Greetings fellow users of the internet, it's been a while.
Over the New Year's holidays, this year I finally took an image that I had been planning and preparing for, for over a year. While Japan is most known for its big cities, and Mount Fuji, the are some smaller wonders hidden all over the country. Having lived here 6 years, I have the benefit of discovering them.
Sorry, it's already after midnight, so I'll lazily copy and paste the story behind them here:
"One year in the making, I started planning this photo over the holidays back in December of 2018. It's not a famous location by any definition of the word, so it took a few hours of internet sleuthing to find this precise location. In January of this year, I woke up to the perfect conditions for the image I had been envisioning for just over a year. So, I hopped on the Shinkansen, headed over to Shiga, the 25th prefecture on my continuing quest to capture the seemingly endless beauty of Japan. It took longer than expected to get these images, as the weather constantly switched between being sunny, overcast, or rainy, from minute to minute. But it was worth every minute... or in this case two and a half hours."
(I'm aware the last one isn't really minimalist or abstract, but it's a two focused stacked 6 minute exposures, so that kind of experimental isn't it? haha)
Are there any images that took you a year or more of planning to finally capture?
First Image:
f/9
323 seconds
ISO64
62mm
Second Image:
f/11
688 seconds (yeah, like 11 and a half minutes)
ISO 64
70mm
Third Image: Two focused stacked images
f/11
335/338 sec
ISO 64
31mm
As I am only shooting like 7 months, it's a no for me. But I know I'm gonna take some shots I always wanted to take that I have in my mind. My time isn't there yet. But it must be a good feeling when you achieved such a moment. I like the picture, with a small favoritisms to the first. When I saw your third picture it looked to messy in the bottom. But I was surprised when I opened it in a bigger window. So that's my new favorite.
I'm glad you like them. To be honest, the third image was the only one I didn't actually plan to shoot. The tide was lower than I expected, so I made the decision to try something unexpected!
For me that worked out. Sometimes you don't have to wait a year. ;>)
It took me well over two years to coordinate a photoshoot at Blowing Rock Preserve in Jupiter, Florida. I had to get a model willing and able to make the drive, schedule around sunset and low tide, and make sure the weather was conducive to having a nude model on the beach so early in the morning. Once it did happen, I was happy and relieved. Totally worth it.
I can only imagine how frustrating trying to match schedules with a person, and the tides, and the weather. I'm lucky to even get a half decent sunset around Tokyo, haha
Nice set, and three is the one for me also. On opening it up, you see the grey range in the front, the black on soft water grey mid shot and the feature item with a mountain backdrop. What's nice is that you appreciate it more by taking time to look it over and appreciate the contrast.
I got lucky with the contrast. As I was shooting the focus stack for the foreground, the sun broke between the clouds for about a minute or two, and fell right on them. A happy accident, as Bob Ross used to say.
I love the depth created by the focus stacking on #3.
Yeah, I think it's important to scout and be prepared to revisit when the ideal conditions present themselves. Having a vision in advance makes decisions a lot easier when that times comes.
Luckily there was hardly any wind, so I was able to get the focus stack off. For all the changes in weather I experienced while there, surprisingly wind wasn't one of them.
I usually try to visualize my landscapes in advance, using Google Maps. It helps make the most of the limited time I have.
Nice shots
Thanks! They were worth the wait! Time to start planning the next one, haha.
Oh my these were worth the wait Jordan! These are stunning. I LOVE them!! I can't even pick a favorite. Sooooo nice!
Thanks Ruth, I'm glad you like them!
We don't have anything like this in Tokyo or in Vancouver, so once I found them I couldn't help but go.
Hi again. Just coimg back for a second look. Yup - still awesome. I was thinking that, in print, i bet the third one is fabulous. In this venue, the middle one is knockout. Again, congrats on getting a great result from your efforts.
Hi Jordan, serenity of long exposure always captivates me. I admire your patience and persuasion. Even the bird had similar patience to remain in the frame. Amazing work.