Nicklaus Walter is a writer, photographer, and founder of Decaf Journal. You can find his photography portfolio here: www.nicklauswalter.com
photography
The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM offers the best user experience of any Canon lens I've used to date which is the number one reason to own it. It prioritizes speed, sharpness, and performance in a sleek package that's easy to use without any fuss.
photography
Consumers today always strive for the latest and greatest, but the Canon EOS 5D classic can now be had at a dirt cheap price, making it a tremendous value. I purchased mine recently for just over $200 USD. You're getting a professional grade camera for a fraction of what it used to cost.
photography
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM is clearly a no brainer. If you're travelling, bring a 35mm 1.4 along with this lens and you're set for the whole trip. If shooting in daylight, it's difficult to justify the f2.8 version which costs several hundred dollars more and is substantially heavier.
photography
The silver reflective umbrella is almost always overlooked by photographers, and when it is used it's usually only to light up a background. Most believe the beauty dish is superior but I respectfully disagree. No, the silver reflective umbrella when used appropriately is the ultimate beauty light.
photography
Decaf Journal is reader-supported. When you buy links through our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. It's all about perspective they say. How you choose to see the world carries significant weight in life. Likewise, a considered point of view has the power to shape a story
wellness
It occurs to me now that the times in life that I've experienced the most growth and achievement were born out of necessity, a survival instinct to get out of the life I was dissatisfied with. Do you hate the situation that you currently find yourself in? I say lean into it.
photography
My two favorite focal lengths have always been 35mm and 50mm, and having both at my disposal opens up the creative possibilities even more on an already useful camera. This combination of lenses will work well for travel photography, and I plan to use them together for future projects.
travel
In an era where everyone on the internet was saying that there's no money to be made in stock photography, I personally knew several photographers who were consistently making over $10,000 USD per month, and I was determined to be one of them. I just needed to focus on it full time, or so I thought.
photography
While there are many benefits to using a camera no larger than a modern mobile phone, the X100V doesn't sound the professional photographer alarm to people around you. It has an innocent appearance that isn't intimidating at all, which consequently disarms human subjects.
style
The Billingham Hadley Digital is a professional grade bag that can withstand years of abuse, but it doesn't scream "I'm a commercial photographer". It is discreet, and if your photography is built on capturing subtle moments or candid scenes, then this is the perfect companion.
While it may be best known as bird seed here in North America, millet is known as the "queen of all grains" in China. Needless to say, millet is important there. They even named a phone company after it, Xiaomi.
I was visibly shaken at my discovery and simultaneously overjoyed. All my life I had been told there's no cure for male pattern baldness, and yet I was now living proof that it could be overcome.