Riz Crescini » Landscape

A Ship in Harbor…

Riz Crescini — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:48:30 +0000

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” ~John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic (1928)

We are made to experience life and all it has to offer and not stay safely at home. Mark Twain said it best:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.“

Use your God-given gifts and talents to serve your family, friends and community. Don’t be afraid to take risks and dream big in 2012!!

Hiking Up Mt. Sarakura: Yahatahigashi, Japan

Riz Crescini — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:53:47 +0000

Anne and I went on a hiking date up a mountain know for its gorgeous views of our city. The mountain (Mt. Sarakura) is not too far from our house, about a 20 minute drive. You can even see the mountain from our neighborhood. Anne and I had a great time hiking and exploring. The last time we did a hike like this together was when we lived in Kobe in the late 90′s. It was so fun that we agreed to do more hiking dates in the near future. As Anne shared yesterday, “You get exercise, photography, and each other all in one shot!” I couldn’t agree more!

Anne loves to climb!

This part makes me think of Narnia or Lord of the Rings.

My climbing buddy!

Here's our ride back!

And for lunch: Turkey kebab at a new joint in town! It was soooo good!

Spring Time in Kitakyushu

Riz Crescini — Wed, 11 May 2011 20:14:34 +0000

Signs of Life: Yard Photos

Riz Crescini — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:18:14 +0000

Just a little over a week ago, I was in Tohoku, Japan as part of a media team for a non-profit organization, Churches Helping Churches. A detailed post of my time up north is on its way. I’m still reflecting on the tragedy that has come upon northern Japan and the rebuilding that must take place in the cities and in people’s lives.

One of the things brought home to me as I was taking pictures of the destruction before me is that for all man’s creativity and ingenuity, we build things that won’t last. We might know this in our heads but on a daily basis, we lead lives that come perilously close to delusional. Why? Because we think our lives are somehow invincible. We take so much comfort from our possessions. We work hard on things that truly aren’t meaningful. The tragedy in northern Japan has taught me that life is beautiful but it is short and fragile. I should correct myself to say that life CAN be beautiful if we live it in a way that give value to others rather than hopelessly trying to attain meaning from possessions.

The blooming of flowers during springtime are a gentle reminder to me of this reflection: we have an incredibly short amount of time in which we can display the beauty that God has intended for our lives. We need to take a hard look at our lives. Are we living it for others or for things?

It’s a Macro Kind of Day

Riz Crescini — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 01:23:23 +0000

Yokohama Scene

Riz Crescini — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:38:09 +0000

Yesterday we explored Yokohama, the capital city of Kanagawa prefecture. Specifically, we went to Minato Mirai 21. This is Yokohama’s new city center. Japan’s tallest building, the Landmark Tower, is located in this area. The night scene was so spectacular! We can’t wait to go back in the near future and explore more of this beautiful place.

Queen's Square

Minato Mirai at night.

Cosmo World Ferris Wheel

This former shipyard is now part of the shopping complex.

Picture of the Day

Riz Crescini — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:01:31 +0000

My first image of 2011 is the courtyard of the Lazona Kawasaki Plaza. This is a huge shopping area with over 300 shops! We had a New Year’s Day lunch at a buffet restaurant called The Oven. The Oven is easily one of my favorite buffet restaurants, in both Japan and America. Note the taiko drum performance at ground level.

Minimalist Photography from the Great Wall

Riz Crescini — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:08:42 +0000

Before my trip to China, I read this article on minimalist photography and I was blown away by the powerful simplicity of the images. Here’s the link to the article: http://bit.ly/aopfKc

So here’s my attempt on minimalist photography. This was taken from the Great Wall. What do you think?

Fun Saturday Outing

Riz Crescini — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:57:23 +0000

It was a rainy day but I managed to get the family to explore an area in southern Kokura City called Sugao. The area is beautiful. We are definitely coming back to explore more of this place especially when the weather is sunny.

Exploring with the Lensbaby Composer lens. My vision for this shot was an eagle’s eye view. What do you think?

Mr. Worm got in on some of the action!

And now for the family shots!

Yes, they are silly like their Daddy and Mommy!!

Our family will be in the U.S. for the months of August and September. We will be in Virginia most of the time but also doing a 3-week tour of the Midwest. Let us know if you would like to meet during our stay. We would love to hang out and catch up with dear friends and families. Photog buddies, let me know if you want to hang out as well! Shoot us a message (facebook, twitter or email) or comment on this post. Hope to see you soon!

China 2009 – Scott Robert Next Level Workshop 2009

Riz Crescini — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:41:45 +0000

Well, I have finally gotten around to posting the second part of my China trip. After an excellent time in Hong Kong, our group flew to Beijing and had a once-in-a-lifetime shooting session on the Great Wall. It was cold but experiencing firsthand one of the great wonders of the world was quite exhilarating! Our original plan was to shoot for a couple hours but we easily went over that time. What made this trip to the Great Wall special was that our group had this portion of the Wall all to ourselves. There were no tourists or gimmicky shops. Heck, there weren’t even any locals. We had private access to a portion of the Wall that is unrestored. How awesome is that?!?

I was amazed at this feat of engineering. The Great Wall just seems to go on forever, its walls disappearing into the horizon. The Wall was built by the vision of its engineers along with the right tools. And I think this sums up what it’s like to attend one of Scott’s workshops. He gives you a vision and the tools needed to prosper in the photography business. Just as the Wall seems to go on and on, Scott mentors and challenges us to see the potential and limitless possibilities before us as we build a career in photography. I am looking forward to some more mentoring in 2010!

And I must be out of my mind for not saying this earlier. Big, big, big props go to Jeremy Chan and his wife Zabrina Deng for organizing everything. They worked so hard to give us a wonderful experience. Thanks, Jeremy and Zabrina! We are so thankful for you! Check out their work on flickr. I also want to thank the models (Yu-Cheng and Mei-Qian). They braved the cold weather and worked hard to give us fantastic images.

Here’s Anwar helping me with my set up. I learned a lot from him.

Enjoying a nice, relaxing dinner.

Tauran took this shot of me. Thanks for the profile pic, T! I appreciated Tauran sharing his insights.

And Chantal was very generous. She gave me plenty of advice/coaching on setting up my images.

Chantal wondering if we will ever get to our destination. It was a long trip from Badaling to central Beijing.

Paramilitary officers on duty inside the Forbidden City.

The walls just outside the Forbidden City.

Local Beijing resident. I was happy to capture this image. I realize that China is changing with the times but this image seems, to me, to symbolize China.