Category: Photography

The Shortest Path …

The shortest path is the one you don’t abandon.

In the world of IT, we used to see major technology cycles and new ways of working evolve every 3 to 4 years. It gave us time to adapt, master, and implement.

Since last year, that cycle was compressed to every 3 months – largely thanks to the fanatic wave of AI. But since the start of this year? The landscape shifts every 3 weeks, if not faster. New tools, new framework, new techniques, new acronyms … 

Lately, I can’t help but ask myself: How much time do I actually need to learn all of this? Do any of us even have enough time at all?

I’ve shared before about the importance of ruthlessly picking what to learn, adopting on-demand learning, and leaning into micro-learning. But as the pace goes hyper-speed, the next crucial skill isn’t about learning faster—it’s about filtering better.

We need to ignore the noise and the marketing hype. Stop hopping from one shiny new tool to another. Instead, focus strictly on what is best for your life and your specific career path. Learn deeply, and do as much as you possibly can with the tools you already have in your hands.

Become a master, not a jumper.

It reminds me of that classic line in photography: “What’s the best camera on earth to capture a precious moment? The one that is with you.”

The same applies to technology. The best tool isn’t the one launching next week; it’s the one you actually use to solve real problems today.

How are you filtering the noise in your own workflow right now?

#ContinuousLearning #AITrends #TechLeadership

Where Am I?

Every time I glance at my phone, this view reminds me exactly of where my feet are right now.

I have a deliberate business ritual: whenever I am traveling for work or diving into a specific market, I need to be entirely present. No distractions about what my Hong Kong looks like, what hour it is back home – just absolute focus on the task at hand.

That’s why my lock screen always displays an image of my current local city instead of my hometown. I intentionally pull these photos from my own album – shots I’ve personally taken during my travels. It serves as a meaningful, visual trigger to instantly switch my context to the local market. Focus, focus, focus… on the real work.

But being “present” in 2026 means something entirely different than it did just a few years ago. As professionals, we are all navigating an era of ubiquitous AI. It saves us time, but it also forces us to ask a critical question about where we direct our daily attention:

What is your real work goal today?

➡️ Is it merely managing and polishing the outputs of an AI tool?

➡️ Or is it leveraging your deeply earned expert knowledge to guide, prompt, and orchestrate those tools to do the work?

For me, the value isn’t in letting AI take the wheel while we passively watch. True leverage comes from using our human intuition, strategic vision, and local context to steer it in the right direction. Just like my phone wallpaper, it all comes down to where you choose to place your focus.

Curious to hear from my network – what is your business travel ritual and how are you redefining your “real work” in the age of AI?

#FutureOfWork #AI #BusinessRituals

The Digital Print and Footprint

The Digital Photo Dilemma: What happens to all those pictures we take?

We snap countless photos every single day and on every trip we take. But once the moment passes, how do you treat or reuse your photos?

Instead of letting them gather digital dust on my hard drive, I decided to try something different. While I regularly use my own shots in my presentations, I’ve started hand-picking a few of my favorites for some years and hosting them on #Unsplash – completely free for anyone to download.

Then, the experiment began…

I am always curious about how other people perceive and appreciate my photography. I realized the best way to find out is to see exactly how they use my photos out in the wild on their own blogs, articles, or websites.

By making these photos freely available to other netizens, I can trace their journey across the web and see the unique, creative contexts they end up in.

I recently did another deep dive to see where my images have traveled, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. Here are the results of my latest Google Image search! 👇

Photography #CreativeCommunity #DigitalFootprint #PhotographyExperiment

AI vs Human Creation

We often describe AI as cold or synthetic. But that’s a misconception.

AI isn’t “creating” in a vacuum; it is remixing everything we have ever written, drawn, or coded. Its training data is, in fact, a mirror of us.

Because of this, I believe authentic human creation is more valuable now than ever before.

To celebrate that human touch, I am proud to share my sixth photo book. I’ve been embracing on-demand printing since 2008 to bring my digital work to life, but this volume feels special. It marks the finale of my three-part photo story:

👁️ Eyes like a shutter
🧠 Mind like a lens
❤️ Heart like a film

To me, there is something irreplaceable about the smell of ink and the weight of paper. While I use digital tools every day, seeing these three books side-by-side reminds me that some stories just need to be held in your hands.

I’d love to hear what you are working on. What is your latest creation?

HumanCreativity #AI #GenerativeAI #Creativity #Storytelling

F-Stop Guru Camera Backpack

Two things I don’t like much about the Manfrotto / Kata Revolver backpack are first, it’s not designed to hold two camera bodies even with its rather huge body. Second issue is the backpack cannot stand by itself – after all it’s designed like a revolver (such that you can access lens easily).

So, the Revolver is out … and F-Stop Guru is in.

To me, a great camera backpack should has the following features (YMMV though) :

  • It has to be lightweight.
  • It shall look like a typical hiking / day-trip backpack, but not a backpack with camera gear inside.
  • It shall hold two M4/3 camera bodies, a few Olympus Pro zoom lens, one or two fixed lens, and a flash.
  • It shall allow the photographer to access the gears easily, by slinging the bag or access from the side.
  • It shall be able to slot in a 13 inches laptop.
  • It shall include lots of small internal pockets to hold accessories.
  • The shoulder strap shall not be that thick to fit the Capture Pro Camera Clip.
  • It shall has side pocket(s) to hold bottle of water.
  • It shall include rain cover.
  • And of course, It can stand by itself.

Bonus – it can fit in an internal hydration pack.

Well yes, the F-Stop Guru fits the bill.