Beyond the Tamagawa: September 2006

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Forests in Tokyo...

Not really, but there are a few wooded areas. This is a park in Tamagawa on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Well, I had to use my macro equipment for something. The old advice about tripods not really being a good idea for most macrophotography holds true for me at least. Especially with autofocus. Manual focus can work much better, but handheld works best for me if I use no flash.

Neko

At the Tamagawa Park, there are a lot of cats--neko--waiting for handouts. Like most Japanese cats, they are friendly to humans---at least they don't run away.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Tokyo late summer evening stroll

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Around Denechofu, Tokyo

Autumn nears

And we start seeing more blue skies. Around the neighborhood near Denenchofu.

When I was in high school, I found a photography book in the library about Japan. This was no ordinary Japan photo book as there was little in it that would would have been identified with the stereotypical Japan. As I recall, there were seascapes, landscapes, and other types of photos, but no temples, no shrines, no festivals, no geisha, and no shots of the intersection in front of Shibuya station. I was disappointed.

I wish I could recall the name of the book for I'd love to see it again. It comes close to my view of Japan. I don't think of the country or its people as weird, uniquely unique, Zen-like, or anything like that. It is a country, a people, and a culture that differs only by degree---when it does actually differ---from other countries. Just like every other country and culture on earth.

I no longer bother much with the typical "Wow, it's Japan" photos. I try to photograph things which for some reason interest me, or represent something to me, or perhaps I just like the colors, tones, shapes, or light. Perhaps disappointing for anyone looking for photos of Kinkokuji Shrine (though some are here), but those types are readily available anywhere. If nothing else, I will amuse myself with an expensive hobby.

(Since I am occasionally asked, I generally use Nikons: D300, D70s, or borrow my wife's D40. I occasionally use an old Olympus OM-1 for film, as well as Oly digicams, and a now sadly deceased Oly 35ED rangefinder.)

Beyond the Tamagawa