Five Things I’m Enjoying Right Now

Mind

Five Min Journal

Nothing has impacted my daily state of mind more than developing a sense of gratitude for all things. This is not a denial of the negative, but rather a focus on what’s positive. Studies have shown it improves health, happiness, and your overall outlook on life.
While you can practice gratitude simply by noting what you’re grateful for each day, a dedicated notebook makes it easier to develop that into a habit. This journal also includes other bonus features, like daily inspirational quotes and weekly challenges.

It’s an essential part of my morning routine.

Book

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

I’ve been waiting for this book since it was announced last year, and its exceeded my expectations so far. It’s a fascinating and deep look at both da Vinci and creativity, with so much to learn from his incredible life’s work. What I didn’t expect was a book that weighs a few pounds. Yes, I ordered the hard copy because a digital version doesn’t do it justice.

Why? It’s printed on beautiful white heavy paper—the kind you would find in a reference book—making all the photos of Leonardo’s paintings, drawings, and notebooks rich and vibrant. A collector’s item for sure, it has become a permanent part of my library.

Health

HasFit Workouts

Fitness and health are essential if you want to live the best life possible, and enjoy all that nature has to offer—especially as a photographer. This free website offers great workout routines for beginner and advanced alike, with an emphasis on fitness and overall conditioning. Hike longer, get stronger, and feel better physically—it will do wonders for your emotional energy and overall confidence.

Update: they now have a dedicated app.

Technology

iPad Pro 10.5”

I will probably never buy another laptop again. Between my 5k iMac 27” in the studio and my iPad Pro 10.5”, I find I can accomplish everything I need to do with greater ease and mobility. With the exception of needing to use a laptop for Lightroom Classic for field workshops, I prefer the iPad for everything else. The new Lightroom CC makes basic editing on an iPad super convenient, especially with its wide-gamut P3 display. (I use LR Classic on my desktop for all critical editing and printing.)

With the Smart keyboard, I can write long and short form articles in Ulysses for iOS, which syncs with my desktop seamlessly.
Plus I read books with the Kindle app, draw with Procreate and the Apple pencil, explore art daily with the ArtAuthority app, and run my business with Evernote and Trello, with a battery that lasts 8-10 hours.

Lightroom CC

There’s been a lot of confusion and controversy about Adobe’s recent changes to Lightroom, and I’ll have more to say about that in the near future. But for now, I am thoroughly enjoying Lightroom CC on my iPhone. It allows me to shoot in RAW, and that means better image quality from my iPhone 8 at 12MP in size. Images automatically sync to my iPad or desktop where I can develop them and share with others.

In fact, I can also print them. I’ve been able to produce great looking 8.5”x11” prints, and even 11” x 17” prints from my iPhone. An upcoming article will reveal all…