I’ve spent the last five years traveling the world, bartending my way through cities such as Paris, Hanoi, and Amsterdam. I got to see some amazing sights and was able to catch some beautiful moments with my camera. This photo journal is my picture book, my journal to remind myself and show you the beautiful places I’ve had the honor of seeing and the stories behind them.
The Student and the Master
While working at a ramen shop in Amsterdam, my boss, a fellow photographer, was asked to take photos for our sister site. I saw this as my chance to learn something and joined him for his photoshoot. If you saw us, you would’ve instantly guessed the professional and the rookie. I, with my camera and zoom lens. He, with his full set of equipment, multiple lenses, and lights. That day was one of my best memories of Amsterdam. We got to go in the kitchen, shoot a new dish they were putting on the menu, and document how the noodles were made fresh in-house. These photos show how I saw that day and the moments I documented while observing my boss and his techniques.
Paris, a Home Away From Home
About four years ago, I found myself in Paris after having traveled solo for the first time in my life. I instantly fell in love with the city. The culture, the architecture, the food, the people. I knew that moment that I wanted to be part of this world, this city’s ecosystem. By sheer luck and making the right friends, I was given the opportunity to live and work in Paris as a bartender, something I had never done before. Paris became my first home away from home, and she has been the love of my life ever since. This is Paris through my eyes.
Albania through my lens
After having been in Albania for almost three weeks, it’s safe to say that it surprised me in the best way possible. Beautiful beaches, endless mountains, delicious cuisine, and the generosity of locals. My days here have been spent in the summer sun, with a cold beer in my hand and good company around the table. I couldn’t have imagined a better escape after almost a year in the city. This is Albania through my lens.
Through Shades of Blue
I spent eight months in Iceland working at a hotel six hours from Reykjavik. We had no neighbors except sheep, and the nearest grocery store was over an hour away. Life was quiet, but the landscape made up for it — mountains at our backs, the sea at the horizon, and waterfalls in every direction.
One of the perks of the job was free tours. That’s how I ended up inside an ice cave for the first time. We geared up, helmets on, and stepped into a tunnel of frozen blue. The caves change shape every year, which makes it feel even more surreal — you’re walking through something that won’t exist the same way again.
At one point, we reached an opening where a streak of daylight cut through the darkness. The ice around us glowed, shifting from deep blue to almost silver. Looking up at the sky framed by all that ice, I realized how small I really was compared to the scale of this place. That’s the moment I fell in love with Iceland.