Author: Alik Griffin

View of Hakodate Japan

In the city of Hakodate, Japan, you can ride a gondola up to the top of a nearby mountain and see the view of the city. It’s a pretty popular and spectacular view, except it’s insanely crowded. Japan, especially Hokkaido, has become a hotspot for Chinese tourism. They’re looking to escape the air pollution that…
Must-Have Accessories Fujifilm X-T20 / X-T30

A list of all the best Lens Hoods, Screen Protectors, Cases, Straps, Thumb Grips, Soft Shutters and more, for the Fujifilm X-T20 and X-T30. These are the accessories I use on most of my cameras that also work great for the X-T20 and X-T30.
Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R Lens Review & Sample Photos

The Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R lens is an absolutely phenomenal that is extremely fast with beautiful bokeh and a 7-blade rounded aperture at f1.2. The lens is optically near perfect and is very well-built with an all metal barrel. It does have somewhat of a high element count as a tradeoff to great corner…
A Perfect Day In Southern Japan

We finally had a break in the weather. It’s been stormy and windy because of the typhoon, but yesterday it cleared up for a perfect day. I’m not exactly sure where these rice terraces are on a map, but they were amazing. They extend down into the bay, and to the right, out of frame,…
Shooting Japan From Inside A Car

This trip to Japan has had me in the car a lot. Driving, driving, driving. Especially in Hokkaido, where I had the flu. That was not fun. Two days with a fever and some bronchitis sprinkled on top. I’ve also learned a new meaning of pain. Descending from 36,000 feet in an airplane with congested sinuses. Anyway, something…
Exploring Japan’s Countryside

You don’t get to see much of the countryside in Japan, but it is my favorite place to visit. It’s a lot slower paced, restaurants are even more ma and pa, and everyone is usually so friendly. Photography with the Fuji X100T and XT1 These photos were shot in the mountains of Kumamoto, Japan. I…
Ishibashi Bridge And HDR With The X-T1

I’ve been excited to return to Southern Japan to shoot with that Funinon 10-24mm f4 lens. The time of day and weather haven’t been great, but HDR photography fixes everything. It blows my mind sometimes the software and technology available to us today. Some of the scenes I’ve been shooting have been so bright with…
Exploring Dazaifu Japan

Street photography is that mysterious style of photography that can mean so much while showing so little. I can only look at the masters, wondering what magic they possess. I have to be honest. It’s hard. Before really getting into it a year ago, I thought it was just going around, taking pictures of people…
A Day Of Travel

Airports and flying are my least favorite parts of going to Japan. It’s not that I don’t like airports or flying. It’s when your flight gets delayed, causing you to miss your next flight, which forces you to have to take a shuttle to a completely different airport an hour away, only to ride on…
Leica M Lens List & Guide – A Complete List For 2026

A huge list of all the available Leica M lenses that are made today including official Leica lenses and third-party.