Journal
49 Hours in San Francisco
“Hey do you fancy going to SF next month? My dad has a trip flying out there and we can tag along…” “Yeah, sure how long for?” “Erm… its only 2 nights” “F**k it lets do it” Having a friend whose father is an airline captain has its definite perks. Arriving late in San Fran suitably tipsy from 11 hours of continuous champagne however was probably not the best way to start out our trip and set the tone for what turned out to be a manic couple of days. With such a short amount of time in city we felt that we had to make the most of the time available to us. An early jetlagged start down to grab tickets for the day trip to Alcatraz Island after approx. 3 hours sleep + the hangover from 8 (or was it 10?) beers from the night before meant that we were probably the loudest and jovial members of the queue. Making friends with some Swedish travellers we toured the prison island. It's remarkable the views these inmates had over the Bay Area and the audio tour proved to be super immersive. We’d been recommended that the best way to see the Golden Gate bridge was on tandem bike. It definitely proved to be the most comical and unpractical way to squeeze through the crowds of tourists on the way across. The sheer size and colour of the bridge is as impressive as it looks in photos and I hope I’ve been successful in trying to capture it in interesting ways. After a late lunch and some Irish Coffee, we met up with our friend Dan who we first partied with whilst travelling in Vietnam last year. He now works for Google and was happy to show us the city. Bouncing from bar to bar in China Town (with the distinctive memory of throwing up after a shot of strange whisky) we ended up partying in a club near Golden Gate Park 'til the early hours. Dan had work in the morning and offered us a bleary eyed tour of the Google SF offices. Hungover AF we met up early to see whether they were as awesome as they’re hyped to be. Turns out they are. The entire front of the building has stunning views of the Oakland Bridge and inside it is like no other office, with nap pods, cocktail bars and one room entirely filled with 3D printers. Wandering the city, the divide between the rich and poor is evident, with SF social benefits policy requiring no fixed address to claim, meaning that the homeless roam even the most affluent streets. It’s a strange comparison to draw with the super rich tech elite who work mostly in the area and endemic of the divide we see in the US today. With a quick tram ride and trip up to the top of the iconic 8 hair-pin turned Lombard Street complete, it was time to catch our flight back to London. Total time in SF – 49 hours. Thankfully the flight home was quiet and the captain was able to upgrade us both to First Class for the journey. Finally, time for some rest! Iain is a serving British Army helicopter pilot with a passion for photography. Check his work at @imagesbyiain.
Iceland: A Road Trip on the Tundra
"I really don't know how I feel after the experience. We circled the island with broken hearts and open minds. Young souls constantly waiting for the sunrise. That's who we are. That's how we do." Follow Barcelona-based photographer Enzo Iriarte on a goosebump-inducing summer's trip through the moody tundra of Iceland. The famous Ring Road encircles the entire country covering over 800 miles on Route 1. While you could technically drive the whole thing in less than 24 hours, Enzo & friends took 10 days, stopping where they could along the way. Food was expensive, but the memories were priceless. Swipe through the photos below and see more of Enzo's work here. Models: Katia Ramos & Zakari Kunakey
Best of the Month - Vol. 7
We don't want to alarm you, but September is here. We may need a moment to sit down and let that sink in, and what better thing to explore whilst doing so than Best of the Month? Here are our favourite things, accounts, tracks and community photos from the past month - enjoy! Best of the Web This is what one of those viral Facebook cooking videos would look like if it was directed by Wes Anderson. This photographer fabricated a purely DIY camera flash setup using just a Big Mac box, a flashlight and a drinks straw. The results (shot on iPhone) are STUNNING. Learn more about the project here. Sicilian artist Marco Mangione, known as Gue, has transformed Darsena Popup’s Ravenna skatepark into a dynamic, coluor composition. Darsena Popup, a sports complex at the edge of the river, is close to Ravenna’s historical center. In an effort to refurbish the urban area, the installation creates a clever synthesis between the artwork and its environment. Camera brand Lomography have just announced the world's first fully analogue instant camera for Instax square film. They're launching via Kickstarter - you can learn more & back the project here. Gudak Cam is an iPhone app that mimics the 'Kodak Moments' of disposable cameras. The rolls are limited to 24 shots which you can only run through every 12 hours. Once the roll is complete, you need to wait 3 days for the photos to process, adding 'accidental' and random scratches and light-leaks before you can view them. Download it here. Lonely Planet's 'Trips' app is a beautiful, simple and intuitive way to share travel experiences. Upload photos and videos to your timeline, then share your trip with your friends, family and fellow travellers. Tens Soundtrack Here are some of our office favourites, both new and old. Who else should we be checking out? Visit our profile on Spotify to check out our previous months' soundtracks. Who to Follow Here are some of our favourite accounts to follow on Instagram. If you know anybody that we should be following, let us know! This month we've got @chrislabrooy, @leriadyasmine, @ronanpark, @thiswildidea & @moviemountain. Best of #FilterYourWorld At Tens we put our community first, no matter what it is that we're up to. Here's where we share some of our favourite customer photos with Tens from the last month. We love seeing your tags with Tens, so be sure to tag us + #FilterYourWorld for your chance to be featured! Photos submitted (in order) by @niklasmulzer, @neongoldrecords, @urbantraveller, @wethefoodsnobs, @hannahrosemay_ & @calcowie.~What things have you discovered this month? Are we missing anything? Message us on Facebook with suggestions!
City Guides: A Long Weekend in Barcelona
by Iain With its long dry summers and admirably laid back atmosphere - Barcelona has always been a favourite destination of the Tens team, whether it be with friends, family, partners or solo. As a city with limitless culture, history and cuisine - you could explore for months and still uncover something inspiring each day. Here is a quick guide to some of our favourite sights, activities, eats & drinks perfect for an escape to the heart of Catalonia. GETTING AROUND The city centre is roughly 20 minutes away in a taxi from El Prat Airport, and will cost around €25, which is reasonable if there are a few of you. Might be a bit expensive for solo travel, so you can just take the bus. They are very frequent and will get you to Plaça de Catalunya in around 30-40 minutes. If you’re limited for time, or not that keen on walking, buy what's called a T10. It's a 10 journey ticket you can use on all transport. Multiple people can also use it too, so you can put it through the machine and pass the ticket back to the next person. We would recommend just walking to most places in the city though, as you can pretty much get anywhere in less than 30 minutes, and you get to discover more of the city this way. If you are going to use transport a lot then you can maybe look at the 2-5 day tickets. The ticket machines can be changed to English and will tell you everything you need to know. TO DO You can tick off the more popular places first by starting off at Plaça de Catalunya and taking a stroll down La Rambla. This is very touristy, so I would avoid going to any bars or restaurants here. You will pass the grand Bocqueria Market though, and this is a great spot to pick up some cheap breakfast and local meats, seafood and cheese. Towards the bottom of La Rambla you can cut left into the Gothic Quarter which is a labyrinth of beautiful architecture, shops and bars. You can weave your way through here towards the famous Cathedral. Regarding the major sights I would recommend going inside the Sagrada Familia, Parc de la Ciutadella / Arc de Triomf. You can book your time slots for Sagrada Familia online to avoid queues - it could be the most impressive building you’ve ever seen. Parc Guell is another Gaudi sight, built high up overlooking the city. Great views and a nice way to spend an afternoon, would recommend bringing a packed lunch to have at the top as you’ll want to hang there for a while. Barcelona played host to the summer Olympics in 1992, and not only can you check out most of the grounds, you can also take a dip in the pool. It’s not glamorous by any means, but we love the brutalist concrete surroundings, and the pool itself is perfectly cool - a great place to relax and sunbathe for a few hours. Once you’re done you can either get the cable car, or walk up to the top of Montjuic and see the castle. Barcelona is famous for its beach right there at the edge of the city. We always started the day with a stroll through Barceloneta, past the super yachts and towards the sand. The beach gets VERY busy during the day, so either head here early for a Clara (cloudy lemon shandy) at one of the beach bars and watch the world go by for a moment. If you do want to spend a day at quieter beach it is best to take a train to go out of the city along the coast. The train is cheap and in around an hour you can be at Sant Pol de mar. You take the R1 train from Plaça de Catalunya in the direction of Mataro. Worth the trip for a nice, chilled beach day. Sitges is also a great day trip only 40mins away with some great beaches. Montserrat is also a nice trip outside of the city, well worth the trip if you have a day to spare. For some more, free, sightseeing it’s nice to walk from Plaça Catalunya up Passeig de Gracia. The Gaudi architecture there is amazing with a lot of nice terraces to stop and grab a bite to eat. TO EAT If you have time to kill during the first half of the day, check out these brunch spots: Tropico (just look at that Açai bowl), Milk, Federal, Alsur, Flax & Kale, or El Flako which is a 'trendy' novelty cereal bar. Later on, for something easy I would highly recommend trying the burgers from Bacoa and we'll let you off for eating a burger in Spain. For alternative quick bites there is an incredible hot dog joint called ‘The Dog Is Hot’ in Raval, or Rosa de Raval if you're in a taco kinda mood. For something a bit fancier try Tickets (the holy grail), or either of the two Sensi restaurants in El Born. These are the places you’ll have to book in advance, so prepare accordingly. Inside the old Biblioteca, within a courtyard you'll find this al fresco restaurant called El Jardi - ideal for date night. For more of a traditional tapas vibe, check out Quimet & Quimet (they brew their own beer), or Can Paixano (for proper Cava) - both standing tapas bars and very Catalan. For cheaper tapas, spend an evening on Carrer Blai in Poble Sec. There are lots of small tapas bar where you just help yourself to what's on the counter, then they charge you for the number of cocktail sticks / plates you have at the end of the night (Yo! Sushi style). For an incredible bargain, try La Malandrina - it’s a great South American restaurant that do MASSIVE steaks and creamy potatoes for roughly €10. On top of that they’ve got a lovely house red wine at only 6€ a bottle. For sweet things, be sure to grab ice cream from VIOKO (in Barceloneta & El Born), or eyescream and friends. TO DRINK We enjoyed every single bar we visited. Barcelona is great for just wandering around and jumping into various small bars for cañas (small beers) - as long as you stay away from La Rambla, most places are well priced. Nevermind is a cool alternative bar with a skate bowl inside. Paradiso is also well worth a visit. On the outside it looks like a standard pastrami bar, where you can sit and order small plates of meat and kimchi. However, if you open the refrigerator door on the left, you’re taken into a dark, clandestine cocktail bar with a stunning interior and wild cocktails. Another great cocktail bar is L'Acensor. A 1920s-style elevator leads you into a very old school Catalan bar. It is a bit more expensive but definitely worth it for the atmosphere. We came across a pretty special spot on top of the Barcelo 360 Raval hotel. If you walk into the lobby straight to the elevators, you can take the last one up to their roof terrace for a drink. It offers 360 views of the city and is the perfect spot to watch the sun set behind the hills. It’s not cheap, but the views are breath-taking. Words & photos by Iain. If you'd like some more tips, or want to learn more about the suggestions made, send us a DM on Instagram!
Swimming In NYC's Rivers
Swimming in the city’s rivers is one thing that New Yorkers are skeptical about. When asked if they would do it, most of them jumped to say no way. Why? Because — and I quote the video below — of the bodies, it’s filled with sh*t, and sewage overflow. What they don’t know is that in the early 1900’s nearly two million locals would use the floating baths and that today, +POOL — a group of four friends — together with Heineken are close to bringing it back. They already have the way to clean the water, they’re just missing a new set of laws that permits bathing again. Conceived in 2010, +POOL started as a simple idea: instead of trying to clean the entire river, what if you started by just cleaning a small part of it? This also brought up a second question with a goal: what if you could change how New Yorkers see their rivers, just by giving them a chance to swim in them? And this is how +POOL — a floating plus-shaped pool in the inner harbour of the NYC waterfront, designed to filter the very river that it floats in through its walls — began. +POOL was the first capital project to launch through Kickstarter, raising over $40,000 in seven days. With the funds, they tested the first layer of filtration at Brooklyn Bridge Park in summer 2011. The research was used to approach city officials for the first time with the idea, which was incredibly well received. In 2013, a second Kickstarter campaign was launched, raising more than $300,000 and funding a scaled version of +POOL’s filtration system in the Hudson River that was tested for 6 months in summer 2014. Many were involved in this process, and together they proved that the +POOL technology is possible and that it can filter the water from the river without using chemicals. Today, 7 years on, +POOL continue its efforts to bring this dream to reality, and now they have found a big partner: Heineken. As part of the company’s cities project, they have said that they will donate $100,000 to the project if +POOL can get 100,000 signatures from New Yorkers who say they will swim in the pool once the pool is finished. Learn more, and sign the petition on their website at +POOL. Words & images courtesy of +POOL.
Watch: British Columbia by Tom Welsh
A collection of holiday memories from 10 days in BC, Canada, by Tens co-founder Tom Welsh. "After a commercial job I was DPing finished in Vancouver, I delayed my flight back to London and spent a thoroughly enjoyable week and a bit in the Canadian sun. I hadn't intended to shoot much but grabbed my camera right before I left Vancouver, taking the seaplane out to the Island - I thought it'd be worth shooting, and ended up grabbing little bits of the rest of the trip. I shot less than 2 cards but it seemed a shame not to do anything with it. Locations: Sooke, Vancouver Island, Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, Fraser River Reaction Ferry, LOTS of Highway 99. Equipment: A7SII + SLR Magic 50/1.1 & Tokina 11-16/2.8 + Zhiyun Crane, PP8 Cine 4 + DELUTS See more of Tom's work here.
Empowering Youth Through Skating
“I support Skateistan because I believe skateboarding can be a catalyst for positive change, especially among children." Tony Hawk, pro skateboarder Skateistan is an award-winning international non-profit organisation that provides programs combining skateboarding and education to children and youth aged 5-17 in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. Through the hook of skateboarding they engage children, especially girls and children from low income backgrounds, and provide them with access to safe spaces and education. Skateistan's innovative programs teach children valuable life skills that go beyond the skatepark and the classroom. Their core programs aim to keep children and youth involved in the Skateistan community for the long term. As students get older, they become role models to the younger children and the wider community. Join us in Donating Today The animation below, created by Berlin-based illustrator Maria Giemza and animator Dominik Grejc, tells the story of an Afghan girl empowered through skateboarding and education. Based on the real life of a Skateistan student in Kabul, Afghanistan, the animation showcases the impact Skateistan's programs have on the lives of children and how the charity works to empower children and youth around the world. Skateistan Students Over 1,800 children and youth are part of the programs worldwide. Skateistan believes that positive social change happens when children are educated on how to take care of themselves and their community. Skateistan addresses gender inequality by including as many girls as possible in their programs. Over 50% of registered students are female, and Afghanistan has the highest percentage of female skateboarders in the world. Skateistan offer girls-only sessions at all of their Skate Schools worldwide. Educational and recreational services for youth are often compromised in places of long-term conflict and concentrated poverty. Yet, when millions of youth miss out on experiences of playing and learning, they lose opportunities to develop essential life skills, to imagine a new world for themselves, to evolve into leaders, and to develop effective solutions for their communities. Skateboarding is accessible to children with physical and cognitive disabilities as it can be practiced in some form by virtually anyone. The ability to take part in sport and creative activities builds students' confidence, self-esteem, and provides a valuable platform for self-expression. For children of migration backgrounds there are many obstacles to accessing education. Skateistan works with internally displaced youth, nomadic communities, economic migrants and refugees. Q&A How do youth benefit from skateboarding?Skateistan’s model is founded on the belief that skateboarding is a great equaliser. With a safe space and staff trained in delivering quality programs, we develop community leaders and skateboarders who know how to safely fail and persevere through adversity. This new generation of role models is equipped to tackle complex problems in their own lives as well as in their local and global communities.What are the benefits of children being part of Skateistan’s programs?At Skateistan, children find a fun, safe community where they can play and learn, free from discrimination and violence. Within a diverse peer group they come to understand themselves as equal with others, while learning new skills and building friendships. As members of a thriving learning community, youth develop key life skills and increase their confidence. Youth set goals, stay in school, and become involved in civic engagement activities. Many become role models for their peers in the skatepark and classes. At 18, youth graduate from Skateistan and from high school with an expanded notion of community, and the tools to seek out further education and employment. Some become Skateistan volunteers and staff, and all join a global community of active, engaged citizens - promoting such values as equality, education, and inclusion.Was the community involved during construction of the skate schools?Yes. Involving the local community was important for consent; we put in the effort to operate in a culturally-sensitive and appropriate manner. It is common for local government, youth, parents, and community groups to work together to build safe, supervised, and youth-friendly facilities. Watch how the Skate School was made in Johannesburg.Can girls participate?More than 50% of students are girls! Getting girls on a skateboard has been a priority since Skateistan's beginning. However, we acknowledge that there are many obstacles to teaching girls — and that is why we hold the support of the parents, local community and government in such high regard. Half of our students are female, giving Afghanistan the highest rate of female participation in skateboarding in the world. They are taught on separate days at the park, by an all-female staff. In South Africa and Cambodia, Skateistan hopes to address the gender gap through their girls-only sessions. We run 14 of these girls-only sessions each week around the world.Can people with disabilities participate?Yes. A focus of ours is working with youth living with a disability. Students can take part in our Skate and Create program and we run Outreach sessions with partner organisations. Skateboarding is accessible to children with physical disabilities, as it can be practiced in some form by virtually anyone. The ability to take part in sport and creative activities builds students confidence, self-esteem, and provides a valuable platform for self-expression.Are the students safe?The Skate Schools are supervised and secure private facilities that are built and run with community consent. We are in regular communication with local safety organizations, as well as with government and local community leaders, so that we receive regular security updates and conduct activities safely. When skating all students must wear a helmet and safety pads.Are the programs free for children?Yes, this is essential, as most participants of Skateistan cannot afford to pay for lessons. There are absolutely no costs incurred by students for any activities, for example, all materials needed in the skatepark or the classroom are provided to students by Skateistan. Additionally, we arrange transport for girls in Afghanistan to make it easier and safer for them to attend. Images & words courtesy of @skateistan. Learn more at skateistan.org.
Best of the Month - Vol. 6
We're right in the midst of the summer heat, and are back with what's been keeping us intrigued and inspired across the internet over the past month. Here are our favourite things, accounts, tracks and community photos. Hit the go button on the blender for that frozen margarita mix and check out our favourite discoveries from this month. Best of the Web Director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Science of Sleep), shot this whimsical 10-min short film completely on the iPhone 7+. "The best camera is the one that's with you...". Watch Détour below. Riley, you're going places, kid... Apple's chief designer Jonathan Ive has revealed his feelings about the tech giant's new home, as his team prepares to move in, and photos of the building's interior emerge. Read more about Apple Park on Dezeen. Photographers Jessica Kobeissi & Brandon Woelfel teamed up to see what can be achieved with a $40 toy camera. The state-of-the-art point-and-shoot boasts a MASSIVE 2 megapixels and a 4x zoom, they set out to see what they could capture. Check out the results here. Japanese architect Hiroshi Sambuichi has staged an ambitious installation within a former underground water reservoir in Copenhagen. The monumental halls of the space, known as cisternerne or The Cisterns, have been transformed into a subterranean landscape, which forms sambuichi’s first major exhibition outside of japan. Foreignrap is a platform for international rap music in which sounds from across the world are shared for you to enjoy. Choose a country from the drop-down menu, or hit random to shuffle through the plethora of multi-lingual beats and lyricals from all over. Watch / listen here. Highsnobiety caught up with Australian pro-surfer Nikki van Dijk to discuss family, how she first became interested in the sport, along with her career highs. Watch the lo-fi short film below for an intimately nostalgic, beach-faded day-in-the-life tale. Finally, we wanted to share Frank Ocean's anti-discrimination tee he wore during his performance at NYC's Panorama Festival. "Why be racist, sexist, homopobhic or transphobic when you could just be quiet?" Tens Soundtrack Here are some of our office favourites, both new and old. Who else should we be checking out? Visit our profile on Spotify to check out our previous months' soundtracks. Who to Follow Here are some of our favourite accounts to follow on Instagram. If you know anybody that we should be following, let us know! This month we've got @watts.place, @tinycactus, @jannikestelling, @airlinersvintage & @tombobnyc. Best of #FilterYourWorld At Tens we put our community first, no matter what it is that we're up to. Here's where we share some of our favourite customer photos with Tens from the last month. We love seeing your tags with Tens, so be sure to tag us + #FilterYourWorld for your chance to be featured! Every month we will select our favourite photo, and gift a pair of Tens to you! Photos submitted (in order) by @humansafari, @ktlphotog, @victoriamouraphoto, @meghanekay & @_iamholt.~What things have you discovered this month? Are we missing anything? Message us on Facebook with suggestions!
Escape to Puglia
by Sam Smith We went to Italy for pizza, but little did we know seafood pasta was the cuisine of choice in this region of Italy... Jess and I grabbed an albeit delayed Ryanair flight to Bari, to escape the pretty abhorrent Summer London had served up for us. Looking for a few days chilling poolside, we rented a pretty mean hotel outside Torre Dell’Orso to chill and take in the scenery of the surrounding towns.Empty roads winding through overgrown fields filled with farmhouses and Fiats in every garage; mussels, Peroni, suncream, sun, turquoise coastline - this is Puglia.
