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Gluten-Free Vegas Baby!

Posted on by Jenna

Gluten-free Vegas is a celiac’s mecca.

For various reasons, I’ve been to Vegas several times since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Not surprisingly, Vegas has a lot to offer in the gluten-free world. There’s something for everyone. I always feel heard and taken care of when ordering gluten-free. I’ve never felt my needs were dismissed or glossed over.

Most of the places I went to were on the Strip. This last trip was the first time we really ventured off-strip and found an amazing breakfast spot. We also try to avoid large chains when we travel so we don’t go to say Applebee’s. We will go to local chains or smaller chains that we don’t have in Phoenix. We like to try different places than we can get at home.

So, where have we eaten? Everywhere it seems.

Buffets

Buffets can be tricky for those of us with celiac disease. The very first time I went to one I cried at the table because I was so scared of getting sick. Despite reading that this buffet was good with gluten-free and the Chef comes out to talk to you I was freaked out. Turned out, I didn’t have anything to worry about. Although, I am always super careful with buffets and if something looks suspect, messy, or shared utensils I skip it. It also helps if you are one of the first people at the buffet. If you aren’t comfortable with buffets, skip them. There are so many options to choose from besides buffets!

Aria
I walked through with the Chef and everything was pointed out. It was a bit overwhelming trying to remember everything that was gluten-free. Thankfully, everything was marked. I was also told they could make other gluten-free items. Food was pretty good and I would probably go back if I was staying at Aria.

Bellagio
I wasn’t offered a Chef walk through at Bellagio. Everything was labeled which makes it a bit easier. Of the three, this was my least favorite. The food wasn’t that great and the drinks (coffee, pop) were at a drink station which always turns into a clusterfuck. For the price paid, the waitstaff could bring out the drinks.

Wicked Spoons – Cosmo
This was probably my favorite of all three buffets I’ve been too. The food was good and a ton of labeled gluten-free options. I was asked by the front desk and wait staff if I wanted the Chef to come out. I declined this time, as everything was labeled and we were the second people in (little risk of cross-contamination). I wanted to eat more but was so stuffed!

Harrahs
I did not choose this. My brother and SIL had a renewal ceremony and went to Harrahs for the reception. I was given the option of chicken, salmon, or both and some veggies. Everything was bland. The best part was the gluten-free cupcakes my SIL brought from Phoenix for me. LOL

Mexican

Border Grill – Mandalay Bay
We went to Border Grill twice (and probably will go again) because it is quite tasty! We always start with their ceviche. It’s fresh and tasty. The margaritas are yummy and I have yet to have a bad dish. The chips and salsas are tasty but I try not to fill up with those before getting my entree. I have had their tacos and they were yummy!

El Dorado
We stopped at El Dorado after spending the day in Death Valley. It’s technically off the strip (kind of behind Circus Circus) and shares a building with Sapphire (a very large strip club). It could be easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there or hadn’t run past it a few nights before. BUT! You should go and eat there. The chips and salsa are really good, especially the green salsa. I got a margarita and it was strong but not overpowering. Anytime I can order carne asada I do. I went with the entree over tacos and it was quite tasty!

Everything Else

Yardbird – Venetian
I didn’t believe that I could really have fried chicken. The blog said you let them know and they do the gluten-free fried chicken in a separate fryer. I was skeptical but decided to try it. When our waitress came over I asked her about the chicken and fryers, told her I had celiac disease and she knew exactly what that was and explained that yes, they do have a separate fryer for the chicken. So I had fried chicken. I may have died and gone to heaven! I haven’t had real fried chicken in years and it was so good! Now, if only they had a gluten-free mac n cheese. (I also discovered I enjoy white whiskey).

Sake Rok – The Park/New York New York
This place was loud. It’s not a place I would typically choose but sushi sounded good. There were tons of options online for gluten-free sushi so we picked one close to our hotel, which happened to be Sake Rok. It’s definitely a party atmosphere, not somewhere you go to have a conversation. It was fun and the sushi was good. The menu wasn’t marked but the waitress was knowledgeable. I am pretty good at figuring out what is most likely gluten-free and the rest I asked her about.

Cracked Egg
This is off-strip. We went to two locations and both were good and dealt with gluten-free well. They have a separate menu so be sure to ask for it! I tried two different egg scrambles. They were both good but the pesto one was the best. The flavors were different and worked really well together. They warn about the toaster on the menu so just ask them to do your bread on the flattop. They also mention the potatoes were done in the same fryer so I avoided those. The non-gluten-free member of my party had a really good looking coffee cake so for those of you that can eat gluten I recommend that! LOL

Mon Ami Gabi – Paris
We went to Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast and dinner. They bring out gluten-free bread (Udi’s) for you so you don’t have to just sit and watch your tablemates eating the free bread. I have not been disappointed by anything here yet. I loved, loved the French onion soup. That is not something you can get every day. I was a little weary about the fries but they were safe to eat.

Burger Bar – Mandalay Bay
We ate here twice and would definitely go back. They have about a zillion burgers or you can build your own. There are plenty of gluten-free options. And the best part? We can eat the steak fries! I am always down for places that let me eat fries.

Lupo – Mandalay Bay
It’s hard to go wrong with Italian, especially a Wolfgang Puck Italian place. They had one type of gluten-free pasta but could do several different sauces. There’s no separate menu or indicators on the main menu, but the staff is knowledgeable and able to answer questions.

Nine Fine Irishmen – New York New York
I had the gluten-free shepherd’s pie and it was so good! It came out really freaking hot so I had to try to patiently wait to dig in. I may or may not have burnt my tongue on the shepherd’s pie. Wait staff was knowledgeable. I would definitely go back and see what else they have. Or just eat more shepherd’s pie!

Steak

Joe’s – Ceaser’s
This has become our go-to steak place in Vegas. Everything we have had here is amazingly good. Drinks, steak, seafood are all amazing. You need to get the sweet potato side. Promise me, ok? And the main reason I love going back…? They have a gluten-free brownie and you would never know it was gluten-free! My partner in crime loves the Havana pie so all you non-gluten-free people can have your own dessert. Because I don’t share gluten-free brownies. Nope. No way.

Stack – Mirage
It is really hard to screw up a steak so it’s not surprising that Stack had an excellent selection. We shared a giant steak and the sauces that came with it were to die for. And usually I don’t get creme brulee (because it’s about the only dessert you can get most places) but I had to try it at the stack. It was creme brulee with cherries and orange. It was so tasty!

Food is one thing a lot of people love to try when traveling. For someone with celiac disease, it can be a stress point when headed somewhere new. I hope my gluten-free Vegas helps ease your anxiety a bit. There are also tons of resources out there for places to eat. This is just the top of an iceberg. I have many more places I want to try the next time I visit Vegas, as well as head back to a few of my favorites.

vegas

Strip at Night: Run Vegas

Posted on by Jenna

Running the Las Vegas strip at night is one of those “must do” races solely for the experience.

Like races such as run the runway or race track, you are running for the uniqueness and bucket list checkmark, not the PR with Rock n Roll Vegas. Although the Strip is very flat so you may be able to PR. The strip is also fairly wide so there wasn’t a ton of dodge and weaving, save for the start.

Rock n Roll Vegas offers a 5K (Saturday night), 10K, half or full marathon on Sunday night. Yes, night. Both races are at night, which is different from the other Rock n Roll races. And most other races I have ever done. Of course, if you do both the 5K plus a Sunday race you earn the remix medal. You can come home with three shiny things!

The 5K was held at the fairgrounds across from SLS. It was a quick monorail ride to that start. It was cool after dark but not cold and they had a DJ blasting music to give it a party feel. The wait in the corral was long and seemed to take forever. Once we started we were dumped onto Sammy Davis Jr, which was the majority of the course. We ran down to Desert Inn Road, went part way down and headed back to Sammy Davis Jr. Finally, we did a few twists and turns through a parking lot. During the parking lot section, I overheard a woman saying this was the worst 5K course! Granted, it wasn’t my favorite but I’ve had much worse. The runner’s chute was short and I was done with everything in about an hour. The medal was sparkly and looks like a slot machine!

Sunday night was the big party! I mean, race..

The strip gets entirely shut down for this race. Runners take over both sides. It was definitely a sight to see and experience. There were three color corrals and each color had 12-16 corrals in them. So that adds up to a whole lot of runners! I spent at least an hour in the corral. My feet and legs were already a bit tired when I started despite trying to stay off of them most of the day. I spent hours in the hotel (almost driving myself nuts not doing anything LOL).

vegasOnce started, it took a little bit to settle in and get around the initial groupings of walkers. We started off between Planet Hollywood and MGM and headed toward the airport. We passed the “Welcome to Vegas” sign and many people stopped to take photos. They even had professionals there. I skipped the stop and kept going. We turned around about two miles in. On the way back I stopped for .2 seconds to get a photo of the sign.

Then it was the long stretch all the way to Freemont before we turned around again and headed toward the strip. The best parts of the longer out-and-back were the crowds. People were everywhere on the strip, even in the pedestrian villages cheering us on. It really helps to hear people yelling and clapping for everyone our running.

The worse part was probably the stretch between the end of the strip, starting around Circus Circus until you got to Freemont and turned around. There wasn’t a lot of crowd support there and not much to see either. Mostly wedding chapels, a $10 tattoo or piercing shop, and some famous pawn shop. I only know this because the people behind me were talking about it and a few people had stopped to get photos.

The area around Freemont turned into a party again. Lots of people, lights, and music!

Around mile 9 I started to get cold and tired. I wanted it to be over but I kept pushing through. I told myself I was strong, I trained for this, and I can do it! I kept going, might have been a little slower but I decided I had enough to keep running. I took my last gel around mile 11. I wasn’t sure if I would need it but took it just in case and was glad I did. It helped push me through to the finish.

The finisher’s chute was almost .5 miles long! I didn’t grab a thermal blanket and soon regretted that decision. I also grabbed a chocolate milk and started drinking. I couldn’t get any of the snacks (granola bar, Pringles, and pretzels) as none were gluten-free. I couldn’t find the bananas. If they had any left I didn’t see them. I did finally get a thermal blanket from another tent, which I was thankful for. I still had a bit to go before I would meet up with family and my sweats!

The runner’s chute finally ended (between Ceaser’s and the Bellagio) and I went to get my remix medal. It took me a couple of seconds to find the tent but they were super efficient. There was maybe 7-8 people ahead of me but it moved.

vegasAs a runner/athlete with celiac disease, I have to eat gluten-free. I can’t deviate or have “just a little” or I will be sick for weeks. Sadly, I can’t just take whatever at races. I understand this is a unique issue for me but with how big the Rock n Roll races/series is I can’t believe they don’t offer at least one other option than half a banana. At the Arizona race in January, I couldn’t even stay to enjoy the after party because I could only get half a banana and I needed food. I was disappointed to not see Everclear (had been looking forward to it) but after a hard race, half a banana wasn’t going to cut it. Luckily in Vegas, we had reservations and they took us early so I was able to get food right away.

Overall, I am happy I did this race. Would I do it again? Probably not. The experience was amazing! The course wasn’t bad and I had my third fastest half. Oh, and the medals are awesome. Probably my favorite I have ever gotten so far! My biggest issue was the sheer amount of people and the long wait times.

What races are on your bucket list and why?

Running: My Story So Far

Posted on by Jenna

My Running Journey

I started running off and on in my 20s, around 2003 or 2004. I didn’t really take it seriously, it was just a way to get cardio in. A lot of the time I was in a gym on a treadmill. I did 3-5 miles 2-3 times a week.

I had always wanted to run the UWL Turkey Trot (my alma mater) as the ads made it look like so much fun. I never got around to it while living there. I was too anxious to attempt to run outside. I didn’t think of myself as a runner. I ran for exercise.

Then sometime in 2011, I started running outside since I didn’t want to pay for a gym membership. I started my own version of couch to 5k and decided it was time I tried a race. I signed up for the 2012 UWL Turkey Trot and my dad, who had been running as well, did too.

After that, I went crazy and ran a ton of races and started doing half marathons with the eventual goal of a marathon.

Since then I’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease and went through a depressive state (I gained about 10 pounds in about the first-month going gluten-free). I stopped running for a bit and gained more weight, which added to my depressive state.

Finally, I had enough.

I started running again in 2016 and decided to really try to train for a marathon in January 2017. I got a horrible sinus infection about 2 weeks before the marathon and was getting dizzy while running. I dropped out of the marathon. I tried running off and on for a few months and still got dizzy so I stopped.

I finally got tired of not running, again, and went to the doctors (general and allergist/asthma specialist) over the past year. I was diagnosed with vocal chord dysfunction and started on medication and haven’t had an issue since.

So I decided to try again for a marathon this fall and my training just hasn’t gone according to plan. First, my dog died, then I got a weird summer cold, then I got glutened, and finally, my dad passed away. Needless to say, I will be running a half this month instead of a marathon.

I still have the goal of running a marathon. I am working on keeping my base up. I have a goal half marathon scheduled for May, in honor of my dad, and then I will take a short break and start preparing for a marathon in late 2019 or early 2020.

I still struggle with fatigue issues. I may have to work a run/walk method instead of just running for a marathon. I may have anxiety. I need to keep working on my confidence journal and maybe re-read a couple of books (including Kara Goucher’s and Deena Kastor’s). But I will finish at least one marathon in my lifetime.

What is your best tip for running or training for a marathon? What marathon would you suggest for a first timer but not new to running? I am looking at something local to Phoenix or maybe New Orleans (but there’s that whole humidity thing…).

training

September Training

Posted on by Jenna

My September training did not go as plan.

We left off in August still feeling optimistic and that the marathon was achievable. I could not get in a long run the weekend after I wrote that. I had to look realistically where I was, how long I was sick, and the time until the marathon. I decided this wasn’t my year either. I kept trying to convince myself I could still do it but there wasn’t really an option.

So, I switched to the half marathon.

trainingAnd I even emailed the race to make the switch official. I looked at a few different plans and settled on a Hal Higdon one. I am not 100% happy with it but it best fit where I was fitness and mile wise. I also went to four days a week of running instead of 6-7. My body cannot handle that much running apparently. I was constantly exhausted and run down. Sometimes you have to listen to your body.

I also switched back to evening workouts the last week of September. I had hit the wall of how many weeks in a row I can get up at 4 am. I am in no way a morning person and can only force myself to wake up that early for so long. I was going to sleep at 8:30 and still struggling to get through the day. Funny how I get up at 5 am and go to bed at 10 pm but am still tired going to bed at 8:30 for 4 am. Bodies are weird.

I was extremely disappointed and upset that I yet again failed to get to the starting line of a marathon but I am starting to find the positives. With a half marathon, I will be done in half the time which means my favorite Vegas restaurant, Joe’s, will still be open when I finished and I can go eat a yummy steak and gluten-free brownie. Even if you don’t have to eat gluten-free, you should try this brownie. I am *kind of* an expert on brownies and this is one of the best! I will be less sore after and the trips to National Parks the next day won’t be as bad. I will be more relaxed and able to have more fun because I am not focused on a momentous moment.

The marathon dream is not going away.

I started thinking ahead and want to run a marathon in 2020. I will turn 40 that year. I will have plenty of time to train and build an even larger base. My plan is to hire a coach for 2019 to help me train for the task of 26.2 in 2020. I have my eye on the New Orleans Rock n Roll marathon. It’s another one that is recommended for beginners but has a much bigger time limit than even the Rock n Roll Arizona so I don’t have to worry about time.

I think a coach could help me be a better runner and work more with my fatigue issues than a generic plan. I’ve been running for long enough to know myself and I have made my own training plans before but the marathon is proving to be difficult for me to master. I believe four days a week with a slower ramp-up in long runs might be what I need. A coach could help determine my long run schedule better than me.

 

My journey to 26.2 isn’t over yet… it’s just beginning.

What is your biggest challenge in running?

 

gluten-free travel

Gluten-Free Travel: Get your eat on

Posted on by Jenna

Gluten-free travel is a challenge but not difficult.

gluten-free travel
Who says you can’t have gluten-free mac n cheese?

Gluten-free travel is a necessary evil for those of us with celiac disease. If we want to leave our house, our city, our state we have to trust we can find gluten-free foods in the big wide world. If you haven’t noticed, I love to travel and try to do as much of it as I can. Before I had celiac disease, I had a dream to eat at every place featured on Food Networks Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I was able to go to a few before my diagnosis but barely put a dent in the ever-growing list. That dream has changed but I still try to find fun and unique places to go when I travel.

For me, gluten-free travel requires more prep work ahead of time. There is no such thing as winging it when it comes to food. Before any vacation I do a google search, I check the find me gluten free app, and I will go through hashtags on Instagram and Twitter for ideas. I will even tweet out, with hashtags, that I am traveling to fill-in-the-blank city and would love some gf places to go! I usually get a few places that I hadn’t yet found.

I have kept track a few different ways. For Vegas, I made a google doc that I shared with my travel buddy. It was just a list of restaurants and each day we’d consult it and decide what we felt like for the next day. We like to try and plan a day ahead in case we need to make reservations. For Chicago, I bought an Erin Condren travel journal and listed all the places in there. We don’t always stick to the list because we may find different places on searches or that are recommended to us. That way it still feels a little spontaneous.

I love trying new places and new foods. If someone offers a gluten-free dish I can’t normally find, I will dig in!

If you are traveling to a National Park, you can usually find gluten-free foods at the park’s restaurant. I have found gluten-free at Volcanoes (Hawaii) and Bryce Canyon (Utah). Resorts, and often time hotels, will have gluten-free options. We often had a large breakfast at the resorts in Hawaii and then toured until dinner. Resorts and hotels are often accommodating because they want you to be happy and come back!

I always make sure to include that I am gluten-free when making reservations. Most places will then alert the waitstaff. I still tell everyone that I need gluten-free because of celiac disease but if they have the heads up I usually don’t have to ask as many questions. They are prepared and can go over the menu with me right away. I also try to review the menu online. I love when places have a specific gluten-free menu or mark a menu online so I can have an idea. If they don’t have anything marked and say the can accommodate I like to look to see what would *most likely be* gluten-free (sometimes I am wrong – how does gluten sneak into soooo many things! LOL). I also have to scope out the dessert menu. If all they have is creme brulee I usually skip it. Everyone offers creme brulee as a gluten-free dessert and it gets boring. Although, Hawaiian places tend to add fun twists to their creme brulee. I am more likely to try it if the Chef has put a different spin on it!

How do you handle gluten-free travel?

I previously shared a bit about gluten-free flying. Check it out here. Thank god Delta now has gluten-free snack mix and/or Kind bars on all flights!

What makes me want to click the shutter button?

Posted on by Jenna

How do I decide to click the shutter button?

To click the shutter button may not seem like a difficult decision. It can happen quite quickly and you may not think a lot of thought has gone into choosing what I am taking a photograph of. But despite making it look easy, it’s not. When I go out to shoot near home or travel to get those “epic” shots, I do a lot of pre-planning and thinking. Then once I get to the place I am shooting, I take it all in and start making shots in my mind.

What goes into pre-planning for a landscape shot?

click the shutterIf I hear about a full moon, I will place that on my mental calendar. I love to shoot those unique moons, like harvest, because they appear larger than normal. I stick close to home so my shoot location is usually within walking distance. I like to use these neighborhood shoots to test equipment or a new idea I had. Since I know my neighborhood, I think ahead of time of where I want to set up, what camera and lens I want to use, and what techniques I want to practice. I have all of this info in my head so when I get outside, I set up my tripod and click the shutter button once as soon as I line up the shot. I am clicking the shutter to practice. 

If I am traveling, a lot more goes into shooting, especially since I’m not out to test anything. I spend time before we leave looking at the places we will be visiting and getting an idea of what the area looks like. I look at “the shots” everyone gets. I don’t always want to get the same shots as everyone else. I want to look for something new or different. Once I get to the location, I usually will spend some time looking around and trying to determine what the best angle will be. Sometimes that requires me to get low, sit/kneel, or even lay down. Sometimes I look to find a rock or something that can give me a boost. I look behind me.

You never know what you will see when you don’t look at the obvious spot.

Once I have the lay of the land, I will look through my camera lens. Do I like the framing? Yes? Click the shutter. No? Move. A bit to the left. Try again. Maybe if I get lower. No. Ok, this spot isn’t working, let me look for someplace else. It’s all trial and error. Sometimes I don’t even take a shot! I know, shocking. It just didn’t speak to me.

So, what am I looking for when deciding if I want to take a picture?

  1. Lighting – is the sun leaving a pretty morning light across the mountain? Is there an interesting shadow being created? How is the sun/shade working together? For sunsets, I love looking for intense colors or clouds to make an interesting contrast to the sunset.
  2. Framing – what is in the photo? What isn’t in the photo? What story do I want to tell about this place? This is the creative part for me. I get to decide what you ultimately see. That port-a-potty is ruining this beach spot. How can I move to show you this beach but get the port-a-potty out of it?
  3. Subject – what am I showing you. I love to show oceans at sunset. I love waterfalls and volcanoes. I love seeing endless oceans but others want to see something in the water, a boat or whale. The subject needs to speak to me. It needs to be clear to me. If I take a photo, go to edit it, and can’t remember what I was shooting, I leave it out. Usually, with travel, the subject is fairly obvious. This mountain. This building. This national monument.

I need to see something in the time and place that captures my interest or imagination or I won’t click the shutter. I want to find a landscape that takes my breath away. I want to share my wonder, amazement, and love of the natural world with you.

What makes you want to take a picture when you travel?

If you liked this blog, you may also like learning how I create an image from start to finish.

marathon training

Marathon Training – August 2018

Posted on by Jenna

Marathon training in August was rough.

Marathon training isn’t meant to be easy. We aren’t conditioned to run 26.2 miles so we have to work for it. August had me wanting to throw in the towel. I almost switched to the half because I had such a bad month. It started off pretty well. I was confident I would hit 115 miles but I set a conservative goal of 100. I only ended up hitting 85 miles for the month and only managed to get one long run in the double digits. I was supposed to have long runs of 10, 12, and 14 and was only able to complete the 10.

I started out for the 12-mile run early on Sunday morning but I only made it around the block. I would classify what I was doing more as a shuffle than a run. I also started crying. Sadly, the day before my beloved dog Sheila had passed away. I found her taking her last few breathes and couldn’t get the image out of my head. I wasn’t ready for that run so soon after. My emotions were raw.

marathon trainingThe following weekend was a cut back week so I did 8 miles easy.

Then the weekend comes along for the 14-miler. I thought to myself, go out and aim for 12 and if you feel good just keep going. I do loops around my neighborhood so I can grab a cooling towel and Nuun Performance after 3-4 miles. I had two loops under my belt and had finished 8 miles. I started out for another loop and got about a quarter of a mile and sat down. I couldn’t go any further. I had absolutely zero energy. I trudged back home and collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day.

It was at this point that I decided to throw in the towel.

How could I complete marathon training if I kept missing long runs? Those are the keys to the whole thing! I woke up Monday morning and felt like shit. I had a dry, sore throat and a pounding headache. I was in no condition to go for a run so I changed my alarm to let me sleep more. The sore throat went away after chugging water like a mad woman. Tuesday I woke up to the same thing but also had a bit of a stuffy nose. Skip ahead and I’m sneezing like crazy and having a ton of snot. I take this as a rest week because I am exhausted. I went back out for a short run on Friday. It was more of a run/walk because of the whole breathing issue but overall it wasn’t bad.

I have decided to stick out the marathon training. I’ve switched to a less aggressive plan with more rest days.

I went back to Jenny Hadfield plans, which I’ve used for several of my shorter distance races. Instead of running every day with two rest days a month, I will now have one-weekend long run and three shorter weekday runs. Hopefully having a weekend rest day plus two during the week I will have more time to recover (and sleep). Apparently getting up at 4 am is a lot harder for me than I thought.

I also had my sleep test done in August to rule out apnea. I won’t find out until my appointment in October! The doctor is out of the office the entire month of September! (I wish I could take an entire month off, how awesome would that be?)

So, I still plan to line up on November 11th to run 26.2. I am slowly getting a little faster each month. In August I started getting consistently into the 12ish minute miles. September I hope to keep lowering my pace towards 11-minutes. I think it will be easier once it starts getting a little cooler out. I have to finish in 5 hours so I need to keep the downward pace trend up! Summers are always hard because when it is 90 degrees at 4 am it makes it really hard to push the pace. I can feel it though, my speed is coming back!

And now it is on to September! I have set my goal to 100 miles again and to keep pushing the 12ish minute pace. I hope to do just a little bit better than August!

How was your August training and what goals have you set for September?

 

July Marathon Training

Posted on by Jenna

I started marathon training in July.

I’m a bit behind on blogging. Turns out marathon training is taking a lot out of me this time around. I don’t have the energy.

So I give you a short video on my July training! It’s about three and a half minutes long. So like I said quick! Unlike my running. 😂🤣😂

Photography Equipment I Cannot Live Without

Posted on by Jenna

We all know that a camera (and lens) are essential tools for a photographer, but what other equipment is an absolute must for me?

Now each and every photographer when asked to name one piece of photography equipment they can’t live without will have different answers. Some will say props while others will tell you off-camera flash is a must! There is so much equipment out there that it can become overwhelming as to what you need. I know I’ve been in the “oh, I need to buy x, y, and z to be a better photographer!” because I saw fill-in-the-blank photographer recommend it. It is kind of a trap and I’ve finally figured out (mostly) what I need and what just becomes expensive paperweights and/or sits in a corner, never to be used.

My number one equipment that I have on me at all times are polarizing or ND filters.

I have polarizing filters for every lens I own and ND filters for the lens I use the most (although now that I am switching to Fuji I either need new ND filters or at the very least a new adapter for them).

But why are polarizing filters the item I cannot live without?

I cannot always shoot at the “superior” times of the day. I try but it isn’t always easy for me to get out to shoot around sunrise and sunset. I am not afraid of shooting in full sun. But I don’t want a washed out sky. I want the sky to show as blue as it looks in real life. With a polarizing filter on the end of my lens, I can help darken the sky while keeping the rest of the image properly exposed. The polarizing filter can spin, for lack of a better word, and I can see the sky darken and lighten. I took my shot when I have the filter where I want it.

I have ordered polarizing filters from B&H Photo and Amazon. I have a Tiffen, Hoya, and Zeikos. Some people will tell you to get more expensive brands but I have never had an issue with any of these. I think my images still turned out with the filters attached. The only thing I have had to watch for is vignetting but you can fix that by spinning the filter or, worse case scenario, in Lightroom or Photoshop.

equipmentAn ND filter is a little different. They are square and go from dark to light. There are various levels of ND filters to choose from. The set I have contains three different filters, which you can also stack in the holder. I used these exclusively for our last trip to the Big Island. I love the set but it’s more cumbersome than the polarizing filter. I can’t just get a quick photo like with the polarizer because I don’t leave the filters in the holder. Because they are square they take up more space and I can’t just pull the camera out of the bag and shoot. I have to stick the filter in, shoot, take it out, and then put the camera away. The filters aren’t too bad if you are just driving around and stopping to shoot but if you go to other places you aren’t taking images it becomes harder since I’m not leaving my camera out. The set I have is here, but no longer available. These are also a lot more pricey than the polarizer but definitely a good investment.

What is one piece of equipment you can’t live without for your job and/or hobby?

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NYC: Where were you?

Posted on by Jenna

Do you remember where you were when the towers fell?

9-11I was on my way to my business law class. I had been in an earlier class and as I walked through the building I heard rumblings of something going on in New York. A plane, or maybe a helicopter, had flown into a building. It didn’t sound like anything more than a freak accident so I went into class and kind of forgot about it as I dozed off to my professors monotone voice.

I left campus after business law to get lunch. It was only then I started to hear what really happened and the word terrorists. It was hard to believe. I got through the rest of my day and headed home to get ready for work. I was glued to the news at home. 

At the time, I worked at a grocery store and we had tv monitors throughout for parent’s to check in on their kids in the Tot Spot. On Sundays, it was changed to the Packer games and on September 11, 2001, it was turned to the news. That night we didn’t get much work done. No customers were in the store and we huddled around the TVs to try and make sense of what had happened earlier in the day.

I don’t think I will ever forget that day.

9-11On our first trip to NYC, we went to the 9/11 Memorial and it was indescribable. The closest other experiences I have had were at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. There is a sense of loss in these places but it’s important to remember these tragedies and honor those who died. 

I couldn’t speak as we went through the memorial. At one point, I had to walk away from a display. It was the recordings from the flight that crashed in Pensylvania. I had tears in my eyes and was on the verge of losing it. Listening was so much harder than reading and seeing. The memorial was touching, moving, and emotional. It was hard but worth it.

If you have the opportunity to go yourself, I highly encourage you to do so. Be sure to leave enough time to fully explore and feel. It took us a few hours to go through as we looked at and read about everything. Also, be prepared to feel and have a heaviness when you leave. It takes a while for these things to leave me. In reality, those feelings never go away but they are quite heavy for the next few hours after.