This badge represents independent contributors who have met NewsBreak's standards for quality, along with adhering to policies, requirements, and editorial guidelines.

newsbreak_contributor

This badge represents contributors who have consistently met NewsBreak's standards for quality, along with adhering to all policies, requirements, and editorial guidelines.

certified_community_voice

Stephanie Lin

In this video, I'll show you how to quickly scan your cherished old photos using the Canon R40 scanner. If you have boxes of old photos collecting dust in your storage, this video is for you! I walk you through why I chose this scanner and how I prepared the photos for scanning.

With film photography making a comeback... it feels odd to be talking about digitizing our old photos 😂 Since 2020, I’ve been trying to tackle the extensive photo collection my family has- many of them were passed down from my grandparents. I found, apparently, my grandma enjoyed making scrapbooks and writing captions for those photos. My family was very lucky to always have the presence of a photographer in their lives. And now I hope I can share some of these precious photos with other family members.

Canon imageFORMULA R40 <a href="https://amzn.to/3Z7sfPG">https://amzn.to/3Z7sfPG</a>
Get Capture OnTouch here: <a href="https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/imageformula-r40-office-document-scanner">https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/imageformula-r40-office-document-scanner</a>


Don't Let Your Old Photos Get Lost in the Clutter - Digitize Them! CANON R40 REVIEW + SETUP

Joshua Tree, CA

Joshua Tree National Park is located in the Mojave Desert, in Southern California. The park covers 1,235 square miles and has a variety of different plants and animals that can be found within it. You can hike through unique rock formations and see some of the most spectacular views in California. 

This year, I invited my family to explore Joshua Tree National Park with me on a short weekend trip. We visited the park during fall when temperatures are cooler, but we still get enough sunshine during the day. If you plan to visit during the holidays, prepare to change your plan because the park controls crowds by closing the entrances to viewpoints.

Get my 2-day Itinerary (free): <a href="http://bit.ly/3QzwYpG">http://bit.ly/3QzwYpG</a>

I included some Chinese texts for my family :)

Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park with Family | Cholla Cactus Garden | TRAVEL VLOG

Hawaii State

While both islands offer some of the most stunning vistas in the world, they are unique in their ways. Being the second largest Hawaiian island, Maui has a diverse landscape of beaches, jungles, and volcanoes while also known for its luxury resorts. Kauai feels much more laid back, featuring stunning landscapes and a break away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I'm very lucky to be able to visit both islands, and hopefully, this video can help you decide where you want to go.

Exploring the Best of Maui and Kauai | Maui vs Kauai - which one to visit?

For day 2 of our fall colors hunt, we went on a day trip to explore the Eastern Sierra, specifically some scenic stops north of Mono Lake along the famous highway 395. I heard about the beautiful fall colors near Bishop but that’s too far for us to go this time. After doing tons of research, my plan was for us to check out Sonora Pass, Lobdell Lake Road, Conway Summit, and Lundy Canyon Trail. I had no idea what the conditions were like out there so we just had to go and find out!

I consulted this awesome Eastern Sierra Fall Colors pamphlet heavily when I was doing my research (not sure if they have an updated one: <a href="https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/monocounty/FallColorMap2017_64fa9396-2e41-40a1-9341-d44f15c897d6.pdf">https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/monocounty/FallColorMap2017_64fa9396-2e41-40a1-9341-d44f15c897d6.pdf</a>

EASTERN SIERRA | CHASING FALL COLORS | Lake Tahoe Day Trip Travel Vlog | Canon R6 rf 70-200mm

California State

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Awesome resource for fall color hunting in Cali: <a href="https://www.californiafallcolor.com">https://www.californiafallcolor.com</a>/
--
This was our plan: We have about 2 full days to capture all that we can, with South Lake Tahoe as our home base. The first day of driving in, we’d take it easy and just head 20 min south to Hope Valley (Carson Pass Hwy 88) during golden hour. I heard a lot of photographers like to shoot there. On Day 2, we're taking a scenic drive down the 395 where we’d do the majority of the filming. The plan was to make multiple stops and possibly hike, but it really depended on how the condition is over there. We didn't want to go too far, so the furthest we’d be driving was probably around 2-hour south. Eastern sierra started changing colors in mid-September, so hopefully, the places we’re visiting have not passed their peak yet!

We’ve also never been to these places so we’re very excited but also not sure what to expect!

CALIFORNIA HAS FALL COLORS TOO?! Chasing fall colors travel vlog day 1 🍂 Canon R6 + rf70-200mm F4

The power of technologies nowadays! I'll walk you through my attempt at Adobe Photoshop's machine learning feature, the Neural Filters, to restore some old photos. 

I tried two filters: Colorize and Photo Restoration. The colorize filter is already available to everyone but Photo Restoration is still in Beta (as of the published date), so be sure to download the beta version of Photoshop!

REPAIR OLD PHOTOS IN PHOTOSHOP | Easy tutorial to restore and colorize old photos | Neural filters

Dublin, CA

Amazing Basil & A Cup Of
Address: 3916 Fallon Rd, Dublin, CA 94568
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 8pm

Back to work lunch idea: High-value bentos from Amazing Basil & A Cup Of in Dublin

In this video, I'll take you through my entire process for this home office makeover. Ideally, I would just get rid of all the furniture pieces and start over but that's just not realistic. Most of us have to work with what we have, but that's okay! It only forces us to get more creative with our space 😆 Since we're just renting this space, the project is more challenging because we can't just drill on the walls or repaint them. Hopefully, some of my solutions can help you create your own unique home office too!

Home Office Makeover On a Budget Renter Friendly | Studio Tour Gear Organization & DIY Cabinet Doors

Maui County, HI

Hike into the clouds and see the spectacular views on this scenic 5-mile hike. We went on a cloudy day but the mist cleared up by the time we got to the top. Be sure to arrive early to get a parking spot!

Favorite hike in Maui: the Waihee Ridge Trail (A Cinematic short video)

San Ramon, CA

Location: San Ramon ~ City Center Bishop Ranch
6000 Bollinger Canyon Rd. Suite #1200
San Ramon, CA 94583

Hours of Operation:
Mon - Thu 11am to 8pm
Fri & Sat 11am to 9pm
Sun 11am to 8pm

A taste of Japan in San Ramon: Marugame Udon - a Japanese fast-food chain specializing in udon

Here's an idea of a creative activity you can do at home when it's too hot to go outside this summer: Try some product photography at home!

For equipment, I went with the RF50mm f1.8 lens on the Canon R6 but a phone camera could work as well. For materials, I wanted to work with what I already had, but I did end up buying two black foam boards (~$2.50) for one of the sets. 

As a challenge, I chose to take pictures of 3 very different products- a beauty gadget developed by my friend’s company, the very cool digital wireless mic system from DJI, and a water filtration system that we’ve been loving in our new apartment.

Thanks for watching my video! Like and follow! 🌱☀️

I tried product photography at home! | Budget product shoot with 3 products | Canon R6 + RF50MM F1.8

Monterey County, CA

Monterey, CA

We got lucky that day with no wait at the restaurant! I’m sure First Awakenings is always packed on the weekends so be sure to plan your time accordingly! We had a great experience: the service, prices, portions, and food were all fantastic. Can’t wait to visit again!
Address: 300 David Ave, Monterey, CA 93940

Best family-friendly brunch spot to start your day in Monterey: First Awakenings

Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar: 1188 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

If you are ever in Monterey, I highly recommend visiting Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar (please excuse my pronounciation🤣) for dinner. It was the best Italian food I’ve ever had since moving to Northern California. Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar makes fresh pasta, mozzarella, and gelato daily and offers spectacular service. Even though we visited on a cold and rainy day, the restaurant was still packed and lively that night. It’s definitely the local’s favorite too. The restaurant offers online reservations and has a small bar that makes handcrafted cocktails. The restaurant is small but cozy. We ordered the Ravioli di Manzo and Rigatoni alla Buttera and we loved them both. It reminded me of my favorite Italian restaurant in LA.

I can’t wait to go back again when I’m in the area!

Perfect dinner spot in Monterey: Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar

I got another Brevite camera backpack! Here's a quick review of the Brevite Runner. 
The Brevite Runner's top compartment uses a magnetic clasp that closes in two different levels instead of a zipper. The magnetic clasp is much easier and faster to open and close than the zipper.

The camera compartment comes with 5 configurable dividers. It is advertised to be able to hold a full-frame DSLR and 3 lenses. I’ve never had any issues bringing all my essential gear. Some other main features include a 16” laptop compartment, a quick access pocket on the side, a passport pocket, the luggage passthrough, and a hidden pocket for your valuables. It can hold a tripod or a water bottle. 

This backpack is great for photo shoots and just for everyday use.

Best everyday camera backpack 2022 | Brevite Runner Walkthrough | Runner vs Jumper

Time has been flying by lately. I can’t believe it’s already peak magnolia season again here in Northern California. The magnolias at the SF Botanical Garden reach peak bloom mid-January through March. We stumbled upon the end of its peak season last year and loved it, so I wanted to make sure to come back in time this year. The garden is free if you enter between 7:30am - 9am or $10 for non-SF resident. Find more information at <a href="www.sfbg.org">www.sfbg.org</a>.

#sanfrancisco #magnoliaseason #sf #botanicalgarden

It's peak magnolia blossom at the SF Botanical Garden | Find peace and pause at the garden

Los Angeles County, CA

I had a tough time getting my ideas out for this one... hope you got some of them! Thanks so much for watching this video :) 
--
It was awesome to finally visit the new museum. And my visit was made even better because the Hayao Miyazaki exhibition is actually on display right now (i guess going with my bro who also loves films is pretty cool too 🤣). If the name Hayao Miyazaki is unfamiliar to you, you probably have heard of Ghibli studio or films like Spirited Away or Howl’s Moving Castle. Miyazaki is the co-founder of Ghibli studio and the director of many Ghibli studio films. 

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Be sure to schedule your tickets ahead of time!

Get inspired at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | Level up your life experiences by doing this

Thanks for watching this video! Don't forget to like and follow :)
So over the weekend for Andrew’s birthday trip to Lake Tahoe, I finally got to try my new lens out. I was excited to shoot some portraits and landscapes as well as some videos. For this trip, I ended up bringing almost all of the lenses with me- the 16mm, 35mm, and the 24-70mm. We didn’t plan on hiking for this trip and we were staying right by the lake so I wasn’t too worried about the weight of my backpack. 
When I was shooting the landscapes during golden hour, I didn’t really feel a huge difference with this lens probably because I was using a higher f stop anyways. I was tempted to switch to the 16mm at one point since it’s so much wider and could capture how majestic the lake and the mountains were. But when it came to the portraits, they definitely turned out much different than what I’m used to before. With the zoom, there’s a lot more compression in the photos. The background looks much closer.

#AllinWinter

Visiting North Lake Tahoe for Andrew's Birthday with my new lens| Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens

One of the most rewarding things I accomplished last year was committing and completing almost an entire year of Pamela Reif workouts. I’m so excited to bring this habit into 2022. It was one of the best new habits I added to my daily life last year. If you are looking for an easy way to incorporate exercise into your days, I would highly recommend Pamela’s workouts. You get to choose a time that works best for you and in the comfort of your home.

Thanks for watching my video! Like and follow me on Newsbreak! 🌱☀️

*All quotes in the video are from Atomic Habits by James Clear.

How to start working out & stick with it | I tried Pamela Reif workout plan for a year

Temple City, CA

Check out Bistro Na's if you are looking for a delicious restaurant to celebrate Lunar New Year! Decorated with one Michelin star (2021), it's definitely not your typical Chinese restaurant.

Bistro Na's First Impression | a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Temple City

Saratoga, CA

Check out Sue's Gallery Cafe if you're ever in Downtown Saratoga. It's a great spot to just pause and take a breath. It offers a cozy outdoor seating area so you can bring furry friends too. 🐶