How did you discover photography?
My interest in photography started around high school. I would get absorbed in the pages of magazines found in the library like national geographic or reader’s digest. At that time I hadn't actively pursued photography because of the high barrier of entry of film photography. But it was still at the back of my mind. In 2015, I finally got an action camera as my first camera and started learning what I can about photography. After a year of constant use I found myself out growing that camera. I wanted to take full control of the settings so that I can make the photo I envisioned. With the help of my brother in law, who’s a professional photographer, I was able to get a proper DSLR that would fit my needs. From there my interest in photography grew. I actively joined photo walks and seminars. Read and studied photography techniques in books, magazines and on the internet. Bit by bit I started filling out my photography kit adding new gear when I needed it and currently enjoying this photographic journey.

What made you choose landscapes and cityscape as your preferred genre?
I’m a person who likes to spend time outdoors and one of the reasons that I love photography is how well you can pair it with your other hobbies. You like to eat at different restaurants? Food photography. Love to travel to different places? Travel photography. Love going on adventures in the great outdoors? Landscape photography. Landing on Landscape photography (pun intended) just feels natural for me. Plus I find Landscape photography therapeutic. Imagine waiting for the sunrise while holding a warm cup of coffee or sitting by the beach with a cold bottle of your favorite drink waiting for the sunset. Those moments grant me calm and peace as I focus on capturing the wonder of nature.

How important are filters in your photography? What is your preferred setup?
Using filters grant me the creative flexibility to compose a scene in multiple ways. From smoothing the flow of water and clouds to create drama, cutting the reflection on wet surfaces to reveal hidden detail to balancing uneven exposure and many more. I also like to do as much as possible in camera so I won’t spend a lot of time in post process.

When traveling somewhere near or just doing a day hike I like to bring all my filters( v5 pro, CPL, 3 stop GND, 6 stop ND, 10 Stop ND) just so that I would have options in the field and when I go to on multi day hikes I manage with a V5pro, CPL and a 6 stop ND in a DIY pouch to save weight. But I usually mix and match depending on the location that I am going.

What are 3 important tips you can share to those who would like to try landscape and cityscape photography?

Take advantage of technology

It’s amazing how we are walking today with mobile phones as powerful as computers that can fit inside our pockets. There are a lot of useful apps and photography apps you can take advantage of to plan out that perfect shot. Here is some of my picks and how I use them:

Google / Google maps - I pre-plan my trip, using google to research for any points of interests, possible vantage points and composition.

Weather app - During planning I check the weather on the day of the planned shoot. Some advanced weather apps can even show the type of cloud, height and show its image on a map at different times.

Light pollution map - Useful for astrophotography to look for a location with dark skies

Stellarium - an app to look for the milky way and other heavenly bodies

Photopills – My most used photography app. A Swiss army app for photographers, it has different lens, distance, exposure calculators, a map to plan shoots, an augmented reality mode for visual planning and so much more.

There are a lot more and I recommend to try some of them and see which app can help your photography.

Learn and be inspired from other art forms

Aside from just studying photography you can get inspiration from other mediums as well. Have you ever watched a TV show or movie and noticed how vibrant or muted the world looked and how it conveyed the tone of the story? How a director composed a scene in such a way that made  you feel drawn to a scene? How do some photos have a “painterly” quality that makes them look like the photo has a soft, brushed aesthetic? By studying techniques from different art forms you'll have a better understanding of color and composition that you can apply to your own photography. Different art lends to each other and you can learn a new process and techniques by observing and studying them.

Work the scene and enjoy the ride

Don't get discouraged when you arrive at a location and find that the conditions are terrible. Take it as a challenge and try to make it work. If there are no clouds then leave the sky out and use a telephoto lens and shoot details. If the sky has an over cast then use a 10 stop filter and do a long exposure. Shoot in back and white instead of color. There are multiple ways to photograph a location and if you still can't get a decent photo don't get depressed because at least you are spending your time outdoors :)