MIGHTYKILLERS®

Travel

J. Tree

Travel, LifestyleKarl Orotea | @KARLNIKOLAIComment

Hasselblad 500CM + Kodak 400 TMY-2 & Portra 160

When I sold my 5D MK3 to transition over to the Sony mirrorless system, I wasn't expecting to be so disrupted by film, specifically medium format. I've been strictly shooting film straight for the past 4 months. I'm having the most fun I've ever had with photography. I don't want to sound like a film elitist now, but I definitely now have this understanding for this incredible intimacy film captivates you towards. There are the obvious cons: immediacy, the feature to review shots and post them after shooting; shot actuation limitations, the amount of shots per roll; weight; light metering; and expenses on film and developing. Out of retrospect, I've completely disregarded all the cons when I'm out shooting. Sure, it's a hassle here and there changing backs or rolls, but I just can't simply explain to you with words how awesome film really is.

Hong Kong Environmental Portraits

Travel, LifestyleNicholas La | @NIKK_LA3 Comments

Hong Kong is truly an inspiring haven for those who have an appreciation for traveling. There is something about the vastly tall buildings, their utilization of space, their appreciation for art, their welcoming Instagram community, and of course their appetizing food that makes Hong Kong a worthwhile destination for just about any photographer that would like to build their portfolio. During this trip, I had the leisure of exploring throughout the beautiful city of Hong Kong with a few of my friends from there who are personally some of my greatest inspirations. Traveling with such great company was what made this trip one for the books. I had the pleasure of exploring the Midlevels with Elaine (@lielaine), added by the experience of traveling by ferry with Jess (@jesso) & Emmanuel (@ecolephoto), also the excitement of running through Quarry Bay with Edward (@edwardkb), and not to forget the great company of Erik (@erikbiedron) for some crazy look-ups. Thank-you Hong Kong for a trip to remember, I'll be back real soon as always.

TASTEMADE GALLIVANT

Travel, Lifestyle, Events.Comment

Over the weekend, the Mighty Killers squad was fortunate enough to be invited down to the Tastemade Gallivant event. Yes, the same Tastemade that you see on just about every social media platform that makes you drool all over your phone as you watch mesmerizing food-porn videos. You can say that it's NSFTH (Not Safe For The Hungry).. Tastemade has made its way into just about all major outlets with their hypnotizing DIY food videos and travel shows. They are without doubt, this generation's food and travel channel, so you know when they host a  party, all of LA's heavy hitters in the restaurant scene will be in attendance. 

And they sure didn't disappoint, open bar and a huge spread of finger-licking goodness... everything from poutine fries to lamb neck tacos. Yes, lamb neck.. don't knock it until you try it. 

The ambiance and vibe of the whole party was crazy. Everything took place in the Tastemade Studio, which used to be the distribution center for TOM's shoes and one of MTV's old recording studios. Walking in and seeing the set up from all of the individual studios on their Snapchat channel was dope to see in real life. The set up and presentation of all the food was amazing as well. It brought together a real relaxed feel where everyone was able drink, socialize, and enjoy divine food. 

We chilled with a lot of dope people, of those were Terry (@ASTERYX) and Antonio (@KOSTENNN). Who were both there to help launch Tastemade's newest docu-web series, Under Discovered. Terry and Antonio were there for the same reason we were, to participate in the Q&A for the Under Discovered series. The series is about the new generation of urban explorers who are connected through social media. The idea that one person can reach out to someone across the country that they have never met in real life but once they do, it is as if they have known them forever. The power of social media is huge and it is what Mighty Killers is all about. To continue to push the boundaries of social media, Tastemade also announced the upcoming launch of their new app Facet. We will be announcing the app in the near future. Trust us, this app takes travel and exploring to new heights, all the while connecting people.

During the Q&A, Marvin, Nikk, and Sam spoke on behalf of Mighty Killers about some of the craziest things they've done just to get the shot. Everything from Sam hanging off the edge of a cliff in Yosemite while holding on to Marvin's unlaced shoe. To Nikk climbing to the middle of California's tallest bridge. It was really inspiring seeing and hearing the reaction from the crowd, especially after the show. We never do what we do for the likes or comments, instead we do it because we love it. The adrenaline and passion to chase the perfect shot is the reason why we push the limits. 

IN THE BAG WITH MARVIN KING

Travel, Urban, IN THE BAG, LifestyleMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment
ITB_MK_Line.jpg

We recently had the pleasure of staying at The LINE Hotel in Los Angeles this past weekend after our long trip out in the desert. Let me be the first to say that after hiking two full days in the Mojave Desert in the 90's, with no access to running water, checking into this hotel was definitely beyond climatical. First thing I did was jump into the huge shower, that could have fit all five of us guys in there (not that we did...) and washed off the two-days worth of dirt/sand layers from my skin and jump into the cozy-team room slippers... which eventually became my on-the-way-to-the-airport-slippers. During our quick one-night stay at this freaking awesome suite, there were just a few essentials that I had to have. 

  • The LINE Hotel Room Slippers
  • MIGHTYKILLERS Basic Cap
  • Magazines & Books with an awesome Erin Althea design paperweight.
  • Voigtlander 21mm f/1.8 Ultron
  • Sony A7ii with Sony battery grip
  • Voigtlander 12mm f/5.6 Heliar (Mounted)
  • Canon FD 85mm f/1.2L with variable ND filter
  • The LINE Hotel stationaries
  • Sony batteries
  • Incase accessory pouch
  • The LINE Hotel gummy bears
  • iPhone 6 + Moment Lens + 18mm with caps
  • Klipsch Reference R6 headphones
  • The LINE Hotel room key
  • Two crumpled up Dollar bills cause I'm a baller
  • Louis Vuittion wallet

Glacier Hunting

Travel, LifestyleNick Carnera | @nickcarneraComment

There are a lot of National Parks you should experience at least once in your lifetime and Glacier is one of them.. if not twice or three times. The park is huge and filled with amazing landscapes. Although I only scratched the surface, I still managed to fit in two hikes in two days. One of the hikes we did was Grinnell Glacier and that was an 11 mile hike with an elevation gain of about 2000ft. Both days we had crazy weather from the storm coming in along with haze from the wildfires that were still going on in the southern parts of the park. I suggest you visit this park soon before you miss these incredible glaciers since they're predicted to be completely melted by 2020. 

Sight Unseen

TravelSaltComment

A couple weeks back I embarked on a road trip with a few friends to experience Yosemite. Taft Point and Glacier Point was scheduled, but we definitely stopped by different spots along the way. I don't remember much from my first trip to Yosemite when I was younger, but I do remember was how huge everything was; from the valleys, trees, and mountains. I guess growing up and visiting Yosemite for the second time, everything looks just as huge the first time I saw it. 

Streets of Boston.

Travel, UrbanSam Graves | @thesamgravesComment

Boston is such a beautiful city. Having only seen it in pictures, movies and on TV, it did not take me long to grow fond of her. It was a foggy and chilly day but wandering the streets left me with a sense of calm as my sisters and I meandered our way through the city on foot, allowing us to experience some of the textures of the city. Something about the brick laden sidewalks etched beneath the towering walls of several hundred year old stone and brick town houses that make you feel like you're in an entirely different time zone. Theres something magical about this place that I don't feel everywhere I go, despite living in a city like San Francisco. Even after only one day in Boston, it found a way into my heart. I will be coming back soon. 

Blue Hour Bonsai

TravelEric Luis | @ericluisComment

Having been over 6 years since I last paid a visit to South Lake Tahoe, I definitely knew this time around what to expect and what [few] images I wanted to grab during a short, little family trip away from the San Francisco Bay Area for Labor Day weekend.

Luckily for us, especially in today's day and age, we are exposed to a number of amazing social media platforms that allow us to fuel our wanderlust, experiment different styles and techniques, and ultimately -- expand on our creative horizons. Of course, these kinds of things always come with their caveats. Too much of anything isn't always the best policy, no matter how good. That said, I was fortunate enough to know what I wanted on a one-night stay in South Lake Tahoe, and given that many photographers and creatives enjoy capturing light primarily in the golden hour, blue hour, and night time, I was still able to fully engage in maintaining presence throughout the normal part of the day. 

Bonsai Rock and Emerald Bay were the two locations that were on my list for this little trip, and it goes without saying that both of those locations truly delivered. After experimenting with numerous long exposures at Bonsai Rock - both as the sun was setting and as the milky way was rising, the end products definitely justified the means.

As for Emerald Bay, there has always been a saying that... waking up for sunrise is never fun, but we never actually regret it when all is said and done. Mornings like these solidify that statement for me, and much, much more.

Alberta Canada: Banff and Jasper National Park

TravelBryan DaughertyComment

Every photographer has a dream location that they have always wanted to shoot and see for themselves. Alberta Canada was that place for me. I recently had the chance to go there on a partial work trip shooting for LG. From the crystal blue lakes, to the up close encounters with bears, it was everything I imagined it would be and more. Words can't describe how beautiful this place is. 

Labor Day weekend on Lake Tahoe

TravelSam Graves | @thesamgravesComment

Lake Tahoe, Nevada. On a weekend where I more or less put my camera away, there's always a those moments that I can't resist capturing. These are a few of them from what turned out to be an indescribable and unforgettable experience in a place I will not soon forget. 



A SURREAL OSAKA

Urban, TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

i remember when i first came about this style of editing about a year ago and it's just really stuck with me. i loved how moody it made each photo. i would always contemplate back and forth between my standard edit style and this. majority of the time, i just stick with the standard style but then from time to time, i can't help but to go crazy on some yellows. i've seen a ton of people try and mimic this look, which is cool i guess. i mean, i do always try and tell people to try out anything and everything because that's the only way that you will really learn... and the only way to really find your own personal style. but often times people confuse experimenting with straight up copying. whatever though, to each their own. 

here is a set of photos i took in the outskirt suburbs of osaka post rain. i've always loved taking photos after a rainy day, when roads are still wet and sky is still gloomy. the soft box of a sky really makes the roads look unreal. it leads your eyes into the photo. take a long stare at these and get lost.

PURSUING PERSEID

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

a couple weeks back, i found out that the Perseid meteor shower was taking place over the weekend. I've always been super excited when hearing news like this. the whole space/astronomy idea has always been so fascinating to me because its truly the one thing in our world that we will never know anything about. astronomers, scientists, even John Glenn will never figure out what's floating around hundreds of millions of light years away. every time i stared up gazing at a clear night sky, I'm always amazed at just how much I'm looking at.  so when there is a bunch of fireball rocks flying across the sky, do you go out and shoot? fuck yea. 

it was a pretty last minute decision to go out looking for a good location. i didn't want to stray away too far from home so my first pick was going out to davenport since it's one of my favorite places to shoot, especially the milky way. its far enough from the city's light pollution so a very star lit sky was promising... well until someone texted me and told me that it was super cloudy there. so i decided to head up north since south was plastered in clouds. i had asked a couple of homies to go but a bunch of texts back and forth, i decided to just go alone. when i finally made it up to Mt. Tam, it was pitch dark. I sat outside for awhile with my camera and tripod but i kept hearing branches and noises all around me and not being able to see anything definitely tripped me out. I ended up just locking myself in the car and shooting out the moon roof for about 2 hours. the sky wasn't as dark as i would've liked, i was still too close to the city but after a couple hundred of long exposures, i was able to capture one that i really liked. the photo above is compiled of over 150 images stacked. 

Although i am not totally stoked not the final shot, the fact that I now can say i was able to witness a meteor shower is pretty dope. it's definitely not easy capturing shooting stars. these things fly by super fast and if you're not positioned or firing at the right split second, you will miss it. i decided to just let me camera run for an hour while i just stared up and it was much better watching the stars fly across in every direction with my eyes. 

City Guide - KOBE jpn

Travel, Lifestyle, UrbanNandin YuanComment
“約一年前、私は神戸という街に引っ越してきました。

神戸は港町ということもあり昔から貿易が盛んで、住人の国籍も 様々です。その影響から街には日本独自のモダニズム建築や教会、インターナショナルスクール、チャイナタウン、高層ビルをはじめ、世界一長い吊橋、夜景などフォトジェニックな被写体が数多くあります。また幸運なことに、自然にも恵まれ街の北側には六甲・摩耶山からなる山々がそびえ立ち、その一部は霧の名所としても知られています。

そんな神戸は大阪から30分、京都から1時間の好立地。京都、大阪に来る際は神戸もぜひプランに加えてみてはいかがでしょうか。”

About 1 year ago, I moved to KOBE-City.

Kobe is the port town, because active trade from long ago, and the resident's nationality is also various. In the town, modernize architecture and china-town, church, high rise building, world’s longest suspension bridge and great night views such as there are many photogenic spots. Fortunately,  KOBE is blessed with a richness of nature, Mt.Rokko was also known as a much foggy spot.

That KOBE is half an hour from Osaka,and 1 hour from Kyoto.

If you come to Osaka or Kyoto, try to consider Kobe in your plan.

INTO THE VALLEY : 1

Events, TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

a few of us were blessed with the opportunity to go out to Yosemite with Moment Lens. It's been about a year since I've last visited this massive national park with a bunch of homies and all i have left from that trip was a bunch of good memories and dope photos so you can imagine my level of stoked-ness this time around. As soon as we got into the park, we wasted no time and jumped right out of the car and started shooting. Something I was really looking forward to this trip was sunset. We've heard that the recent fires have been causing a thick layer of haze all across the valley which can give photos a epic glow at the right time of day. As we sat here waiting for the rest of the crew, I then realized I was totally not prepared for the heat. Apple's weather app has lied to me, yet again.

GOLDEN SHARK FIN COVE

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

Although I still prefer shooting on my own, I've got to say that I have met some pretty cool people through shooting with them. I met Salt and Chrissy through a string of Mighty Killers meets and events but I've never really gotten out there and shot with these guys. You have to admit, being at an event and hanging out is completely different than going out exploring and shooting with a group of people. These two are super chill folks and super down to Earth; not to mention they are a very talented couple. You rarely find a couple who both love to shoot, especially as much as these two do and it's inspiring to see them work. They swooped me up from BART and headed down to one of my favorite locations in Northern California, Shark Fin Cove. I've probably mentioned this a hundreds times by now but shit, this spot jus never gets old to me. I love everything about it and everything that surrounds it. It just has so much to offer, photo-op speaking. One day you find a washed up dead baby whale, another you find a gang of people pitching tents, then you have a bunch of people playing volleyball and kicking back, and then theres times where its completely quiet and you have the entire place to yourself. 

EVERYONE LOVES THAT BEACH PFEIFFER

Travel.Comment

If someone says, "Let's go catch sunset at Big Sur" you always say yes. No matter what, even if its the wedding weekend of a Mighty Killers member. 

This past weekend many of the Mighty Killers team gathered for the wedding celebration of Elissa and Marvin. We all had duties to fulfill to help the wedding run smoothly, but when you're 15min away from the most amazing coast line you find time to sneak away. Sam (@thesamgraves) and I had no idea where we wanted to go; we just knew we had to catch a dope sunset. The anticipation of driving through the winding roads of Big Sur to Pfeiffer beach was filled with uncertainty.

The uncertainty of each outing is what makes a great ending that much more worthwhile. If you always knew that you were going to head out to catch nothing but bangers each time the photos wouldn't have as much meaning. Everyone would have dope pics and the pic you thought was killer wouldn't be that special. It's always the stories that you tell about how you got the shot is what makes the shot that much more amazing. 

The anticipation of driving around countless turns to only see a grey blanket of fog brings about a sense of frustration. But the moment that the blanket lifts, and the sun beings to descend below the horizon that sense of frustration immediately turns into a rush of excitement. 

Mighty Killers in the Northwest

Travel, LifestyleSilas SaoComment

Living in the Portland, I get to meet all kinds of creatives. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris a couple of months ago when we were introduced by fellow photographer and common friend David.

I asked Chris to help me out with a project for the Might Killers Explore Tee an MK Basic Cap. Accompanied by my other friends Nick, Natalie and Leanna we road tripped it out to the Oregon Coast to catch sunset. As we arrived at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, I could tell this was going to be another beautiful Oregon summer sunset.

It wasn’t until we pulled onto the beach did I find out this was Chris’ first trip to Cape Kiwanda. In awe from the beautiful scenery, Chris’ expressions began to reignite my inspiration for this place. I’ve been to Cape Kiwanda more times than I can count on my fingers, but this time it was different. I got to help someone experience it for the first time. That in itself can be inspiring for me. Adventuring with people to places I’ve photographed before can help me find a more unique angle of a similar location. A new mind can bring all kinds of new ideas. It’s an awesome feeling.

Let me share with you what we brought back from Cape Kiwanda.

No Lake, Shirley

Travel.Comment

It should always be about the journey and never the destination... 

Whenever I embark on a new adventure I always have a place in mind that I want to go. However sometimes things don't always work out that way. Now this doesn't mean that it was a failure, but instead I like to think of it as an unexpected detour. As long as a forward step was taken and a new experience was learned no adventure can ever be a failure. 

This past weekend a friend and I decided we should hike to Shirley Lake in Tahoe National Forest. The destination was an amazing scenic lake that was completely isolated by surrounding mountains and lush green fields. The water was calm, crystal clear, and untouched by any outside elements... This is what I gathered from Google images. You can probably guess that I actually have no idea what this lake looks like in person because we never made it there. I am not proud to explain the reason for not reaching our destination because the inner Boy Scout in me would be ashamed, but we were simply not prepared. We brought water and food, but like Harold and Kumar when we remembered we've gone too far. 

My old Boy Scout pack leader Mr. Wong would probably disown me for not bringing the basic necessities, but I have channeled my new role models in the form of Harold and Kumar and their excursion to White Castle. Similar to Harold and Kumar, we had an amazing experience with little to no resources. The scenery along the way filled with giant cascading waterfalls and vast flowing rivers surrounded by enormous boulders eroded over time by the elements... but from the pictures it looks like I was simply dehydrated and delusional to remember what it actually looked like. Either way it was an experience for both my creative side and my commonsense side.

Landmark Lurkin Toronto

Travel, Events.Comment

Much love to the 6! Thank you everyone who came out to our Landmark Lurkin in Toronto this past weekend. It was dope to finally meet everyone and shoot along such an inspiring and supportive community. A special thank you to our hosts for the event: 

@alenpalander  @tilore  @smvrk  @dashgrey  @seandshoots  @silassao 

Stay tuned for the next Landmark Lurkin event, it may be coming to a city near you! 

MILK RUN AT THE ARCHES

TravelMarvin King | @MIGHTYKILLSComment

With the lack of free time in the past couple of weeks, I just haven't been able to shoot as often as before. The frustration of not having the time, and when I did have time, I had no energy.. all that gets built up and I feel like I'm about to lose it. Yesterday I actually had a free day, a completely free day with no obligations to do anything at all so of course I had to cap on the opportunity to go out and shoot. I forgot how much I missed just hitting the road and aimlessly explore. Somehow, I just always end up back here; Davenport. It's definitely getting a bit too popular these days. The past 3 times I've been back, I've ran into people and its cool and not cool at the same time as one of my favorite spots is becoming a place I try to avoid now. It's definitely sketchy getting down to the arches, and only the brave will take on the climb down. Definitely give props to the people I've met down on the beach here because I remember the first time I climbed down, I was pretty fuckin' scared. It's always entertaining watching people climb down and climb back up for their first time, but just be warned. 

The first time that I ever shot the Milky Way was about 3 years ago up on the west side of Lake Tahoe. I can still remember that experience, it definitely felt like a lifetime achievement for me. It meant a lot for me back then because it was something that I never thought of capturing since it was definitely unexpected. These days, I see Milky Way shots way too often but I'm glad that I caught it when I did because it really meant something to me. As we approach the end of Summer, I decided that tonight would be the perfect time to try and get it. Clear skies, chill night, New Moon, couldn't have asked for anything better. The experience of shooting stars and the Milky Way is always awesome. When you see your photo process, you're immediately in awe.

fuck, there it is.