Author Archives: Jason Andrew Jenkins
Nikon Professional Services
“Accidents and equipment damage are inherent in my line of work, but thanks to NPS, I know I have someone I can depend on to keep me shooting. You can’t put a price on a partnership like that.”
Nikon Professional Services
“Accidents and equipment damage are inherent in my line of work, but thanks to NPS, I know I have someone I can depend on to keep me shooting. You can’t put a price on a partnership like that.”
Nikon Total Digital Imaging System
“…turn taking snapshots into creating images that reflect the original meaning of the word “photography” — drawing with light.”
Nikon Total Digital Imaging System
“…turn taking snapshots into creating images that reflect the original meaning of the word “photography” — drawing with light.”
Tastemaker: Thierry Marx
“In France, tradition and innovation are always battling,” he says. “In Japan, however, there was no battle”
Tastemaker: Thierry Marx
“In France, tradition and innovation are always battling,” he says. “In Japan, however, there was no battle”
Baru Island – Cartagena Colombia
“Together with Taroa Adventures, our guide took us to where the people of Baru Island live and work. We snacked, met locals, heard stories and played music. By the time we left, we felt like we had a better understanding of a small sliver of Colombian society.”
Baru Island – Cartagena Colombia
“Together with Taroa Adventures, our guide took us to where the people of Baru Island live and work. We snacked, met locals, heard stories and played music. By the time we left, we felt like we had a better understanding of a small sliver of Colombian society.”
The Nikon Df
“Through observation and measured contemplation, I interpret the scene and camera settings on my own.
I am the photographer, not the camera. With my fingers on the controls, my ideas and my photography connect more meaningfully. So now I walk slowly, once again relishing each and every frame.”
The Nikon Df
“Through observation and measured contemplation, I interpret the scene and camera settings on my own.
I am the photographer, not the camera. With my fingers on the controls, my ideas and my photography connect more meaningfully. So now I walk slowly, once again relishing each and every frame.”
Making Sushi Near the Kuromon Market
“I often use food to draw them out of their rooms and into an afternoon with Dad. Food tours usually work, but since 2013 the perennial favorite for us has been cooking classes.
It’s a nice way to learn about a culture while practicing an essential life skill: preparing food for yourself and others.”
Making Sushi Near the Kuromon Market
“I often use food to draw them out of their rooms and into an afternoon with Dad. Food tours usually work, but since 2013 the perennial favorite for us has been cooking classes.
It’s a nice way to learn about a culture while practicing an essential life skill: preparing food for yourself and others.”
Southeast Asia with Kids
“One of the biggest concerns about traveling in Southeast Asia with kids is the crazy traffic. It’s not as dangerous as it looks, but if you’re not careful, it can be.
Believe it or not, most Southeast Asian traffic has a rhythm and flow to it. The thousands of motorcycles and scooters may not seem to be following any rules. However, there is a relationship between them and pedestrians.”
Southeast Asia with Kids
“One of the biggest concerns about traveling in Southeast Asia with kids is the crazy traffic. It’s not as dangerous as it looks, but if you’re not careful, it can be.
Believe it or not, most Southeast Asian traffic has a rhythm and flow to it. The thousands of motorcycles and scooters may not seem to be following any rules. However, there is a relationship between them and pedestrians.”
The Nikon D5
“Take a step forward. See critical moments that had previously been invisible. Capture moments that had previously been lost…”
The Nikon D5
“Take a step forward. See critical moments that had previously been invisible. Capture moments that had previously been lost…”
The Rinjani Lodge
“Senaru is home to several of Lombok’s most famous and beautiful waterfalls. The two most famous Lombok waterfalls are Air Terjun Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile. And the park entrance to reach them is less than two minutes from the Rinjani Lodge’s front step…”
The Rinjani Lodge
“Senaru is home to several of Lombok’s most famous and beautiful waterfalls. The two most famous Lombok waterfalls are Air Terjun Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gile. And the park entrance to reach them is less than two minutes from the Rinjani Lodge’s front step…”
Wild Swimming in Spain
Similar to open water swimming, wild swimming is simply choosing to swim in more natural environments, often without parking, lifeguards and other trappings of civilization. Wild swimming is usually at a river or abandoned beach, and may require a long walk or hike to reach. Wild swimming also happens at local creeks or ponds.
When you were growing up, you probably just called it “swimming.”
Wild Swimming in Spain
Similar to open water swimming, wild swimming is simply choosing to swim in more natural environments, often without parking, lifeguards and other trappings of civilization. Wild swimming is usually at a river or abandoned beach, and may require a long walk or hike to reach. Wild swimming also happens at local creeks or ponds.
When you were growing up, you probably just called it “swimming.”
Top 23 Things to do in Valencia, Spain with Kids
“Below is our favorite 23 things to do in Valencia with kids, but this is only part of a growing list of fun family experiences in Valencia we’re compiling. I am sure to return to this post and update it as we get to know the city better.”
Top 23 Things to do in Valencia, Spain with Kids
“Below is our favorite 23 things to do in Valencia with kids, but this is only part of a growing list of fun family experiences in Valencia we’re compiling. I am sure to return to this post and update it as we get to know the city better.”
Don’t fear the creeper: A lesson in overcoming fear
“Once back on the scooters and heading back to town, both kids seemed like different people. Felicia’s only concern seemed to be leaving the snakes behind. All worries about the dark or about getting lost were gone. In fact, Jamie became an active participant in navigating our way back.”
Don’t fear the creeper: A lesson in overcoming fear
“Once back on the scooters and heading back to town, both kids seemed like different people. Felicia’s only concern seemed to be leaving the snakes behind. All worries about the dark or about getting lost were gone. In fact, Jamie became an active participant in navigating our way back.”
Penang with Kids: Family Travel Guide
“We’ve in and out of Penang multiple times, and I can say that it is one of our children’s favorite places in Southeast Asia. Below I’ve listed up a few of our favorite things to do on the island, as well as a few favorites of fellow family travelers.”
Penang with Kids: Family Travel Guide
“We’ve in and out of Penang multiple times, and I can say that it is one of our children’s favorite places in Southeast Asia. Below I’ve listed up a few of our favorite things to do on the island, as well as a few favorites of fellow family travelers.”
Learning from a neighborhood stroll
“Guests are welcome to step inside the buildings and touch many (but perhaps not all) of the objects they find there. Kids can operate machinery that husked the community’s rice, and then handle the pots that were later used to cook the grains. You can step into the houses (shoes off first please) and peruse some of the now-somewhat-alien belongings that would have been commonplace in their time.”
Learning from a neighborhood stroll
“Guests are welcome to step inside the buildings and touch many (but perhaps not all) of the objects they find there. Kids can operate machinery that husked the community’s rice, and then handle the pots that were later used to cook the grains. You can step into the houses (shoes off first please) and peruse some of the now-somewhat-alien belongings that would have been commonplace in their time.”
Workshops to keep the children sweet
“With skill and hard work, however, an artisan can turn sweets into something more sublime. Just like the French patissier, the makers of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) use sugar and other ingredients to make edible art — objects of such beauty that you may feel guilty taking a bite from them.”
Workshops to keep the children sweet
“With skill and hard work, however, an artisan can turn sweets into something more sublime. Just like the French patissier, the makers of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) use sugar and other ingredients to make edible art — objects of such beauty that you may feel guilty taking a bite from them.”
Get kids’ education down to a science
“These are the type of activities you find in most science museums in the world. The buttons are worn around the edges and they’re not decked out with iPads and the most recent technologies, but they’re still interactive and educational. They may show their age, but the fun (and the science behind them) is timeless.”
Get kids’ education down to a science
“These are the type of activities you find in most science museums in the world. The buttons are worn around the edges and they’re not decked out with iPads and the most recent technologies, but they’re still interactive and educational. They may show their age, but the fun (and the science behind them) is timeless.”
TenQ can stop kids getting lost in space
“I’m not sure how self-conscious it makes these researchers to be presented as an exhibit themselves, but they seem unperturbed by observers, and I like the idea of children observing scientists at work — even if it has the feeling of watching fish in a tank.”
TenQ can stop kids getting lost in space
“I’m not sure how self-conscious it makes these researchers to be presented as an exhibit themselves, but they seem unperturbed by observers, and I like the idea of children observing scientists at work — even if it has the feeling of watching fish in a tank.”
Take on the samurai in Edo Period Toei
“…the sets here are used to shoot more than 200 productions a year, and the park itself offers an interesting opportunity show your kids he magic of filmmaking — all while exposing them to a little Japanese history.”
Take on the samurai in Edo Period Toei
“…the sets here are used to shoot more than 200 productions a year, and the park itself offers an interesting opportunity show your kids he magic of filmmaking — all while exposing them to a little Japanese history.”
Take a slow, deep dive into marine life
“Look,” says a child, pointing to one of many sea creatures. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes,” says the parent. “Beautiful. And it’s making me hungry.”
Take a slow, deep dive into marine life
“Look,” says a child, pointing to one of many sea creatures. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes,” says the parent. “Beautiful. And it’s making me hungry.”
Art is for everyone, including kids
“If you glean anything from this column, I hope it’s that Tokyo is fantastic fun for children. There are great parks, museums and family entertainment options, but one aspect of the city that I feel is often overlooked by Tokyo parents is the vibrant contemporary art scene.”
Art is for everyone, including kids
“If you glean anything from this column, I hope it’s that Tokyo is fantastic fun for children. There are great parks, museums and family entertainment options, but one aspect of the city that I feel is often overlooked by Tokyo parents is the vibrant contemporary art scene.”
Don’t let rainy days stop you going out to play
“As wintry weather hovers over Japan, parents are constantly on the lookout for indoor places for their kids to play. “
Don’t let rainy days stop you going out to play
“As wintry weather hovers over Japan, parents are constantly on the lookout for indoor places for their kids to play. “
Brightening your holiday mood
“Tokyo has never shied away from spectacle, and the amount of sheer wattage that will go into this year’s illumination displays is likely to make the metropolis visible from other planets.”
Brightening your holiday mood
“Tokyo has never shied away from spectacle, and the amount of sheer wattage that will go into this year’s illumination displays is likely to make the metropolis visible from other planets.”
Halloween in Tokyo: Don’t be afraid to take the kids out
“Halloween, I believe, proves to be a better fit for Japan’s cultural predilections just as it is. It has its roots in respecting — and even communing with — the dead, which lines up well with ancient O-bon traditions, and Japan has more than its share of homegrown ghost and monster stories to be told around a campfire. Halloween’s present themes of costumes and fright also jibe with the Japan of today, where horror movies and cosplay still rake in billions of yen every year.”
Halloween in Tokyo: Don’t be afraid to take the kids out
“Halloween, I believe, proves to be a better fit for Japan’s cultural predilections just as it is. It has its roots in respecting — and even communing with — the dead, which lines up well with ancient O-bon traditions, and Japan has more than its share of homegrown ghost and monster stories to be told around a campfire. Halloween’s present themes of costumes and fright also jibe with the Japan of today, where horror movies and cosplay still rake in billions of yen every year.”
Kids can learn a lot from being on the factory floor
“And the final tour? That one was for me: the Asahi Beer plant — a mere eight-minute train ride from Osaka Station. I had to persuade my daughter to come along for this one — hey, fermentation is science, right? — and I’m proud to say that she enjoyed herself a lot more than she expected to.”
Kids can learn a lot from being on the factory floor
“And the final tour? That one was for me: the Asahi Beer plant — a mere eight-minute train ride from Osaka Station. I had to persuade my daughter to come along for this one — hey, fermentation is science, right? — and I’m proud to say that she enjoyed herself a lot more than she expected to.”
Creative approach brings science to life in Osaka
“Did I mention the playground? Designed by Austrian contemporary artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this space is an organic jungle gym painted white with primary-colored trim. It’s as if Mondrian and Gaudi had teamed up to build a gingerbread house.”
Creative approach brings science to life in Osaka
“Did I mention the playground? Designed by Austrian contemporary artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this space is an organic jungle gym painted white with primary-colored trim. It’s as if Mondrian and Gaudi had teamed up to build a gingerbread house.”
Make a splash on a family outing
“Splashing around in its warm waters has always been a pleasure during the bitter cold of January, but it still feels great now, even after winter’s sting has retired for the season.”
Make a splash on a family outing
“Splashing around in its warm waters has always been a pleasure during the bitter cold of January, but it still feels great now, even after winter’s sting has retired for the season.”
A Family Guide to Tokyo Hanami Spots
“The weather still echoes winter’s chill, but the hearts and minds of the Japanese populace have begun to thaw. I can only describe it as something of a spiritual spring break.”
A Family Guide to Tokyo Hanami Spots
“The weather still echoes winter’s chill, but the hearts and minds of the Japanese populace have begun to thaw. I can only describe it as something of a spiritual spring break.”
Family flashbacks to a psychedelic day with Kitty
“What comes across as tacky, soulless commercialism in small amounts transmogrifies here into an ornate, sugar-fueled spectacle of near-baroque proportions.”
Family flashbacks to a psychedelic day with Kitty
“What comes across as tacky, soulless commercialism in small amounts transmogrifies here into an ornate, sugar-fueled spectacle of near-baroque proportions.”
Exploring Omotesando’s cool cultural playground
“Large 8.5-meter-high windows offer a great view of the area, and the curator makes use of the ample daylight, frequently choosing art that emphasizes the bright and shiny.”
Exploring Omotesando’s cool cultural playground
“Large 8.5-meter-high windows offer a great view of the area, and the curator makes use of the ample daylight, frequently choosing art that emphasizes the bright and shiny.”
A museum where kids can play out fire-fighter fantasies
“Using sound, lights and some motorized parts, the diorama shows how such a village would respond to a blaze in the centuries before fire engines and water pressure.”
A museum where kids can play out fire-fighter fantasies
“Using sound, lights and some motorized parts, the diorama shows how such a village would respond to a blaze in the centuries before fire engines and water pressure.”
Preparing your kids for the Big One
Nearly everyone in this city has had some sort of preparedness training — from preschools to retirement homes — but a little extra practice has never hurt anyone.
Preparing your kids for the Big One
Nearly everyone in this city has had some sort of preparedness training — from preschools to retirement homes — but a little extra practice has never hurt anyone.
Take the kids to the future at Miraikan
In Japanese, it is known as Miraikan (roughly translated as “Hall of the Future”), yet despite its science-fiction aesthetic, the museum focuses on scientific realities — both present and potential.
Take the kids to the future at Miraikan
In Japanese, it is known as Miraikan (roughly translated as “Hall of the Future”), yet despite its science-fiction aesthetic, the museum focuses on scientific realities — both present and potential.
Lost in Inokashira, Found in Ghibli
Ah, Kichijoji: my favorite Tokyo neighborhood. Less than 30 minutes from the heart of the city, this hip suburb has everything a downtown dweller would want…
Lost in Inokashira, Found in Ghibli
Ah, Kichijoji: my favorite Tokyo neighborhood. Less than 30 minutes from the heart of the city, this hip suburb has everything a downtown dweller would want…
A big day out at the sumo
“The short, strenuous fights were a natural fit for short attention spans…”
A big day out at the sumo
“The short, strenuous fights were a natural fit for short attention spans…”
Aquariums offer summer escape
“Japan has plenty of places to ogle fish, and not just on ice or on a grill.”
Aquariums offer summer escape
“Japan has plenty of places to ogle fish, and not just on ice or on a grill.”
In Tokyo, a Taste of Brooklyn
“The Skatalites are on the record player. The smell of fresh-baked bread wafts past overstuffed bookshelves and crates of vinyl. It’s like visiting the loft of your most eccentric aunt.”
In Tokyo, a Taste of Brooklyn
“The Skatalites are on the record player. The smell of fresh-baked bread wafts past overstuffed bookshelves and crates of vinyl. It’s like visiting the loft of your most eccentric aunt.”
Kids love park life in the summer
“This is easily one of my favorite places to relax in Tokyo. It’s almost shocking how empty it can be, especially when compared with the crowds on the Harajuku side.”
Kids love park life in the summer
“This is easily one of my favorite places to relax in Tokyo. It’s almost shocking how empty it can be, especially when compared with the crowds on the Harajuku side.”
A dose of culture and fun at Tokyo Midtown
“…offers (relatively) open spaces where kids can run ahead without parents worrying about them slamming into taxis or old ladies.”
A dose of culture and fun at Tokyo Midtown
“…offers (relatively) open spaces where kids can run ahead without parents worrying about them slamming into taxis or old ladies.”
Where kids will have a blast
“…connect your flame with a bubble and you get a bright little blast, right at eye-level…”
Where kids will have a blast
“…connect your flame with a bubble and you get a bright little blast, right at eye-level…”
Under the Cherry Blossoms
“…couples, cliques, and entire companies skip work to congregate under the nearest sakura trunk…”
Under the Cherry Blossoms
“…couples, cliques, and entire companies skip work to congregate under the nearest sakura trunk…”
Flipping Japanese
“…these burgers are the antithesis of traditional Japanese cuisine: big, greasy, and impossible to eat without making a mess.”
Flipping Japanese
“…these burgers are the antithesis of traditional Japanese cuisine: big, greasy, and impossible to eat without making a mess.”
The Most Popular Lunch Spot in Tokyo
“If you think convenience store food is limited to potato chips and dodgy dried meats, then come to Japan”
The Most Popular Lunch Spot in Tokyo
“If you think convenience store food is limited to potato chips and dodgy dried meats, then come to Japan”
Second Helpings: Nostalgic Japanese foods
“Most kids may not be connoisseurs, but they’re never afraid to tell you what they like on the table.”
Second Helpings: Nostalgic Japanese foods
“Most kids may not be connoisseurs, but they’re never afraid to tell you what they like on the table.”
Tokyo’s best high-tech kids’ activities
For children interested in science and technology — or for parents eager to spark that interest — Japan’s capital is the place for kids to get neck-deep in high-tech.
Tokyo’s best high-tech kids’ activities
For children interested in science and technology — or for parents eager to spark that interest — Japan’s capital is the place for kids to get neck-deep in high-tech.
Down By the River
“…between glitzy Ginza boutiques and the humble suburban sprawl of Chiba prefecture; between rustic postwar tenements and the gleam of Odaiba’s futuristic architecture.”
Down By the River
“…between glitzy Ginza boutiques and the humble suburban sprawl of Chiba prefecture; between rustic postwar tenements and the gleam of Odaiba’s futuristic architecture.”
Pop goes the cash register
“Pop-up retail has been around for a while. Long enough, in fact, that scenesters like Kitsune now feel they need to differentiate themselves from the concept. “
Pop goes the cash register
“Pop-up retail has been around for a while. Long enough, in fact, that scenesters like Kitsune now feel they need to differentiate themselves from the concept. “
Augmented Reality taking it to another level
“The hype surrounding augmented reality (AR) technology is often dwarfed by coverage of 3D television, but that may change once both are put into practice on a broad scale. “
Augmented Reality taking it to another level
“The hype surrounding augmented reality (AR) technology is often dwarfed by coverage of 3D television, but that may change once both are put into practice on a broad scale. “
“Ryomaden” romanticizes (and monetizes) history
“…echoes of Japan’s feudal past continue to convince a large – and increasingly female – audience to open their wallets.”
“Ryomaden” romanticizes (and monetizes) history
“…echoes of Japan’s feudal past continue to convince a large – and increasingly female – audience to open their wallets.”