I was pretty happy with last year’s Fleet Week photos, so returning was an interesting challenge. I pushed myself to try something different, using people to frame the shots or block parts of the view. It was fun to work around, and I’m pretty happy with how most of these turned out.
Walking into Kīlauea Iki crater was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Fog rolled in as we descended, then cleared as we climbed out. The sun set, and we could see lava flowing in the distance—not pictured here, unfortunately. I wish I’d captured the scale of it better. It was challenging to photograph, but I think I got some cool ones.
I took these photos while doing the Golden Gate Dozen, a cross-city trail in SF that takes you along the western coast. I liked watching the water — how it changed color as I moved, and capturing subjects that interacted with it.
This thumbnail photo is probably the best I have ever taken as of 2026. Fleet Week was a goldmine for photos: lots of people in the same place, watching a peculiar thing. I like to capture peculiar things, and especially the reactions of people looking at those things.
These photos were taken while solo-exploring Isla Mujeres. The island has gems of vibrant color, set against monotonous, run-down, dirty buildings. I tried to find these colors and highlight them. The thumbnail photo is just fun: I like when photos tell stories.
Just one photo here — this was a hectic time. I was moving from LA to SF with my one-year-old kittens, Gadget and Gizmo. This was a couple of hours into the drive, when they had finally calmed down and laid their heads to rest. The move ended up being very much worth it.
Monaco is a very funny place. I don't know that I captured what makes it funny — the pedestaled city sits atop a cliff face, literally and figuratively out of reach for those who cannot make the climb. Atop the rock, it feels almost liminal — I'm somewhere serene, but that serenity is wrong in some way.
Èze is probably the most beautiful place I have ever visited. This ancient city hides among mountains, like a secluded grove in a dense forest. I was struck by the views within — the interesting architecture, the growing vines, the statues; I was also struck by the views without — the surrounding mountains, the disparate homes, and the far-reaching, misty ocean.
I really like this thumbnail photo. The fountain, architecture, and plants are all forming this beautiful bottom of the frame. Rising up out of the beauty, ascending to the sky, is a bird in the form of an angel.
As is typical for me, I found myself transfixed by the ocean. The way the water caught the sunlight gave it an almost velvet texture. The water had weight — the things floating above seemed to cut through an impossibly thick liquid, gliding effortlessly across.
Valencia is gorgeous! There is such heterogeneity in the architecture — I felt like I was in a new place with every turn of a corner. I captured the architecture a lot for this reason, focusing on forms, lines, and surfaces. I quite like this group; I think it has something interesting to say about the city and the things I found.
