Through Griffin's Lens

09/06/2026

Stress can cloud our judgment, which is why I try not to make big decisions in the moment. Instead, I get outside, take a walk, ride my bike, or grab my camera. Movement and photography help me clear my mind and reset. These photos were captured while riding through Uptown Charlotte.

If we feel the need to make a big decision while stressed, stop and wait before you make the change.

09/06/2026

I love taking a walk somewhere new, and when we visited Europe we took many. One of our walks in Europe led us to these World War 2 bunkers in IJmuiden, Amsterdam. The bunkers in IJmuiden were part of N**i Germany's Atlantic Wall. The Atlantic Wall was built by N**i Germany along the western coast of Europe during the Second World War. Its purpose was to prevent an Allied invasion of occupied territory. The defensive line ran from Norway, through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, all the way to France, near the border with Spain. The bunkers here in IJmuiden have seen better days. Since these bunkers were built by the N**is, I'm sure there isn't much love for them. Most of the standing ones have been covered in graffiti.

09/05/2026

I usually prefer shooting with my Nikon Z7II, but sometimes the best camera is the one you have with you. While visiting a local plant store, I spotted pollinators among the flowers and captured the moment with my phone. It was a great reminder that great photo opportunities can happen anywhere.

I didn’t have my camera with me yesterday, so I grabbed my phone and started snapping some photos.

09/04/2026

I got in trouble for talking as a kid, but now I see conversation as one of the best ways to learn and grow. Whether in the classroom, at work, or through the photography community, collaboration helps us improve. These photos were captured while riding Charlotte’s Rail Trail with my favorite lightweight film-style lens.

Research shows that when we have regular conversations with those we work with, we are more productive.

09/04/2026

Walk Through Bruges

I try to keep up with some good habits in my life. The school year is a busy time for me. Good habits keep me sane and focused. Those habits have come in handy when I have visited other places over the years. When you travel somewhere, walking becomes the main way you get from place to place. Fortunately, as a teacher, walking is a normal part of my daily routine. People say the goal is to get 10,000 steps in a day. As an elementary school teacher, 10,000 is the minimum. When it came time for us to go from place to place in Europe, I had no problem with all of the walking we had to do.

One of my favorite parts of our trip to Europe was when we had the opportunity to walk around old cities. One of our stops was Belgium, and we took the bus from the port to Bruges. Bruges is filled with old buildings with amazing architecture. We spent the day touring an old church, checking out the different statues in town, and eating a Belgian Waffle in Belgium.

09/03/2026

I’m usually the one driving on family road trips, which means I often have to pass up great photo opportunities. That’s one reason I enjoy traveling by plane or boat—I can simply enjoy the journey. During our visit to Paris, a lunch cruise on the Seine River gave me the perfect chance to relax and capture the city from a unique perspective.

The only downside about driving is that if I see something along the way, I can’t take a photo of it.

09/03/2026

Alaskan Sunset

Have you ever visited a place, and you genuinely miss being there? I am not talking about wanting to revisit somewhere. I am talking about wanting to be there in the moment. The feeling is hard to describe. It's like when you go back, look at old photos, and looking at those photos gives a feeling of peace. That's why I take so many photos. I love looking back at old photos, reminding me of visiting some great places.

I was looking at some old photos this morning, and I came across these that I took when we visited Alaska. Alaska, to me, is one of the most amazing places on Earth. I loved looking at photos of the different places I have been. These photos of the sunset reminded me of how amazing a place it was. I captured these photos after we left Ketchikan. We were on the way to Victoria, Canada. The views in Alaska were unmatched.

09/02/2026

Walk Around the Lighthouse

When it comes to exploring places, sometimes you find some great spots, and other times you wonder where you ended up. When we took our trip to Europe last summer, some days we had planned excursions, and other times we just tried our luck. I have ridden on public transportation in Europe more than I have ridden on public transportation in Charlotte. We navigated trains, bus routes, and walking paths to get us to where the action was. If we had just stayed on the boat, we wouldn't have seen beautiful stained glass, castles, cathedrals, and we would have missed out on some of the best desserts ever. There were so many moments while we were traveling where we took a shortcut from the tourist area to get to where we were going quicker. It was a little nerve-racking at that point, but we made it.

One of the places we walked around in Europe was IJmuiden, Netherlands. We tried to get a ride to Amsterdam, but it didn't work out. So my wife and I took a walk around the port, exploring some abandoned N**i World War 2 bunkers and a couple of lighthouses. The photos in this post feature the one known as the Little Lighthouse. The Low Lighthouse of IJmuiden (locally known as the Lage vuurtoren van IJmuiden or "Little Lighthouse") is a historic, 24-meter-tall cast-iron tower located along the coast at Seinpostweg 19 in IJmuiden, Netherlands. Designed by prominent architect Quirinus Harder and built in 1878, it serves as a critical maritime marker. While the area around was a little sketchy, I was able to take great photos of where we were.

09/01/2026

One of my favorite parts of traveling is exploring on foot. Long walks help me discover more, find unique photo opportunities, and experience places at a slower pace. During our Florida trip, I captured these dolphin photos at SeaWorld while practicing photography techniques for fast-moving subjects—a skill that paid off throughout the day.

Walking while traveling is something that allows me to see more in one day.

09/01/2026

Lock It Up

How do we keep something secure? Obviously, we put it inside something that is locked up. From safes to locked doors, we have plenty of ways to keep what we value secure. We can't put a lock on everything out there. Some things we have to keep safe by the way we invest in them. We can't lock those we care about behind locked doors all the time in order to keep them with us. In order to keep those whom we care about secure, the best way to invest in that love is to invest time. We have to be intentional about the relationships in our lives. The best way to lock it up is to use our time wisely.

I am always amazed at the locks people leave behind at various bridges and landmarks. I wonder what the story behind those locks is, and even why they are visiting this location. Could it be this whole trip is a celebration of their love, or is it one last attempt to save the relationship? How long had they been together? I found these locks when we were visiting Newcastle, England, over the summer. I photographed these locks that were placed along the River Tyne. As I captured these photos, I wondered what the story behind them was, and since I didn't see them get placed there, I will more than likely never know.