Photography

Mexico City 2017

On Memorial Day weekend, Marie and I took a trip to Mexico City! When we were looking up food, coffee shops, and other popular places, it seemed that our map pins kept landing in the Roma Norte area. We actually ended up staying at an Airbnb in Roma Norte, which was so convenient! We had a sky high view of the city and mountains (and lightning storms), and below us were amazing restaurants and a never-ending nightlife. 

Anyway, below is a semi-organized guide to our long weekend!

Our Airbnb view! Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

Our Airbnb view! Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

MEXICO CITY STROLLS

We opted to walk a lot (any destination 30 minutes or less), which was an amazing way to see the city! We ran into so many coffee shops and scenes that we hadn't come across in our research. For example, this little cafe called Breakfast was so cute! And empty, just for us! When we went back the next day, it was packed! Mexico City definitely has a brunch culture in this area.

Another thing that amazed me were all the parks, trees, and plants in the city. They're doing a great job going green! Many buildings not only have shrubbery all around them but also have grass/plants growing on the walls and CEILINGS! 

You would never know we were actually surrounded by cars on all sides!

You would never know we were actually surrounded by cars on all sides!

Plaza Jardin Hidalgo

Plaza Jardin Hidalgo

Taken with the OOWA telephoto lens

Taken with the OOWA telephoto lens

quentin

COFFEE SHOPS

There are so many cute alleyway coffee shops, I died. The first one we went to was Chiquitito. They were one of the only ones that has rice milk (Marie's fav!), which is a delicious non-dairy addition to your coffee! 

Quentin is also another cozy shop where we just sat and chatted for a couple of hours. I loved the music and atmosphere, but the iced lattes here are tiny!

Dosis was definitely a favorite! Although I appreciated the smaller cafes, the open space and corner hammock here were perfection. Also, they have the biggest iced lattes I've ever seen, but I definitely had to leave it unfinished because I can't handle that much milk!

dosis
dosis
iced latte
5 estrella

FOOD & DRINKS

Puntarena (formerly known as Padrinos) was so impressive! The wall is about 5 stories tall, and they opened up the ceiling to let the sunlight in while we were eating. It was such a sight to behold! They also provide portable chargers for us wary, juiceless travelers. 

El Moro is a popular churro spot that was highly recommended to us by several people! We actually went to the spot in downtown (open 24/7), but the line was so long we decided to head back to Roma Norte and get some there instead. I'm glad we did because it's SO much cuter there haha! I can't speak to the churros though because I'm not a fan of desserts, so I thought it was ok, buuuut... everyone loves it!

Maque is another spot that was pretty empty during one of our morning strolls. We were like, meh, but they had tons of bread, so we noted it for later. Well, silly us. We went twice, and both times were pretty crowded! It's a very popular spot for tourists too. Their pastries were heavenly!! I highly recommend this place for their fresh pastries.

maque
maque

I didn't get any photos at La Buena Barra, but it's a must for fine-dining! They push around whole carts of whiskey, gin, and mezcal! When you choose your cocktail, they make it right in front of you! The menu is also delicious! 

chapultepec.jpg

TOURIST HOT SPOTS

Of course we had to hit up all the amazing sights in Mexico City! We started off with Biblioteca Vasconcelos, the most amazing library I've ever seen! We had to sign up at a reception desk to get permission for photos. Super easy to do.

biblioteca vasconcelos
biblioteca vasconcelos

Next was the Museo Soumaya, another impressive structure! 

Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

Chapultepec Castle was a small trek after getting to the entrance of the park, but it had some amazing views! It was so crowded that it was rare to get an empty shot.

The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan was super hot, and the line took awhile, but it was worth it for the views and standing on a freakin pyramid. 

Taken with the OOWA telephoto lens

Taken with the OOWA telephoto lens

Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

Taken on iPhone 7 Plus with the OOWA 15mm wide-angle lens

Overall, it was such an amazing trip. I really did fall in love with Mexico City! And for a short 2.5 hour flight... I know I'll be going back.

PS - my camera battery died by the end of the trip, but I luckily had my OOWA lenses. I want to thank OOWA lens for gifting me their pro kit for the iPhone 7 to make some of these amazing photos possible! I do want to note that the lenses are better on the iPhone 6 and have not yet been perfected for the iPhone 7, causing a yellow temperature for the wide angle lens and blurry edges for the telephoto lens. Just a note!

Angela & Micah's Engagement

Another perfect December day for engagement photos! And this time, it was VERY special and dear to my heart because it's my own sister's session! I love her and Micah so much, and I wish them both so much happiness!!! My heart is bursting :)