Tag Archives: Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan – Cherry Blossoms


I was looking through old pics the other day and realized that I rarely ever take flower pics. In my early days, flowers were a focus…an easy subject. But now with portraits, landscapes and sports…flowers have taken a back seat. I pulled these up from a trip a while back and always love the vintage look on white flowers that other photogs give them….so I did the same. Enjoy!

Tokyo, Japan – Cemetery (HDR)


From Tokyo, Japan…I was wondering around the Tokyo Tower and only 50 yards away across the street you can find this old cemetery tucked in between some buildings. Unfortunately, I do not know the customs..but you can see smoke in the background. Used to ward off spirits? Not sure. It makes the graveyard a bit spookier. I am not one to visit cemeteries, but this one was to cool to pass up!

Talke Photography Settings:

Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 20.0 mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: HDR 5 Exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/11
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS5, HDR Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, OnOne Software Photo Tools 2.6

Tokyo, Japan – Temple (HDR)


When you take strolls in your travels you can find some cool little locations. This one was located near the Tokyo Tower. A small little temple sitting in a park just waiting to be photographed. Not sure if it is still in use…but it looks great! Japan is one beautiful country. Hope to one day get there for vacation so I have all the free time to take tons of pics!!

Talke Photography Settings:
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4.0
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 12.0 mm
ISO: 200
Exposure: HDR 5 Exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/22.0
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS5, Silver Efex Pro, Photo Tools 2.6

Tokyo, Japan – Tower Tower

Tokyo at night is one of the best cities in the world to photograph.   The shot above is from my hotel room window last year.   So I apologize for a bit of window dirt/noise.  The new Tokyo Tower is due to open in May, so this old one will turn quiet…not sure what the future holds?

Some info from the web:  In the postwar boom of the 1950s, Japan was looking for a monument to symbolize its ascendancy as a global economic powerhouse. Looking to the Occident for inspiration, the Tokyo Government decided to erect its own Eiffel Tower. It was completed by the Takenaka Corporation in 1958 at a total cost of ¥2.8 billion. At the time it was built it was the tallest structure in Tokyo, but it has since been superseded by several buildings in the Shinjuku and Ikebukuro districts. Although it chiefly functions as a radio and television broadcasting antenna, the Tower is best known as a tourist destination, though it is decried by some as overpriced and inconveniently located, and as having poor amenities.


Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D300
  • Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4.0
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 16.0 mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:   4 seconds
  • Aperture:  f/22
  • Gear:  Tripod
  • Post Process: Adobe CS5, Color Efex Pro

 

Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Tower (Infrared)

Here is my second shot of the Tokyo Tower in infrared.  So cool.  It look like a model to me.  Maybe something from a Godzilla movie?  I’ll admit, I love those Godzilla movies.  Tough to beat Godzilla vs. King Kong.  I love visiting Japan.  One of my favorite things is to turn on the TV when getting ready in the AM and listening to the morning news shows (like the Today Show).  When they go to commercials…they are so colorful and happy!  It gets you hooked.   Occasionally you will see a US Star in a commercial…I have seen Brad Pitt and Madonna in some…speaking Japanese!   The food is great in Tokyo and the people are so very nice!   Such a different place compared to any US city.  If you can ever visit…you will love it!   Sayonara!!

Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
  • Infrared Conversion:  D70S modified by LifePixel
  • Lens: Nikon 18-200 f/3.5-5.6
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 18.0mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:  1/100 sec
  • Aperture:  f/22
  • Gear:  Tripod
  • Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza, Silver Erex Pro

Tokyo, Japan – Zojoji Temple (Infrared)

Tokyo is a wonderful place to visit and I was hoping to get a chance to shoot some IR shots.    I was lucky to get some Bonsai Trees by the Zojoji Temple (left hand tree with rounded segments).   Japan has some great trees…Bonsai, Japanese Maple and Cherry Blossom.  This little garden was located at the back of the temple. I walked around and here you can find housing and other little buildings.  This is a great location….just above the tree-line was the Tokyo Tower!

Info from the web:   Bonsai is the art of growing trees, or woody plants shaped as trees, in containers. Bonsai is sometimes confused with dwarfing, but dwarfing more accurately refers to researching and creating cultivars of plant material that are permanent, genetic miniatures of existing species. Bonsai does not require genetically dwarfed trees, but rather depends on growing small trees from regular stock and seeds. Bonsai uses cultivation techniques like pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation, and grafting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-sized trees.

The purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation (for the viewer) and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity (for the grower). By contrast with other plant-related practices, bonsai is not intended for production of food, for medicine, or for creating yard-sized or park-sized landscapes. As a result, the scope of bonsai practice is narrow and focused on long-term cultivation and shaping of one or more small trees in a single container. ‘Bonsai’ is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai (盆栽). A ‘bon’ is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture. The word bonsai is sometimes used as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots, but this article focuses primarily on bonsai as defined in the Japanese tradition. Similar practices in other cultures include the Chinese tradition of penjing and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ.

Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D70S (Converted to Infrared)
  • Infrared Conversion:  D70S modified by LifePixel
  • Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 18.0mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:  1/25 sec
  • Aperture:  f/22
  • Gear:  Tripod
  • Post Process: Adobe CS4, Viveza

Tokyo, Japan – Zojo-Ji Temple Bell (HDR)

Near the Tokyo Tower there is a cool temple called Zojo-Ji.  It was the first temple I have ever visited.  Outside in the gardens you can find some very nice views.   In the background you can see the cherry blossoms in bloom!  Tokyo is a wonderful place…wish I had lots more time to explore it!

Info from the web:  With hundreds of statues and an elaborate golden alter, Zojoji Temple is dedicated to Jizo, the patron saint of travellers and departed children. The building is a 1974 reconstruction, the original was destroyed in the air raids of May 1945. In the garden look out for the two trees – one planted in 1879 by General Grant the 18th President of America, and the other, in 1982 by George Bush. The temple is set in attractive gardens surrounded by Shiba Koen (park). It offers some great photo opportunities with the traditional Zojoji temple in the foreground and the modern Tokyo Tower in the background.

Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D300
  • Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4.0
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 12.0mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:  HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
  • Aperture:  f/22.0
  • Gear:  Tripod, Cable Release
  • Post Process: Adobe CS4, Photomatix, Viveza

Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Tower (HDR)

Here is the Tokyo Tower in HDR via Fisheye.  As my hotel was a 5 minute walk from here…I woke up early in the AM for sunrise and wanted to catch some shots of the tower.  It is an interesting place.  Not perfect for close up photography…at the base of the tower is this building.  Kinda odd!  I shot it for about an hour…walked around on all sides and tried to catch some cool angles.  Very tough!    It was cloudy this morning and early AM they still have the tower lit up partially…so a semi bonus there!   You can buy tickets to the viewing deck…if I can recall $21.00!  Ouch!    …its not that high!     I think Godzilla may be taller!  =)

Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D300
  • Lens: Nikon 10.5 Fisheye f/2.8
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 10.5 mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:  HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
  • Aperture:  f/22
  • Gear:  Tripod, Cable release
  • Post Process: Adobe CS4, Photomatix, Viveza

Tokyo, Japan – Cherry Blossoms (HDR)

From my recent visit…here is a Cherry Blossom tree in near full bloom from Tokyo!  This tree was the only one this far along at this early point of the spring…so a special tree!   I enjoy seeing the Japanese architecture in the shot as well!   There was a temple nearby…I will post a shot from there soon.  These days there are Cherry Blossoms all over the US…Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco.  Possible gifts from Japan! Arigato Gozaimasu!!!   =)

Some info from the web:  In Japan cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhistic influence, and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware. The association of the cherry blossom with mono no aware dates back to 18th-century scholar Motoori Norinaga. The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality; for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect. The band Kagrra, which is associated with the visual kei movement, is an example of this latter phenomenon. There is at least one popular folk song, originally meant for the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), titled “Sakura”, and several pop songs. The flower is also represented on all manner of consumer goods in Japan, including kimono, stationery, and dishware. Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune and is also an emblem of love, affection and represents spring. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.

Talke Photography Settings:

  • Camera:  Nikon D300
  • Lens: Nikon 12-24 f/4.0
  • Setting: Aperture  Mode
  • Focal Length: 13.0mm
  • ISO: 200
  • Exposure:  HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
  • Aperture:  f/22.0
  • Gear:  Tripod, Cable release
  • Post Process: Adobe CS4, Photomatix, Viveza