Editor’s Picks
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One Day in Shenzhen: A Modern City, Coastal Walks & Skyline Views
Read more: One Day in Shenzhen: A Modern City, Coastal Walks & Skyline Views -
Guangzhou Citywalk Routes: 4 Walking Themes + One-Day Itinerary & Photo Spots
Read more: Guangzhou Citywalk Routes: 4 Walking Themes + One-Day Itinerary & Photo Spots -
A Year-End Temple Morning in Hangzhou: A Quiet Winter Route from Faxi to Lingyin (Without Missing the Highlights)
Read more: A Year-End Temple Morning in Hangzhou: A Quiet Winter Route from Faxi to Lingyin (Without Missing the Highlights) -
Views Over Planes: Aerial Photos from Airplane Windows
Read more: Views Over Planes: Aerial Photos from Airplane Windows -
Best Skylines in China: 6 City Views Worth Seeing and Photographing
Read more: Best Skylines in China: 6 City Views Worth Seeing and Photographing -
Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Read more: Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Browse by Category
Photo Collections
Image-led photo stories with light context, visual notes, and simple shooting tips.
Travel Journal
Itineraries, route ideas, and personal travel stories from cities I’ve explored.
Photo Guides
Practical photography guides with deeper tips on locations, light, composition, and editing.
Personal Essays
Personal essays on travel, creativity, self-growth, emotions, and the way I see the world.
All Journal Posts
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4 Actionable Flower Photography Tips for Better Blossom Photos
Flowers are everywhere—lotus, daisies, cherry blossoms, magnolias—and that’s exactly why they can feel deceptively simple to photograph. The challenge is not just recording something pretty, but making a flower photo feel intentional, clear, and expressive. In this post, I’m sharing four practical flower photography tips that have helped me make…
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Phone Photography Tips: Why I Love Shooting With My Phone While Traveling
If you look through my yearly albums, you may notice that since 2023 I’ve been sharing more and more images shot on my phone. That change wasn’t accidental. For travel, everyday wandering, and quick visual ideas, phone photography has become one of the most practical and creatively freeing ways for…
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Travel Portrait Photography: 3 Practical Tips for Better People Photos
I’ll be honest: portrait photography isn’t the genre I’m most confident in—most of my “people” shots happen when I’m traveling with friends or family, or when I quietly photograph everyday life on the street. But portraits are often the images that hold the strongest memories, because they preserve emotion, energy,…
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Alaska in Winter: Northern Lights & Snowy Landscapes (Photo Collection)
After years in the U.S., I somehow never made it to Alaska—until winter 2024, when I finally stepped into that vast, icy world at the edge of the map. This photo collection brings together some of my favorite moments from the trip: long winter roads, mountains under soft blue light,…
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Find Chinese Traditions in 4 Cities: Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou
China’s traditions aren’t “one thing”—they look different across regions, dynasties, and everyday local life. If you want to feel Chinese history through travel (and photography), visiting multiple cities helps you see how culture takes shape in architecture, rituals, streetscapes, and small details. In this post, I’m sharing four cities—Beijing, Xi’an,…
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Beyond Beijing, Shanghai & Hong Kong: 3 Places to Visit in China for Travel and Photography
China is a massive country—geographically and culturally—so if you’ve already done (or want to skip) the classic “big city trio” of Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, there are many other destinations that feel more textured, more relaxing, and often more rewarding for photography. In this post, I’m sharing three places…
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China’s Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong, Shenzhen & Beyond): A Photo Collection
The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area is one of China’s most energetic regions—coastal, fast-moving, and incredibly varied in a short distance. This collection brings together moments from Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, where futuristic skylines, waterfront light, and pockets of traditional culture all coexist in one trip. Because…
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Xishuangbanna, Yunnan: A Tropical Nature & Dai Culture Photo Collection
Xishuangbanna sits in the southernmost part of Yunnan and feels like a different world—warm, humid air, lush tropical greens, and strong Dai cultural influences that can remind you of Southeast Asia. This photo collection features moments from the Green Stone Forest Scenic Area, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, and Manting…
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A Year-End Temple Morning in Hangzhou: A Quiet Winter Route from Faxi to Lingyin (Without Missing the Highlights)
Temple-hopping has become a surprisingly popular way for young people in China to reset their minds—but for me, end-of-year temple walks started long before it became a trend. This post is a personal travel journal (with a practical route) from Hangzhou in winter: how I began in the dark at…
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