Street Photography in Madrid with the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 Lens

Álvaro Serrano:

Madrid is an amazing city, full of life and color all year round, but it gets even better when the cold temperatures of winter subside and the glorious spring sunshine takes their place. As the days become longer, the heartbeat of this unique city begins to pick up the pace and when the first heat wave of the year hits the streets, its effects are immediately felt all the way across town, like a shockwave. [...]

With that scenario in mind, I definitely felt this was as good a time as any to take out my new Olympus 17mm f/1.8 lens for the first time and have some fun documenting the arrival of spring to the Spanish capital.

Madrid is one of those cities that I've heard about in my life but never really had much exposure to, in photos or otherwise. I had no real sense of the place at all.

After reading Álvaro's article and seeing his beautiful photos of it, now it's a place I think I'd like to see in person someday.

A Review of the GORUCK GR2 Bag

Speaking of Mr. Serrano, the man has written and photographed my new favorite review of the GORUCK GR2 bag—quite possibly the only review one will ever need to read about it.

This line really sums it up:

“With just a bit of planning and the right strategy, it’s the only bag you’ll ever need to carry.”

But it's more than just an in-depth examination of an excellent bag—it's a call to travel. If you reach the end of the review and don't feel like planning your next big trip, I can't help you.

The Case for Interchangeable Lenses in 2015

Álvaro Serrano thoroughly examines the current landscape of photography gear:

“But first, let’s take the obvious out of the way: there are no bad cameras or lenses out there anymore. That’s a fact. It is extremely likely that whatever camera you already own is perfectly capable of taking really great pictures, if you take the time to learn how to use it. So be advised: a “better” camera will not magically make you a better photographer. If you’re happy with what you already own, just keep it, stop reading now and go take some awesome pictures. This is all just splitting hairs, really.”

Couldn't agree more (though as a nerd I do enjoy the hair-splitting).