As an end-of-year recap, I selected some of my favorite moments and photos from this year. These were shot with six cameras, including my Fujifilm X100V, Ricoh GR III, Nikon Zf with the 40mm f/2, Leica D-Lux 8, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and OnePlus Open, across four locations: Okinawa, Tokyo, the Jersey Shore, and New York.

I believe exercises like this highlight the emotional attachment we have to our photos. Each image is tied to the time, place, and experience of when it was captured, and that personal connection shapes how we view our own photos—often through a lens others might not share.

With that in mind, here are my favorite photos from 2024.

This reboot of my blog is still fresh, so there aren’t many readers yet. To those who’ve stopped by, thank you. I appreciate you and hope you and your family had a wonderful year.

Here’s to an amazing 2025!

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My experience with the Leica D-Lux 8 has been mixed so far, but I do like some of the Leica color profiles available. Here’s a few shots from the Leica D-Lux 8 showing Classic CLS & Eternal ETN colors applied to JPEGs SOOC using the Leica FOTOS app on my iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18.2.

I’m hoping Leica will add these color profiles in camera soon with a firmware update. 🤞

Thanks for stopping by. ✌️

📷 Shot with my Leica D-Lux 8

Christmas night in Okinawa: This taco stand is usually packed with people and even causes traffic. Last night, it was completely quiet—a rare sight. Ever since I picked up a Leica, I’ve noticed I’m drawn to the color red. I know it’s probably just confirmation bias, but this scene brought that out in force.

My daughter and I just wrapped up our semi-annual Tokyo trip—a tradition we’ve kept since she was 15. This year, we both had new cameras to test: my first Leica (a D-Lux 8) and her new Canon Powershot.

We hit our usual spots—Omotesando, Ginza, Shibuya plus Shinjuku this time—and loved our stay at The New Otani Hotel The Main near the Imperial Palace. But what we love most is simply walking the city. Even with so many changes, we felt at home.

We ate a lot of amazing food and got some memorable photos. These trips remind me how lucky I am to have this time together and how important it is to pause and appreciate it.

The first couple of shots of my daughter and me are from her Canon Powershot; the rest are from my new Leica D-Lux 8.

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This place used to be a record store back in the day. Time hasn’t been kind to it—chaos and decay everywhere—but when the morning light hits just right, it's interesting.

📷 Shot with my Ricoh GR III

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