After 412 days Disneyland has re-opened!! It’s weird to think that a place that I use to go to so much as a Passholder has been shuttered for over a year. At the same time my bank account has been thanking me for not buying $5 churros every other weekend haha.

But as much as I’d like to be back at Disney riding rides, this post is going to look back about two months ago. Around this time, Disney announced that it was going to be hosting a ticketed event called A Touch of Disney. They would open up California Adventure (no rides) for those fortunate enough to get tickets to the event to enjoy a variety of foods, and the Disney atmosphere we’ve all missed all while adhering to current safety guidelines.

The day the ticket queues opened up I got in the virtual line to see if I could get a couple tickets for Amie and I. One cool thing that we’ve found out is that we both love Disney, on top of photography of course. And in the 7 months we had been dating at the time, we still hadn’t really had the chance to experience Disney together. Amazingly, I was able to get us tickets!! I remember telling Amie we were going and she was sooo excited. We were going to have the chance to go to California Adventure, and even though there weren’t going to be any rides, we looked forward to spending that time together with our cameras, eating the good food Disney had waiting.

March 28th comes and we head out to Anaheim after church. We get in line which was socially distanced and wait to go into the park. We get to the ticket booth and Disney had it outfitted with plexiglass shields to protect us and the workers. The kind worker gave us our tickets and a $25 food voucher each. We’re in!!! After so much anticipation we were finally at Disney together. Now before this becomes just about our date to Disney, you know us, we had our cameras there with us to document the day. So enough of me talking, let’s take a look at some photos!!

To conclude this recap of our day, we were thankful for the time we got to spend at A Touch of Disney! We’re not sure when we’ll be able to go to Disney now that it’s open, but you can bet we are definitely looking forward to it!! You can also bet that we will be there with our cameras to take more shots of our beloved Disney!

You can check out mine and Amie’s gear HERE

Lastly, check out and follow our collaboration project that we’ve been working on on Instagram: Toshiro & Kiyomi Images. We were even fortunate enough to have Disneyland’s official Instagram account feature a few of our shots on their account. So exciting!!

Have a blessed week everyone!

To see things from the perspective of a bird, wow who would have thought that was possible!! And no I don’t mean tens of thousands of feet in the air when you’re on a plane. I’m talking about soaring a few hundred feet above the ground and flying over places you see all the time in your day to day outings. These could be places like your local beach, or a place you drive by in your car during your morning commute. This is what became possible with the invention of drone technology. We can now get a glimpse of what a bird sees as it soars through the air and looks down at the world below.

Ever since drones came on the market, I was always intrigued by them and always wanted one. But drones, especially when they first came out, were really expensive. On top of that, I had this belief that they were really complicated/difficult to fly, and there was this reservation in me that felt that I wouldn’t be able to do it or be any good at it. But in the beginning of Summer 2020, I began contemplating whether I should finally take that leap and get a drone. DJI had an entry level model called the Mavic Mini which seemed perfect to start out in aerial photography/videography.

The main thing I like about the Mavic Mini (aside from its price point) is it’s compact size, hence its name. The Mavic Mini is so small and compact that I can literally throw it in my backpack and have it with me wherever I go for the day. It takes up so little space and it’s so light it’s not a burden to carry around. It weighs in at 249g meaning you don’t have to register it with the FAA like other drones, however this does NOT excuse you from the FAA’s regulations for safe drone flying that must be followed. And for $400 it’s not too expensive for someone that wants to dip their toes into the drone world. I personally got DJI’s Fly More combo that costs a little bit more but comes with two extra batteries, a triple battery charger, and propeller guards for flying indoors.

Performance wise you get a lot for your money. The camera has a fixed f/2.8 aperture and a max 2.7k video resolution. And the 1/2.3in 12MP CMOS sensor (equivalent to shooting on a 24mm lens) takes stunning photos and videos. I mean yes you could go and get a Mavic 2 Pro, but for 1/5th the cost, I’m happy with the Mavic Mini and what it delivers at its price point.

Ok let’s step away from the technicalities. For those who know me, you know I love technical things and my brain can easily run with it, leaving the person I’m talking to in a deep sleep…ok it’s not that bad haha! But anyways let’s get back to the topic at hand. Using a drone has opened up a whole new appreciation for me in photography and videography. It has given me a different vantage point in which to view God’s magnificent creation and share that with the world. “For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95: 3-5. In a world filled with so much chaos, it’s amazing how peaceful things seem when you’re soaring from above. The noise of the world fades away and you’re left with the serene beauty of the world below. And it’s through these views that we are able to witness God’s handiwork in it all. Sometimes it just requires us to take a step back….or in this case fly up above.

The ultimate purpose of this post was to begin sharing some of my early drone work with the world. I think everyone should be able to enjoy these images and the perspective that they offer, but not feel like they have to go out and get a drone if they don’t want to. But for those that have even the slightest interest, I encourage you to give it a shot! So I hope you enjoy some of my work with my Mavic Mini and I’ll leave you with my 2020 Drone Reel. Enjoy!!

You can find the Mavic Mini and the ND Polarizer filters I use with it in my kit HERE

Also, check out some of the work Amie and I are doing on our collab Instagram account. We will be featuring some future drone work HERE from time to time.

Have a blessed day! 🙂

Happy New Year everyone!! We made it to 2021!! Here’s hoping everyone had a good holiday season, and even though 2020 was different than we all had wished, I hope everyone was able to find the blessings that last year brought. But now that the holidays are over that means back to work for many of us. Now we may have started a new year, but the pandemic has left us in a pretty similar situation as last year when it comes to work. And now that we’re a week into the new year I thought it would be a good time for the third and final part of my “Working From Home In A Pandemic” series.

If you haven’t read the first two parts of this series you can read them here:

Working From Home In A Pandemic (Part 1)

Working From Home In A Pandemic (Part 2)

Now no workstation would be complete without the right supporting elements. At this point I have the dual monitors, docking station setup, and I had a brand new desk to house everything. The last things needed to complete my workstation were a few peripherals and other small accessories.

First, is my RGB mouse pad which has multiple different lighting features and modes. But probably my favorite thing is the USB pass-through, giving me a USB port on the mat where I can plug in another device, I tend to plug in my bluetooth mouse dongles here. Plus the size of the extra large mouse pad gives me plenty of room when I’m working. And this brings me to my first peripheral, my computer mouse. For mice I actually use two different mice from Logitech. The first mouse is the Logitech G305 Lightspeed. The main reason I bought this mouse was to get something slightly bigger for work than the tiny Logitech one I used every day at the office. It wasn’t super expensive and it performs very well so it’s perfect for just regular day to day tasks. My second mouse is the Logitech G502 Lightspeed which I use when I’m editing or gaming. For this mouse I like being able to add weights to make the mouse itself heavier, and on top of that it has customizable RGB lighting through Logitech’s G-Hub software.

When it comes to keyboards I also have two different ones that I use. The first one is my Space Gray Apple Magic Keyboard w/ 10-key number pad. I mainly use this if I want to sit back from the desk or even on my bed while looking up stuff online. When I need to be at the desk though I use my Logitech G815. This mechanical keyboard is one of the latest models to come from Logitech (sister to the G915, the wireless version). Like my G502 mouse, this keyboard has programmable RGB lighting through G-Hub. But my favorite thing about this keyboard is the feel when using it. The keys have a lower profile and the tactile switches give a nice feel when typing. The built-in volume wheel is nice when I’m editing or watching videos, making volume changes really easy. The G815 also has a USB pass-through like the mouse pad that I can use for a mouse dongle or other USB device, if needed.

For my iPad, I use the Arkon 12in Heavy Duty Tablet Clamp Mount. This allows me to Facetime with others when I’m busy using my dual monitors, or I can turn it into a third monitor for my Macbook using Apple’s sidecar feature. I think I need to find a way to get more screens haha. For my chair, I found a racing inspired chair on Amazon, themed after Tony Stark’s Iron Man. The high back provides good support to my back when sitting for long hours. The chair also comes with a neck cushion and a lower lumbar pillow that you can choose to use or not. And lastly, no setup would be complete without lighting. I added a Govee 32.8ft Dreamcolor RGB strip to the desk. It’s controlled by an app that I have on my phone via Wifi/Bluetooth or the built-in controller. It has different lighting modes, including music mode, but the main thing that I use it for is backlighting when I’m working on a late night edit to lessen the strain on my eyes. Plus it just gives the room a nice ambiance.

And that brings us to the conclusion of my workstation build. It was a fun process to go from start to finish for sure, and due to a lot of the effects of Covid-19 on stores it took about two months to complete. But now whenever I use it to work it makes things so much more efficient. Feel free to check out my kit page HERE if you’re interested in building a work from home setup of your own. And if you have any questions feel free to contact me. Have a blessed day everyone!

In Part 1, I was left with a simple functioning work from home setup. I went from a single laptop screen to a dual monitor docking setup that now allowed me to do my 9-5 work and my creative work more efficiently. The next big upgrade to my setup was going to be my desk!! My current desk was one that was given to my sister and I when we were in grade school so that we had a place to do our homework. It was functional, but old and needed to be replaced to allow my workstation to come together.

If you’re looking to build your own workstation you can find the components I’m using for mine HERE.

For some time I had my eye on the Fredde workstation and Alex drawer set from Ikea. Due to the pandemic though, Ikea’s Click & Collect system was overloaded which prevented me from replacing my desk sooner. But at the same time, I was not about to pay $49 in shipping, so as the old saying goes “Patience is a virtue”. Eventually, I was able to purchase one through Click & Collect and began the next big change to my Work From Home setup.

I love the Fredde desk!! Overall assembly wasn’t too difficult and for what I needed it’s extremely functional. It has two shelves that you can position at different heights above the main desk plane. It also has two small shelves underneath where you can keep a PC tower , file boxes, or whatever you’d like really. Personally, I use one of these lower shelves to store my Ronin-M gimbal and use the other to store a box of my hot wheel collection. Both are fairly heavy boxes and the desk has no problem holding them. Lastly, it has two speaker stands that mount on the sides. Since I don’t have speakers, I use one to hold my Lego Rebel Alliance Snow Speeder haha!!

Now this is the point where I really felt that my setup was starting to come together. Simply having a new desk gave it more of a modern and up to date feel. Going back to Part 1 of this little mini series, where I said I opted for two monitor stands vs one that holds two displays, here’s why. Having two stands allows me to put both stands on the edge near the framework of the desk. So when you swivel one or both monitors out, it’s a clear window vs having a stand mount right in the middle. For me, I liked having the two posts off to the sides (almost unrecognizable) and I can still swivel the two monitors independent of each other should I want.

Now yes, this desk does not have any drawers, but one feature that I like about this desk is the different functional shelves that it has. For instance, the top shelf makes a perfect bookshelf. And since the desk is fairly wide I am able to store my two cameras as well as my Lego Imperial Star Destroyer (if you haven’t figured it out, I like Lego Star Wars sets haha) up there as well. Just below the top shelf, the desk came with four hooks that you can install. These hooks can be used to hang different things, but I personally use them to hang my headphones. The lower/middle shelf is where the desk clamps mount the monitors to the workstation. And since my monitors are floating it, leaves me room to store stuff underneath them, or in my case showcase my Civic Type R and NSX die cast models.

Finally, the space underneath the lower/middle shelf, which is also the main desk surface, is where I house my Wavlink laptop docking station as well as two small Wavlink USB hubs. I love using these small hubs!! For those that find themselves in need of extra USB ports, these are for you! I find them helpful for plugging in extra peripherals, since multiple computers are sharing the workstation. This way i don’t have to always unplug a keyboard to use on another computer….I can simply have two keyboards haha!!

These little guys have also helped me with my cable management (it could still use some work haha). Not only does the desk have dedicated holes for cable management, running two USB cords from the dock to these ports means I can tuck away any peripheral cables and then plug them into the USB hub instead. Lastly, each USB port on the hub has its own dedicated power button which comes in handy with all the different peripherals used in this workstation. This allows me to turn off a single USB port when it’s not in use.

That pretty much wraps it up for Part 2 of this little mini series. For your own personal setups, you can use any desk that fits your taste or needs. From there you can then tailor the rest of the components around that. Whether it’s getting smaller (or bigger) monitors, or getting a laptop stand, or maybe you want a desk with drawers that are attached. The point being let your creative juices flow and you can build a decent functional workstation that fits your needs. Stay tuned for the last part of this series where I’ll go into the different peripherals/accessories I decided to use!!

Where do we even begin when talking about 2020?! So much has changed and our society looks vastly different compared to how things were just a year ago. For the next few posts in this little mini series, I wanted to change things up a bit by moving away from photography/videography briefly, and talk about a topic that has impacted a good amount of people today….WORKING FROM HOME!! Like many others in 2020, my work situation was changed drastically with the implementation of “Safer at Home” orders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. And like many others, I was told to start working remotely, to which I quickly found that my workspace at home was far from ideal. So I wanted to share with others what I did to make this transition a little easier.

You can find the components I used for my workstation build HERE.

Now for those that don’t know me, I work as analyst at American Honda Motor Co. The team I am a part of works a lot with Excel reports, running queries, pulling query data, etc for vehicle production forecasting. So at the office we all have laptop docks that allow us to use 2 additional monitors in conjunction with our laptop screen. To put it simply, having to go from using 3 screens down to 1 laptop screen was not fun and I quickly realized I had to do something to change this.

This challenge of being able to work efficiently from home presented a unique opportunity. As I began planning out what I wanted to do, I realized that I could build a workstation that would not only allow me to do my work for Honda more effectively, but also allow me to photo/video edit more effectively. So first things first, I started searching for a laptop docking station. Ideally, it needed to utilize a USB-C display plug since both my work laptop and Macbook Pro use this type of plug. After doing some research I found a docking station made by a company called Wavlink that is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS. One other nice feature was that your computer charges while it is docked to the docking station.

Now that I’d found the dock I wanted to use, I needed a monitor so I could extend my desktop. Now, depending on what you’re going to be using the monitors for will help you determine what specs you want. For myself, I knew that aside from my work for Honda, I was going to use this workstation for photo/video editing, and eventually for gaming, once I built my gaming PC. So I decided to go with two Acer Nitro VG240Y 23.8″ monitors (supports a VESA mount for those wanting to get a desk mount). For some, 23.8″ might be too large so you can probably get away with two 21″ monitors instead. Again, whatever works best for your situation. Initially, I started out with one display but since the Wavlink dock can support 2 monitors, I soon picked up a second one.

Now depending on how you want your setup to look, you can go a couple routes with monitor placement. The first option would be to use the factory stand that comes with your monitor that would allow it to sit on the desk surface. The second option, and the option that I went with, was to buy desk mounts. The mount that I ended up getting was the VIVO Single LCD Monitor Desk Mount Stand. If you want to go the desk mount route make sure the monitor that you’re looking at supports a VESA mount.

I went the desk mount route because it gives me the ability to store things underneath the monitors. Since there’s no stand sitting on the desk itself, there is free space that I can now use under the floating screens, whether it’s storing my portable hard drives or displaying some of my model cars. On top of that, the arm that holds the screen up has clips where you can run your monitor cables for better cable management. The arms also allow you to move your screens around, and even tilt & rotate them. And for those doing a dual monitor setup, VIVO does have a single stand that you can mount two screens on. In the next part of this series, where I talk about upgrading my desk, I’ll explain why I went with two individual stands.

At this point, I have a functioning workstation setup. Once I got all the components hooked up, I went to DisplayLink’s website to download the necessary software drivers to my computers and now I can easily dock both my work and personal laptops to this setup. In the next part of this little mini series, we’ll switch gears a little bit and I will talk about the desk that I chose to replace my old, out-dated one. The new desk that I ended up getting really brings the entire station together and I have to say I’m happy with how it turned out. Stay tuned!!