In the last Splinterlands giveaway, I was not one of the lucky winners. But to my surprise, I was kindly invited to join the next giveaway hosted by CWH – Creative Work Hour here on Hive. That was really nice and gave me a smile.
This time, the question is: What do I want to do and what do I want to learn?
For me, the answer is actually quite simple. I am a passionate photographer, and I always bring my camera gear with me when I travel. Of course, I will also take it with me when I go to Asia for the next HiveFest. My plan is to take lots of amazing photos – especially of the speakers on stage, but also of the people attending.
Last year, at HiveFest 2024 in Split, I had a great time doing exactly that – and many of the shots turned out really well. You can see those photos in my post here, including some links at the bottom to the other albums from Split:
@louis88/hivefest-2024-split-speaker-and-hivians-photos-conference-day-2-in-diocletian-palace-part-3
To really get creative again this year, I will be coming with my trusted Sony Alpha 7 III, along with my favorite lenses – the 70-200 mm and the 16-35mm. This combo gives me the flexibility to capture wide scenes, group shots, and close ups on stage without disturbing the moment.
So what do I want to do? I want to capture the atmosphere, the energy, and the people of HiveFest 2025 – and share that back with the community.
And what do I want to learn? I want to improve how I tell stories through photos, experiment with new angles and settings, and maybe even try a few quick interviews or photo stories with people I meet.
Buuuuut that is not all! Over the past few days, I got even more creative and came up with something a little special.
Recently, I got myself a new camera – a Polaroid instant camera – and of course, I will be bringing it with me to HiveFest. This camera is very different from my Sony Alpha. It offers a completely new set of creative possibilities. Instead of digital files, you get real physical photos that you can hold in your hand right away. It brings a bit of a vintage feeling and adds a playful touch to capturing moments.
I do not want to give away too much just yet, but I can say this: it has something to do with an old tool I created some time ago. Maybe some of you remember it – I made it for your HiveFest 10 posts back then. It helped you quickly generate cool images and add text to your photos. The current version of that tool is still online and working, and you can find it here:
https://rawcdn.githack.com/louis-88/HiveFest10-Image-Generator/5a3925ec4e080d875c9a85b749b0bbf7fe8ef24c/index.html
So yes – I have something fun planned with the Polaroid camera, and it will connect with that image generator tool in a new and creative way.
Since my flight and hotel are already booked, the only thing I still need now is my HiveFest ticket – and I am really happy to take part in this last giveaway opportunity.
This year, our trip to Asia – I mean the one with 
After HiveFest in Malaysia, we do not have a final plan yet, but we already have a few ideas. One of them is to fly to Langkawi, the beautiful island in the north of Malaysia. From there, we are thinking about taking a boat to Thailand, where we want to visit the amazing island Koh Lipe. It is a small and peaceful place with clear water and white beaches – perfect for relaxing after HiveFest.
If we still have time and the weather is good, we might go even further – maybe to Ko Libong or Ko Muk. Ko Muk is known for its famous Emerald Cave, a secret lagoon that you can only enter by swimming through a dark tunnel. I have actually been there once before, and it was one of the most magical places I have ever seen.
Alright dear people – my big Asia trip is just around the corner! Everything is almost ready, and I cannot wait to take off. I am super excited to meet many of you very soon.