulents

There was this random cactus in the middle of the field, so naturally I posed for my next album cover

Right behind it there was a ditch that randomly had a beehive living in it.  Here’s Jason wondering how this all came to be.

Jason Kirby starring in, “Barbed Wire”

While in search of a lighthouse, we came across this abandoned building.  Inside there was all sorts of trash and graffiti, and also there just so happened to be a noose!  Naturally, Jason pretended to hang himself and together we made noosing.com (check it out to see the photo)

Crashed out in the car.  Andrew woke us up about 5 times with his snoring AKA yelling during the night.  Woke up to a killer sunrise.

Majestic as f*ck.

Thought about burning one of these down the night before.  Would have made a good fire.

We left for the boat station and waited for about 2 hours to go out in a panga (panga is like a small motor/rowboat).  It was pouring rain and none of the guides wanted to go out in the storm.  Jason gave me the evil eye.

After about 10 more minutes, one of the guides was brave enough to venture out with us.  Luck would have it now, we had our own private boat.

Sure enough, saw some whales.

The mother whale is so stoked to get rid of such a large amount of weight that she’ll jump out of the water (spy-hopping) and the baby is so pumped on life they want to come right up and say hello.

(mother & baby on left – stoked mother spy-hopping on right)

After Jason’s incident in Iceland, we all joked about the idea of jumping on a whale and riding it.  After feeling one of the mother whales gently “lift” our boat while underneath it, we decided it probably wasn’t the best idea.

Jason actually managed to pet a baby whale from its nose all the way to the tip of its tail while it swam by him.  After doing this, he gave me a look that said, “okay dude, this was worth it – you were right.  thanks for kicking me in the ass when I tried to flake”

Our stoic boat guide, Felix.

Andrew pumped that he snagged some killer video with his GoPro and McGuyver rigged light stand.

As you may remember me saying earlier – it was raining pretty hard earlier in the morning.  To protect our gear, we put on some trash bags in hopes of the material shielding our gear while we were out on the boat.  While I think an average photographer might be afraid of taking their camera out in the rain, I think we all knew these were the kind of moments our cameras were made for.

Land-ho!  Spent about an hour and a half out in the water – at some points there were whales circling all around us.  Was an awesome experience seeing these huge animals in their natural habitat, and having the ability to get up close and personal with them.

Excelsior!!

Mission accomplished.  Time to head back to San Diego for work the next day.

On our way out, we came across this crazy red lagoon that we thought might be fun to take photos of.

As we walked further and further, the sight got cooler and cooler.  We didn’t put this together, but the area was home to one of the largest salt-flats in the world.  If you’ve heard about the one in Bolivia, you know these make for some awesome photos.

The salt looks like snow, but it’s actually pretty hard – it hurt your feet to walk on it.

Jason bitched out and decided not to venture out with us past this little river above because he thought he was going to slice his foot open.

Back on the road.  Saw this on the way back.  BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??

Sweet views driving into the night.

And a sky so crystal clear it was as if you could see every single star.

Now THAT was a road trip!

Would love to hear from you in the comments below!

I figured it would make a good resource to be able to have a side-by-side comparison of the different options for video blogging, as well as some recommendations for some specialty-type effects that can add value and distinguish your blog as a professional presentation vs an average computer/PC user.

To start off, we’ll introduce the most cost-effective & ease-of-use options:

1. On-board computer camera/web camera.

Advantages: The video is already loaded on your computer when done, no additional expenditure on equipment. If you’re on a budget and don’t have much time to spend loading/editing video – this is a cost efficient & quick option.

Disadvantages: Lacking quality & versatility. Your videos will have a level of quality anyone can achieve – no distinguishable difference than the average person. Also isn’t convenient to travel, pack, or use in an outdoor or rugged environment.

Cost: No additional purchase required

2. iPhone. (I’d include android phones, but I’d suggest using a webcam/computer video over an android device – my experience with those phones have proved to be some of the worst quality videos I’ve seen)

Advantages: Extremely portable, no additional cost if you already own, and easy to email/upload. Take it on the go, record video while walking or in between appointments. Immediately upload to your YouTube or Vimeo account straight from your phone with no processing – quickest amount of time from record -> vlog post.

Disadvantages: Same as above, with additional limitation of difficulty to set up to do a self-recording session. You’ll often have to hold at arm’s length and might not be able to get the frame you want without additional help from others.

Cost: No additional purchase required

3. Flip


Advantages: Extremely portable, easy to use. Fits in your pocket, upload straight from the device.

Disadvantages: Quality isn’t the best or the worst, many average consumers own one for personal use. Additional cost & investment, reported issues with inconsistency in recharging.

Cost: $89

4. GoPro


Advantages: Very portable & small, obtains a fish-eye perspective which includes more of the settings/background in the video. Has the ability to capture extreme clips, such as underwater, attached to helmet/car/cycle etc. Simply designed camera with less than a handful of buttons.

Disadvantages: No viewing of screen capture without an additional extension purchase. Quality isn’t amazing, sound quality can be extremely sensitive to wind. Better for catching action shots than someone talking straight to the camera. The HD Hero 2 is much better quality than the original.

Cost: $299

5. Canon 60D [RECOMMENDED FOR PROFESSIONAL ON SOMEWHAT OF A BUDGET]


Advantages: Pro-sumer SLR quality video. With a great lens, you can have a professional appearance that stands out above the average consumer/technology user. Rotating viewing monitor so you can see yourself while you are filming, ability to film at lower light than cameras listed above. Sound quality isn’t the best, but much improved from options above. Ideal for the individual business owner looking to make their own high quality video blogs. (Also great to have for personal vacations) Significantly lower cost than professional SLR. Would recommend pairing with a Sigma 30mm 1.4 – which would give a similar look & feel to the 50mm 1.4 shown in the video above.

Disadvantages: Cropped sensor, which means you only get a portion of the frame that you would get from a full frame camera such as the 5D. To read more about what this means, check out this article. Will not fit in your pocket. Adventure/outdoor rigs are considerably more expensive than the GoPro.

Cost: $900 new, $800 used on ebay

6. Canon 5D mk ii


Advantages: Professional level SLR. Many commercial videographers use this for high quality production, quality is outstanding paired with top-level editing software (final cut, premier) Sharp imagery, several options of focal length and aperture, excellent in low-light. Full utility of lenses compared to the crop sensor of the 60D

Disadvantages: High cost, will not fit in your pocket. Adventure/outdoor rigs are considerably more expensive than the GoPro. No flip monitor to see yourself while filming.

Cost: $2200

SLR Lenses

Sigma 30mm 1.4: Great to pair with the 60D to achieve the shallow depth of field, low-light availability, and accurate portrayal of appearance with no distortion.

Cost: $490 new.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II : Awesome landscape lens. Captures the most amount of your atmosphere/environment around you in your frame. Significant distortion towards the sides of the frame at 16mm. Has the ability to zoom to 35mm. Easy to use in a tight space.

Cost: $1589

Canon EF 24mm 1.4: Great at capturing a wide frame/environment & setting of the background. Ability to have a shallow depth of field and concentrate on the subject. Easy to use in a tight space.

Cost: $1629

Sigma 50mm 1.4: Great lens for a great price. Works great with the 5D mk ii (shown in video above), great shallow depth of field, low light capabilities. Will be a bit tight of a frame on a 60D camera, would need more space between camera & subject. I actually prefer this lens over the canon version – much sharper & great value for the cost.

Cost: $499

As for the other lenses I demonstrated in the video, I wouldn’t recommend them for video blogging as they would only really be used for very specific needs which aren’t exactly the most practical for vlogging. If you have any questions about them, feel free to email me at tim@timkingblog.com. To give you the technical info so you can research them, they were the Canon 85mm 1.8 and Canon 100mm 2.8 macro.

AUDIO EQUIPMENT

1. Audio Technica Wireless Lavalier System: What Jason was using in the video with the waterfall. I prefer the quality, super targeted and clear even in harsh conditions. Limited a bit in terms of interviews as the mic is set up for one person initially – needs to clip on to belt and has a lavalier attached on the collar, appears in video if not covert. Good value for the price.

Cost: $129

2. Sennheiser Shotgun Microphone: Minimal set-up on camera, no lavalier appearing in the frame. Directed towards the individual, can be useful for interviews as opposed to a single lavalier. Picks up ambient noise more than the lavalier. Ideal for interviews.

Cost: $199

So that’s everything I have for you guys as far as my experience with vlogging gear. If it came down to it – what I would strongly suggest for the best investment for your video blogs – get the 60D camera used on ebay or craigslist (if you get it from Craigslist, have a photographer check it out with you to make sure it’s legit). Use the Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens to pair with it – versatile lens that will get you great quality and allow you to take some awesome personal/travel photos if you’re considering that as an additional incentive. Add on one of the audio set-ups mentioned above (depending if you’re planning on doing interviews or vlogging from loud environments) and you’ll be all set with a top-notch vlog system that will cost you around a grand.

I’d love to hear any of your favorite set-ups or additional tips from you guys in the comments – I always welcome alternative perspectives and different preferences :)

PS – stay tuned for a lightroom 4 video editing tutorial come Tuesday. I’m planning on video taping a April fool’s prank for tomorrow’s vlog. Let’s hope it all goes according to plan :)

At first we laughed, and I told him he was out of his mind.  As the laughter quieted down, it set in that we knew it had to be done.

Video blogs are a beast and I’ll be straight forward with you – I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it through all 30 days.

But you know what?  I don’t doubt for one second that the lessons I learn from this experience will be worth their weight in gold.

Hell, I’ve already learned a ton just putting together this INITIAL video!

If you’ve been wanting to start making videos, I invite you to join me on this little conquest.  It will be your fast-ironed approach towards getting good on camera and help you reach your audience more effectively than in the past.

Not to mention, the perks of promotion…

Head on over to 30DayVlogChallenge.com to see more details.

If you have any questions or would like some tips on getting started, please don’t hesitate to email me at tim@timkingblog.com

The reason why this trip was so symbolic to me was that I’m at a point in my business where I’m re-evaluating my approach towards growth and delving into what REALLY needs attention as far as quality is concerned.  What really needs a “FIX” in my own system.

I’m a fan of being transparent and completely open & honest, so I’m going to share with you these exact issues that I’m dedicated towards working on this upcoming year:

-Faster client service: Responding to emails as fast as possible.  The more accessible you are, the more trust you earn as a result of being consistent and reliable.  The faster you are, the more the client can depend on you & are willing to refer you.  I’ve come to believe it’s crucial to have as much trust as possible in order to get the very best out of a clients wedding/event, so this has become a very important issue for me to focus on lately.

-Quality of work: I feel that every photographer is their own worst critic when it comes to evaluating our work – we are never satisfied – however I have some clear and defined goals I’d like to work on in terms of my lighting, composition, and artistic abilities.  These goals are within reach, and I’m dedicated on improving upon them.

-Focusing on the right network & demographic:  Work has been steady for me and I’ve been fortunate with consistent clientele the past 4 years.  However, now it’s time to concentrate on the clients that are aligned with my ultimate direction of photography and are going to contribute towards helping me achieve my goals.  It’s going to be really weird transitioning, but I kind of look at it like I’m graduating in a sense.  In the next month I’ll be saying goodbye to 2 of my nightlife clients – which amount to about $15,000 of my revenue each year – in order to really focus on my goals.  It’s going to be tough, but it’s something I have known that I’d eventually be doing when the time was right.  Life’s to short to be moving “up” the “down escalator” – and I’ve got to focus on the bigger picture.

-Updating my content:  For both my peers in photography and my clients – I’d like to allow you all to engage with me on more of a personal level – and with that, comes the issue of updating my content both on a personal level & work level.  I’d like you all to be familiar with what I’ve been shooting, where I’ve been traveling, and what is currently going on in my life.  I want this mainly so that when I see people, conversations can become relevant and when I talk about my portfolio, I wont have to explain, “Oh, visit such and such a post on my blog – it’s more recent than the stuff on my site.”  I want this thing to be locked & loaded.  Let’s do this.

-Surrounding myself with ambitious individuals & those that are closely related to my niche: I like having variety in all facets of life, and I think it’s best when you can surround yourself with people that have the same habits & lifestyles as yourself, or that which you’d ascribe to.  Your standard of living is similar, you can enjoy the same kind of experiences without worry of financial obligations like others, and you can identify with situations others are facing that may be relevant with your own.  In regards to those in my niche, it’s like this except on an extremely targeted level of discussion/experience.  A quote I refer to often goes, “Birds of a feather flock together – don’t hang out with chickens because they don’t fly.”

While these topics above may be common knowledge, they’re important ideas I feel need an emphasis at this point in my business.  I’m excited for the things to come, and I’m stoked for you guys to be along with me throughout this journey.

I’d like to end this post with a request for you to either 1.comment below letting me know what you’re working on in your personal/business life or 2. if you’d like to be more private, email me at the link above and let me know what you thought of this post.  I’m not usually this candid, and hearing back from you guys definitely reinforces the idea of writing more posts like these.

One of the places I stayed during my visit was a small town by the name of Troense.  I’d try to help you pronounce it, but I’m pretty sure I still even butcher it.

Troense is a small area filled with traditional (ultra-traditional) style housing with thatched roofs.  This means that instead of shingles or wood or whatever else you usually find on roofs – they would have densely-packed hey serving as the insulation directly above.  Surprisingly, it keeps pretty warm and it creates a pretty cool look to the house!

While I was staying in Troense, I got to know the local area one day by simply taking a walk one morning and cruising around the meadows, streets, and harbor unique to the town.

I should mention – this neighborhood was actually voted as “best back-country neighborhood” in all of Denmark.  And you’ll see why it has such prestige in the photos below:

The award-winning street

This was the house where I actually stayed.  Surprisingly, the thatched roof kept it warm!  (With a little help from a fireplace inside)

Some workers installing a new roof next door.

One of my most vivid memories from my first trip out to Denmark was riding bikes down this road pictured in the next photo.  This image brings back memories and has a hint of nostalgia from riding bikes down the long stretch of tree-lined patterned avenues.

Decided to go wander a little in the back-country.

Love the light hitting these trees in this next one!

To start this photowalk, I cruised out with my Aunt to the ARoS Museum to explore a visual-imagery based exhibition they had on display.  Oh boy, if you know me – I was like a kid in a candy store.  I couldn’t get enough.  So many shapes, lines, and reflections to play with in the photos.

The second half of this photowalk, I meet up with 2 Danish photographers – Klaus and Martin.  Klaus originally reached out to me on my blog following the creative live workshop that I attended last April, and when he saw I’d be traveling to Denmark – he asked if I wanted to meet up.  It was great to get to hang out with these guys and hear about what the industry is like in their neck of the woods.  We toured around the city a bit, had some coffee to warm up after getting a bit cold (Denmark is experiencing it’s coldest winter in 30 years), and of course took some fun photos.

Here are some favorites from the day:

Starting off at the ARoS Museum.  The rainbow ring at the top is a huge circular corridor that you can walk through and get amazing views of the city from all angles.  To add, with the ‘color hue’ of your choice.

Walking through the corridor.

So.Many.Lines.

A little ‘silhouette’ action

Gettin’ my artistic on.

Apparently part of the exhibit was based off Dante’s inferno, and different rooms represented each of the 9 layers of hell.  I don’t think I took photos of all 9, but I sure did take photos of the interesting ones  : )

In the middle of this pitch-black room there was a spray of water coming out in a narrow plane…what else is a guy to do but walk through it?  It sounds more fun than it really is.  Okay, it was a little fun.

How many Tims can you spot?

This orb-looking object was meant to represent beings in purgatory.  At different moments, different parts of the orb would light up and the room would dramatically change appearance in regards to lighting (see below).

Was so cool I had to show off another shot of this strange thing.

The inferno.

Coffee hell.  Just kidding, this was just the cafeteria at the museum.

On to the photowalk around town to meet up with Klaus and Martin!

Came across this sweet sight at the harbor.  The water was almost completely frozen and gave off one hell of a cool reflection.  Some chick tried to throw a rock at the water to break the ice but failed.  Her boyfriend through a rock right afterwards and broke through.  I don’t know why, but I bursted out laughing after seeing this & the couple looked at me like I was crazy.

Like what I did with the logo here?  I sure did  : )

Believe it or not, this shot was an accident.  I was actually going for the architecture of the frame rather than the sunset, but shot it under-exposed.  Dug the accident more than the intended shot and decided to keep it instead.  Those are some badass colors in those windows.

My Aunt took me to the school where she teaches.  They have a couple murals up from a world-famous artist that created them “before his time”.  The paintings are estimated to be worth over a million each, and the school has received offers to buy them, but in true artistic tradition, responds with the classic “they’re not for sale”.  So now, the school has actually become somewhat of a tourist attraction for art aficionados from all over the world.

While looking at the paintings, I flat out said what was on my mind & suggested that the artist was on drugs, because I couldn’t tell what he was trying to convey.  My aunt laughed and agreed.

Later in the evening, I went to see my cousin perform at one of the local venues.  The audience was filled with high schoolers as young as 15 and as old as late 20′s.  On a Friday night, I was pretty surprised at how wild it got.

I had seen a quote awhile back that said, “Whenever I see a single shoe on the side of the highway, I get depressed knowing that I’ve never partied THAT hard.”  Seeing these kids party as hard as they did, made my adolescence look like Evelyn & her easy-bake oven.

Stay tuned for a new post tomorrow featuring another photowalk from one of the oldest & most traditional style parts of Denmark – houses with thatched roofs and the #1 rated back-country street in the entire country.  I think you’re gonna like it  : )

After a short trip to the Ice Hotel, I made my way on to Denmark.  Ryan continued on to Paris, and we began our own ‘solo’ portion of the trip.  For those of you who don’t know, I am one-half Danish (on my mother’s side) and I wanted to take the opportunity to explore the “homeland” so to speak.  I set a week aside to go and visit long-distance relatives and get to know my origins.

It. was. awesome.

To begin my trip, I spent a day in Copenhagen hanging out with my cousin Mai.  She showed me around the city and some of the more notable spots to visit while in town.  I had taken a trip with my family to Denmark when I was 18, so it was cool to see a lot of the same spots – felt pretty nostalgic.

Yours truly, photo by Mai.

Mai with the ‘stroll in the background.

Here are a few of my favorite shots and a few photos of some of the interesting elements of their culture I particularly liked:

WiFi on the bus!

The copper roof-tops was one of the things I remembered most about Denmark.  After they have been oxidized over the years, they turn a cool jade green.

Reminded me of a photo I had taken last year in Spain.

Mai took me to her favorite place to study, the library of the arts at her university.  Reminded me a bit of Harry Potter.

The architecture in this city was really interesting!  There was a lot of old-traditional style mixed with ultra-modern.  This photo below is of the opera house, which is one of the structures they are most proud of in this city.  A lot of cool lines, patterns, and designs to play with.

Tons of sweets in Europe.  This one’s for my buddy Rich.

Christiania.  The Danish version of the Height-Ashbury district, except not nearly as commercialized.  Well, it’s commercialized, but by the counter culture.  Saw pounds and pounds of weed out for sale in the main markets.  Of course no photos allowed, and I wouldn’t post them on here either.

What would the trip be without a visit to the mermaid?  A famous monument in Denmark, I can’t help but feel she’s a bit depressed.  Maybe she needed a heat lamp.

1.  See the best view of the Northern Lights

2.  Stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden

Luckily, we crossed off both of these items in one single night.  Here’s how our adventure at Sweden’s Ice Hotel panned out:

Arrival at the Ice Hotel

Checked in, dropped off our stuff.  Suited up in some awesome gear the hotel provided, but you’ll have to wait for the album on Facebook to see those.

Set out to get some dinner, as we were eager to experience more of the local flavor since we had the opportunity to rent a car while in Kiruna.  On our way back after eating, we came upon this amazing view of the northern lights.

For those of you that doubt the visibility of the Aurora Borealis to the naked eye, here’s a video of the northern lights to show you how strong they were. Scientists predict that this year will be the best time to see the northern lights due to the solar storm cycle that is currently reaching it’s peak.  So if you’re reading this, make the effort to see them while you can either this year or next.  Thank me later.

What better way to do so than to have a customized cocktail in the ice bar?

The ice hotel was given a specialized edition of Absolut Vodka after appearing in a James Bond movie.

You probably could have guessed this, but yes – the cups were made of ice.

Each of the art rooms at the ice hotel had it’s own custom cocktail.  And it was goooooood.

Church anyone?   (Don’t think anyone would be falling asleep during this sermon…)

Headed back to our rooms and called it an early night.  I was going into this trip thinking that we would have been staying up all night trying to get a good shot of the northern lights, but as you have seen above – that goal was accomplished!

Woke up in the morning & had an authentic Swedish breakfast consisting of organic yogurt, goji berries, and fresh made bread with Lingonberry juice.

Amazing views at sunrise, which lasted for a couple hours.

Did a little exploring around Kiruna in the rental car…things got a little cold.

Noon approached and by this time – we had felt we had experienced just enough of the coldest weather in our lives to officially complete our trip to the Ice Hotel.  Really a beautiful place, and I highly suggest you make the trip.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

PS – ever feel nervous taking off on a plane before?  Try on a runway covered in snow.  Yeah, makes you feel totally safe.

Ryan & I on the other-hand, continued the adventure to Sweden.

The first night we went out, we met a few of the locals – including a new friend Helene.  We went to a few bars & clubs in town, and it held to the reputation of being a party-city.  After a whirlwind of a weekend on Friday and Saturday, the 3 of us went out to explore the city on Sunday.

Helene showed us the school she goes to, and we went on to visit the traditional old-style part of town called “Gamla Stan”.  You know me & cobblestone streets go together like nutella and toast.

Here are some of my favorites from the walk:

Helene’s school:

Took the metro to Gamla Stan.  Had some really cool designs that featured theories of physics & science (pictured below with Ryan underneath)

Gamla Stan.

Tested the patience of the guards.  Apparently they take their job a little too seriously at times.  ”STOP!”

Love this kind of text.

Ryan “Tebowing” outside the cathedral.

Some really cool textures to accent the city’s style.

You know me & my love for doors.

Playing nice….HEADLOCK!

Doing her signature pose.

Street musicians.  The clarinet was a new one!

And what would a trip to Sweden be without some meatballs?

In either case, I’m not going to let something like that get in the way of having a good time.  I called up my friend Maria who just recently moved to New York and hit up a few bars to celebrate.  On just a few hours sleep, I’m ready to make the journey to family in Colorado this morning, to continue the birthday celebration!

Looking back on 25, it really has been an incredible year, with an incredible trip to cap it off.  I’ll be catching you up to speed in the next few days, but today – it’s time to party :)