Author: Alik Griffin

Streets of Kyoto Japan

Walking through Kyoto, Japan, is unlike anything else. Everything is so clean and orderly. You wouldn’t know it, but it was snowing earlier in the day when I took this photo. I would love to go back to Kyoto and spend more than a day there and take some proper photographs. This photo was actually…
The Haunted Queen Mary

In WWII, the Queen Mary was called the Grey Ghost, not because it was haunted but because of its color and the way it smoothly sailed across the water. Doesn’t it just look haunted? Apparently, some 150 ghosts haunt the Queen Mary, and I’ve read that up to 49 people have died aboard the ship.…
Dejima Dutch Trading Post – Nagasaki Japan

This is what Japan would have looked like in the 1800s. It’s a historically preserved part of a town in Nagasaki, Japan. This area was used as a Dutch trading post from 1641 to 1853. So, Dutch traders would have been living here. It was later integrated into the city.
El Matador Beach – Malibu

El Matador Beach is an awesome little spot just above Zuma. I’m guessing it got the name “El Matador” because this rock formation looks like a bull with its head down. This location is about halfway between Ventura and Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway in California. It’s known for its beautiful rock formations.…
Miyajima Temple Japan

Off the coast of Hiroshima, Miyajima is one of Japan’s finest views. Miyajima means Shrine Island, and that’s pretty much what this place is. Tame wild deer roam freely, and old Japanese Edo-era architecture is everywhere. It was founded sometime around 806 when a Buddhist monk, Kobo Daishi, established the site. The Buddhist temples and…
Orange Skies – Santa Monica Pier

This photo is of the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier Amusement Park. I love sunsets when there are no clouds in the sky. You get nice even colors that are easy to tweak. Shot with the Canon 5Dmkii and the 24-70mm f2.8L USM lens. I tweaked the exposure in Lightroom. Created a silhouette…
Queen Mary with the Canon 40mm Pancake

The Queen Mary during the 4th of July fireworks show. About 30 minutes after the show, they set off another brief round of fireworks that I could capture further down with my Canon 40mm f2.8 pancake lens.
Cheonggyecheon River – Seoul Korea

This is an HDR photo of the small waterfall at the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul, Korea. This river runs through the heart of the city and at this spot is decorated with lights and awesome architecture. It’s a very pretty location.
Lesser Flamingos – San Diego Wild Animal Park

Lesser Flamingos from the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Did you know their feathers’ pink and reddish color comes from the carotenoid pigments in the algae and crustaceans they eat? I didn’t realize that until I read it on a bit of board posted in front of the Lesser Flamingo exhibit. Now I do. And…
Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin) – Nanzoin Temple, Japan

I found these little guys when I was at a Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri, Japan. They are the Seven Gods of Fortune, or Seven Lucky Gods, or Shichifukujin in Japanese. The gold symbol behind them means treasure. The resident priest of this temple won the lottery and built the world’s largest bronze statue at this site.…