5050 Travelog 365-Day Photo Project Recap for 2025
365-Day Photo Project
My Favorite Photos From 2025
…and a Brief Chat About Photography Gear
In 2025, I started my first-ever 365-day project. It was a bit daunting, but I felt an urge to rebel against social media and decided to post daily photos here instead of on Instagram.
Does that mean I have cancelled all social media activity? No, but I have been less focused on it for 2025, and it has been liberating. Social media still works, but I wanted to feel less of a slave to it.
So here I am, at the end of my first year with a 365-day project, and I wanted to share my favorite photos from 2025 with you in this recap.
JANUARY 14
Camera: Nikon Z6 III
Lens: Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S
Aperture: f/2.2
Exposure Time: 1/250
ISO: 140
Location: Main Street, Vancouver
How Did I Pick My Favorite Photos
First of all, the photos picked here will all have personal importance to me. It could be a culmination of what I found to be a great composition or a technically correct shot; the mix of a nice camera and a great lens yielded a satisfying result.
A photo may also bring me personal joy, whether in the form of a visit from good friends or of travel in 2025.
I often think about photos and ask myself, Will this be important to me ten or twenty years from now? And yes, I picked photos, I believe I will cherish for many years to come.
Initially, I wanted to share just one photo from each month. However, as I went through the pictures, I decided to split them into two categories. I picked two photos from each month: one with a personal element and a second, be it a landscape or street photography capture.
January
Despite what many think, January can be a great month for photography. I was mainly testing my new Nikon Z6 III and reviewing a few Nikkor lenses.
The two standout shots were a street photography scene from Helen’s Cafe (above), and my personal favorite was from a bike ride in the rain with our daughter and good friends, Dan and McKensie.
JANUARY 4
Camera: Nikon Z6 III
Lens: Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4
Aperture: f/1.8
Exposure Time: 1/500
ISO: 500
Location: Vancouver Transfer Station
February
The highlight of the month was a trip to the Okanagan, where we skied and hung out with our friends. February was also the month that brought us the first crocuses and snowdrops, and it included more testing of Nikon gear.
My favorite two photos from February are both captured in the Okanagan. The first is a landscape photo taken near Summerland, offering a great view of Okanagan Lake. The second photo of Diana and Dagny cross-country skiing at Sovereign Lake.
FEBRUARY 14
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8
Aperture: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/2000
ISO: 100
Location: Okanagan Lake, BC, Canada
FEBRUARY 19
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 1/250
ISO: 100
Location: Sovereign Lake Cross Country Ski Area, BC
March
More and more, we get out on our bikes in March and often take walks along the Stanley Park Seawall, and it shows in my 365-day photos.
Two photos stuck out to me. The first is from a foggy morning when the Canadian flag waved nicely at the Sylvia Hotel, when “Buy Canadian” campaigns were at their peak. The second photo is of our friend Leighton, who stopped by town for a quick visit.
MARCH 26
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/4 OIS
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/640
ISO: 100
Location: Beach Drive, Vancouver
MARCH 10
Camera: Nikon Z6 III
Lens:Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4
Aperture: f/3.2
Exposure Time: 1/125
ISO: 1100
Location: Kits
April
April brings cherry blossoms to Vancouver, and it is usually a huge spectacle, with millions of photos captured. This year, I finally got a shot on a day with blue skies and the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
We also spent a few wonderful days with our friends, Hanne and Jesper, who visited from Denmark.
APRIL 5
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/400
ISO: 100
Location: Near Pine Street, Vancouver
APRIL 12
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8
Aperture: f/6.3
Exposure Time: 1/400
ISO: 400
Location: Feather Park, Squamish, BC
May
The weather is getting warmer, and it’s time for the first ice cream of the season, and time to hang out on cafe patios outside.
My friend Chris suggested we shouldn’t miss the Fred Herzog Exhibit at the Equinox Gallery on Commercial Street, which was on in May. Inspired by Herzog’s work, I immediately went out and captured the photo below.
For the May long weekend, we did a road trip to the Kootenays, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
We spent about a week and a half in North Vancouver cat-sitting, and it was fun to explore the neighborhood. My favorite personal May photo shows Di enjoying a good read, waiting for the aforementioned ice cream at a nearby cafe.
MAY 3
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Aperture: f/2
Exposure Time: 1/800
ISO: 100
Location: Commercial Drive, Vancouver
MAY 2
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8
Aperture: f/2
Exposure Time: 1/1250
ISO: 100
Location: North Vancouver
June
In June, I bought my first standard zoom, the Panasonic S 24-60mm f/2.8, and I got a lot of mileage out of it for my review.
My road bike got a thorough upgrade/tune-up, and it was good to be back on the road again.
My favorite two captures from June were both captured along the Stanley Park Seawall, the first from the Canada Long Weekend at Third Beach, where we walked more than 12 kilometers and stopped for a salmon burger.
The second photo, a personal fave, is a visit from my son and granddaughter, where we explore Second Beach.
JUNE 30
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro2
Lens: Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R
Aperture: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 1/125
ISO: 250
Location: Third Beach, Vancouver
JUNE 6
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro2
Lens: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
Aperture: f/8
Exposure Time: 1/550
ISO: 200
Location: Second Beach, Vancouver
July
Although we were working through July, looking through my photos reminds me of lazy summer days spent at the Second Beach pool and lots of bike rides around town. I posted a review of the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R WR II lens, which went straight into my top ten most-read reviews.
My top pics for July are a black-and-white image of the Kitsilano pool, which shows what summer is all about, and my top personal memory from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performance at Sunset Beach.
JULY 16
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S 24-60mm f/2.8
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: f/6.3
Exposure Time: 1/800
ISO: 800
Location: Kitsilano, Vancouver
JULY 5
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro2
Lens: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
Aperture: f/2
Exposure Time: 1/3200
ISO: 200
Location: Sunset Beach, Vancouver
August
We were away twice in August. First, for an extended weekend in Victoria, a place we used to visit all the time when our kids went to university. The second trip was unexpected, as Di’s dear aunt Shirley passed away, and we flew back to Ontario for the celebration of life.
The first photo below is from St. Marys, Ontario, and in many ways, it reminds me of my first trip to Ontario in 1984. The second photo is of my buddy Mike in Victoria. It was great to catch up with him and Linda.
AUGUST 29
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Aperture: f/8
Exposure Time: 1/250
ISO: 160
Location: St. Marys, Ontario
AUGUST 10
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens:Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Aperture: f/1.5
Exposure Time: 1/500
ISO: 100
Location: Victoria, BC
September
I want to mention four of my photography buddies here, as I see from my photos that I interacted with all of them in September. I always enjoy catching up with Chris, Goran, Kyle, and Julian, and they have all made various contributions to the blog this year. Thanks, guys.
The first photo below is from our fall road trip through parts of BC and Alberta. It was staggering to witness the impact of the 2024 forest fires in Jasper.
Karen and Kristian visited from Denmark, and we did a hike together at Murrin Park near Squamish, and also went to a Whitecaps game. Good times.
SEPTEMBER 29
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/4
Aperture: f/8
Exposure Time: 1/250
ISO: 200
Location: Jasper, Alberta
SEPTEMBER 23
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro1
Lens: Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/40
ISO: 800
Location: Murrin Park Trail Loop, BC
October
Although I am happy with my October photos from Vancouver, I have picked two favorites from our Alberta fall road trip.
The first photo is from Shackle Peak near Sunwapta Falls in Alberta and is one of my favorite landscape photos in a long time. It was captured at the end of the afternoon with the last few rays of sunshine dropping in over the mountain ranges to the west.
The second shot is from our bike ride from Johnston Canyon to Banff, where we rented e-bikes for the day—more about this in an upcoming blog post.
OCTOBER 1
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/500
ISO: 100
Location: Sunwapta Falls, Alberta
OCTOBER 3
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/400
ISO: 100
Location: Highway 1A between Johnston Canyon and Banff
November
As always, days were getting shorter in November, but I still got out with the camera plenty of times. I was mainly testing a new lens, the Voigtländer APO-Ultron 90mm f/2, and I also posted a review of it.
My two favorite November photos were both captured on bike rides around Stanley Park.
NOVEMBER 19
Camera: Fujifilm X-E5
Lens: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 1/600
ISO: 125
Location: Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver
NOVEMBER 22
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
Aperture: f/1.8
Exposure Time: 1/125
ISO: 2000
Location: Stanley Park, Vancouver
December
I was hoping to post a snow photo, but so far we have not seen any as of the day I posted this. However, I did enjoy a tranquil moment one day, being off the beaten path in Stanley Park.
Boy, did it ever rain in Vancouver this year, and admittedly, it has put a dampener on photography activities. And yet, one of my favorite photos from December is from our photo walk with Chris and Evelyn in the pouring rain downtown.
Quite fittingly, the bus in the picture had the display: Happy Holiday, and I will wrap December up with just that :)
DECEMBER 14
Camera: Leica SL2-S
Lens: Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 1/30
ISO: 100
Location: Stanley Park, Vancouver
DECEMBER 11
Camera: Fujifilm X-Pro2
Lens: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
Aperture: f/2
Exposure Time: 1/250
ISO: 250
Location: Robson Street, Vancouver
2025 and Photography Gear Reviews
I posted twenty-five reviews in 2025, which pretty much hit my goal of having a new gear post every two weeks.
Highlights were a few months with the Nikon Z6 III and several Nikkor lens reviews. In April, I published a first-look report on the Fujifilm GFX100RF, a much-anticipated camera. Fujifilm has sent me a GFX100RF to try out over the holidays. Do stay tuned for more on this camera in the new year.
My focus shifted over the summer with a range of Panasonic Reviews, and the year ended with the Fujifilm X-E5.
Looking ahead, I may get a chance to try some Sony gear once the dust settles after the Sony Alpha A7V release. Leica is also on the radar with the new Leica M-EV1 and Q3 43. Crossing my fingers, I will be spending some time with these in 2026.
The Travel Blog in 2025
2025 marked ten years of 5050 Travelblog - Unbelievable :)
It was also a year when we decided that all our travel activities would be in Canada. It resulted in trips to Ontario, Victoria, and two main road trips. One to the Kootenays, and our fall trip took us through the fall colors of BC and Alberta. Still more to come on the blog from the fall trip.
Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and I hope to see you back here in 2026.
See all of my reviews at a glance: Camera Reviews - Archives.
