I spend every day at work making web apps so when it came down to making a site for my upcoming wedding I wanted something simple. I decided to forego using any frameworks or even using a database and instead make a single page - static site. Check it out at zacharyandseyoung.com.

The goal of the design was convey all the information that our guests would need - date, place, directions etc. Additionally though I wanted to make sure that once guests traveled here they would have a great list of things to do that didn’t involve the wedding and which would hopefully give them an appreciation for the city that we love and call home.

I also wanted something that would look good on either a PC, tablet or phone.

Some highlights:

• The site itself is just html/css/js using bootstrap for its basic grid system and mobile friendly responsiveness with some custom styling.

• It uses some additional js that wasn’t included in stock bootstrap like fitvid.js for video resizing and sticky.js for the navigation but over all I was able to accomplish what I wanted much faster than without it.

• The RSVP form is just a simple wufoo form that emails us when someone registers.

Raining in Ueno Park

Tokyo at Night

Tokyo Reflections

Tokyo at Night

The view from Tokyo Tower observatory.

Tripods were not allowed up here so I got these shots by creatively propping up my camera against the glass of the windows. I used my coat to block out reflections.

I really appreciated the blade-runner like view and reflections of the traffic in the building windows.

Exploring Asakusa

Our hostel was within a mile of a beautiful and popular temple called Sensoji.

The path leading up to the temple was lined with shops selling traditional treats and merchandise. During our first night we caught the very first glimpse of blooming Sakura.

Asakusa Treat

Asakusa Temple

First Sakura

Rickshaw outside Asakusa Temple

Waiting for the Train

My first Ramen in Japan

After finally arriving in Tokyo we set out to accomplish one of my goals for the trip - to experience true Japanese Ramen.

Our hostel is based in the Asakusa district of Tokyo which is known for it’s famous temple - Sensoji. We set out to explore the area and stumbled upon an empty shop. I didn’t expect much from it given it was the first place that we encountered but thankfully I walked away after having one of best ramen experiences of my life.

The shop itself was made up of only a few chairs and the two chefs. One made the ramen while the other made the gyoza.

My first Gyoza as well

Ramen Shop

Heart of the Swarm Launch Event

I am a big fan of the game Starcraft - both playing it and watching pros compete at it. The game has become a global phenominon since the original was released in 1998.

To get an idea of what it is like at the highest levels - picture the strategy of chess with the adrenaline producing rush of a wrestling match. No place appreciates the game more than South Korea - home of the best players in the world.

The Crowd

On March 12th Blizzard would be releasing the newest expansion to Starcraft 2. To celebrate the Blizzard held a global launch event that began in Seoul and traversed the timezones for the next 24 hours. They gathered the top pros from Starcraft and Starcraft 2 and put them on stage to demonstrate the potential of the new expansion.

The Pros

These players have been given nicknames by their fans such as God and the Tyrant. They have legions of fan girls and are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each year by the largest companies in South Korea all to compete at the highest level.

It was an amazing opportunity to be at the Mecca of Starcraft and be able to witness the birth of a new era for the game. After waiting in line with hundreds of other fans I was able to pick up one of the very first copies of the collector’s edition sold in the world.

Heart of the Swarm Collector’s Edition

ddeokbokki

Ddeokbokki is one of the first Korean dishes that Seyoung taught me. Whenever she is sick and needs something spicy and comforting I make it for her. It is simply made up of rice cakes, fish cakes, vegetables and a chilli paste based sauce.

Before coming to Korea I had no idea just how common a dish it is. Just about everywhere we went it could be found on street corners sold by vendors. It is also pretty cheap - a typical meal costs about $3 and was enough to feed two. At the end of a busy day of sight seeing we would find a random street vendor who would serve it with a warm cup of broth and eat it with tooth picks.

S and Z

Waiting in Daegu

Daegu is the birthplace of my fiance (who took the above picture). When I first met her 6 years ago we didn’t think we would ever have the opportunity to visit her hometown.

Over the years I built up an expectation for Daegu. To listen to people describe it - Daegu is a back country town filled with uninteresting people and little to do. My experience was pretty far from this. Maybe it is because Seoul is a gigantic, crowded and bustling city and in comparison to that just about any other city in the world is small. Daegu though for me was a wonderful change of pace. Everyone we encountered was warm, welcoming and helpful. Growing up in Hawaii and living in Portland I am perhaps more accustomed to a slower pace to life than what Seoul offered. Daegu felt way more livable.

Seyoung in Daegu

The Zodiacs

Palgongsan

I visited Palgongsan while visiting family in Daegu South Korea in March during my 3 week trip to South Korea and Japan.

This was yet another example of a landscape dominated by the haze from pollution from China. To get here you take a beautiful ride up in a cable car that seems designed to appeal to young lovers.

Seoraksan

I visited Seoraksan (a mountain in South Korea) in March during my 3 week trip to South Korea and Japan.

South Korea for me was dominated by pollution and smog that drifted from the neighboring China, as a result this picture has a fogginess to it. What isn’t captured is just how windy it was there - I at several points nearly lost my glasses.

Seoraksan is the sort of place that I will most certainly have to visit again at some point in my life. Picture monk filled temples over-looking crystal clear mountain streams in the mountains and you get an idea of how awesome and peaceful a place it is.

Buddha at Seoraksan

Shrine at Seoraksan

Monks at Seoraksan

Clear water at Seoraksan

Crater Lake Sunset

Astoria Bridge

Chinaman Hat Long Exposure

Puaena Point

This is was taken just north of the area where I learned to surf while on the island.

After briefly attempting to surf 5 years ago I wanted to make sure I learned how to do it right and ended up finding Buttons. He turned out to be a local legend and former touring pro. He had me up and surfing on the very first wave and probably inspired a life long love of the sport.

Portlock Beach Sunset

Out of the few sunsets that I have taken here on Oahu my one regret so far was that I had not grabbed a truely pink one yet. The weather conditions have been a little too nice here which has lead to a relatively clear sky, which in photography terms is boring.

We spent the day touring the South East side of the island like tourists without the intention of grabbing a sunset. This included a trip to Moana Falls and Waikiki. Just before deciding to head home for the day I caught a glimpse of the beach and decided to check it out. I hadn’t expected much but after a few minutes the light changed drastically and the sky turned pink.

Portlock Beach is surrounded by million dollar homes. Thankfully the beaches are still public property and there are public access to all of them. When I was taking this picture there was a small group of locals taking advantage of the public access to fish and enjoy the sunset as well. I couldn’t help but appreciate how very fortunate they are to be able to enjoy a million dollar view and fish every day.

This is a 102 second exposure done using a Neutral Density 1000x filter. The filter acts to block out the light requiring the picture to take 10 times as long to properly expose. During that amount of time the water and light change and over time evens out leaving the glassy look that you see.

Kaena Point Sunset

Today marks one week on the island and on vacation.

I had wanted to get out every night to grab a sunset while here but family obligations began to take its tole on me and required that I take some evenings off to get some rest.

Today we rented a car and decided to tour the island. We began with a trip across the island to Lanakai Beach - which many consider one of the best beaches in the world. I was able to swim to one of the Mokulua Islands and enjoy the bird sanctuary there before swimming back.

Despite being here for a week I had yet to have some Ramen. Thankfully we stumbled upon Rai Rai Ramen in Kailua which was superb. Then we made our way to the Valley of the Temples to visit the Byodo-In Temple.

We continued north to grab a quick shave ice from Aoki’s in Haleiwa then finally made our way to Kaena Point on the west side of the island to grab this sunset.

Byodo-In Temple

The Three Tables Sunset - North Shore

Pupukea Sunset - North Shore Hawaii