Photo Walks, Lens Flares, and Holiday Vibes at SpringLeaf

Am I the only one who really enjoys holidays? I bet many people get excited whenever a holiday is coming up—it’s like a free pass to take a break from the daily grind or a momentary escape from life's monotony. It’s a great opportunity for family and friends to get together, explore new places, and bond.

If you've been following my snaps, you probably saw that we went to a nature park. The one we visited today was Springleaf Nature Park. It's still one of our go-to spots every now and then. It’s peaceful and quiet, far from the city, with very few distractions—just nature!

On weekends, the place comes alive with visitors—many of them jogging or spending quality time with loved ones. I can’t blame them for choosing this park; it’s a lot less crowded compared to the ones in the city. That said, there are a few downsides—like the lack of amenities. There isn’t even a public toilet in the area. The nearest ones are either at the MRT station or the nearby fuel station. So, if you're planning a picnic here, it’s best to stay in the part of the park closest to the MRT.

As for us, we were just there for a photo walk and to shoot some videos—which was already perfect for me!

We didn’t stay too long though, since it felt really warm today. It’s starting to feel like the middle of summer already. But honestly, it’s a bit confusing because it rains almost every day, so it’s hard to tell what season we’re in. What I’ve noticed is that it's usually sunny in the morning, and then the rain comes in the late afternoon or at night. It’s definitely something to keep in mind when planning your day’s activities.

Since the weather was perfect for shooting short clips, I figured I’d take as many as I could while we wandered around the park. The clips I took are for my TikTok page —I’m hoping to grow my network there with the goal of eventually monetizing it.

I’m giving myself around 2 to 3 years to build up a following big enough to start earning from the content I share. There are actually several ways to monetize on TikTok, but they do require hitting certain numbers in terms of followers and views.

It’s going to take patience, but I believe I’ve got that—especially considering how consistent I’ve been here on Hive. That’s one thing I’m really thankful for about Hive: it helped me develop the habit of posting regularly.

Here’s the first TikTok video featuring Springleaf Nature Park. I’m embedding the YouTube version for now since TikTok clips aren’t yet recognized by the PeakD frontend.

https://youtube.com/shorts/vm5t4B0Eu_Y?si=mFrVkzDXmg7JqY3v

During this photowalk, I finally learned how to create a lens flare! I’ve been trying to figure it out for months, so I’m really happy that I finally got the hang of it—using just my phone, too. It starts with strong sunlight and switching to portrait mode on my phone. That combination not only produced a bright lens flare but also added some beautiful colored flares around it.

This was definitely a great takeaway from the photowalk, and I’m already excited to practice more on my upcoming walks!

Thanks for joining me on this little adventure at Springleaf Nature Park! I’m always grateful for these moments of discovery—whether it’s finding a peaceful spot in nature or learning a new photography trick. Until the next walk, keep exploring and stay inspired! 🌿📸