Greetings fellow users of the internet.
So another Spring has come and gone here in Tokyo. This year I took some extra time off of work to ensure I would be able to get out and snap some photos of the fleeting beauty gracing Tokyo. I already shared one of my other photos in an earlier post, but now that the season is over, and I've more or less finished editing my worthwhile photos, I thought it was time to share them. All of these were shot with a Nikon D850
1) Identity Crisis - I had originally called it a night, but during dinner, I noticed there was a unique colour theme going on with Tokyo Skytree, so I decided to head out again, and that's when I grabbed this shot.
ISO 400
f/8
56mm
8 seconds
2) Closing In - I originally planned to photograph this during sunrise, but I got lucky with some chilly weather that caused a lot of other people to stay home. Thanks to that, I was able to grab it during sunset which allowed me to grab my next photo.
ISO 100
F/11
24mm
1/10 sec
3) Sunrise Selfie - I didn't think much of this photo at first, but after editing it, it's actually become one of my favourites of the year. The light touching the blossoms, and the random guy snapping a selfie to show the scale of the gigantic red gate. It all comes together to make a rather nice moment.
ISO 250
62mm
f/8
1/160 sec
4) Last Stand - I just finished editing this, last night. I spent most of spring capturing the epic scenes around Tokyo, so on my final day off I decided to capture a smaller moment, while out with my wife and daughter.
ISO 100
200mm
f/6.3
1/500 sec
Overall, I'd say it was a rather productive spring, for me. I'm very pleased with the quality of images I was able to get this year. I don't know if it was my new gear, knowledge, or just luck, but I think this is the best spring I've had in Japan, so far.
Let me know what you think, and of course feel free to share some of your own favourites from this year.
Great images, I like the 2nd shot a lot, very elegant.
Thanks! I’m a little iffy on the second shot. I wish the cherry blossoms went down further in the left, to balance the image a little more, but you can’t tell nature what to do, haha.
I think the empty space left over from the asymmetry works, you could always clone the branches in haha. Jokes aside I think this "imperfection" is not an issue; the tower is crowned by the trees at the top, where the symmetry is visually useful and probably most important.
The first one really struck me. The colors are awesome especially the contrasting trees. Just want to say I really like it. I don't have any criticism for you, they all look fantastic to me.
Thanks! I’m glad I went back out. Had I not eaten at the restaurant I did, it wouldn’t have captured this one!
Great captures Jordan, the second image is my favorite by far, As Francisco mention, very elegant.
I’m glad you like it! As I mentioned above, I’m still iffy on it. I like it, but I’m not sure I’d consider it portfolio grade... maybe I’m just being overly pedantic.
Excellent. First and second are fantastic. I think I like the second better, but the clarity on the first one is incredible. Third is nice, but the trees make it a bit heavy on the left. Not a fan of the fourth, instead of focusing on the flower, my eyes are drawn to the dark tones in the background. Great work. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the feedback. It would have been nice to have blossoms on either side of the gate. Perhaps I could try something in photoshop, haha.
I can see what you mean about the fourth one, I’m not super in love with it, but I wanted to balance the grand scenes with something more intimate, haha. Oddly enough, it’s my best performing photo on social media, out of all these images, but I know it wouldn’t be received well here. Different audiences, I suppose!
Beautiful pictures. I am always afraid I would sneeze my head off if I went over to Japan for all the cherry blossoms. My favorites are 1 and 3. I am just starting to edit some pics from Ireland and will share them up when I have them edited.
I’m so lucky to not have hay fever yet. As soon as I do, I might have to consider heading back to Canada, haha.
Nicely composed and processed shots, Jordan. All are strong, however, my favorites are #3 & #4. In #3, even with so much going on in the scene, you found a way to use the light and get the eyes on the person taking a selfie. The last image has a fine-art quality to me.
Thanks! I got super lucky with the guy in shot 3. I was walking away, and decided to turn around for one last shot. Just as I did he popped into frame and I waited to see if he’d go for the selfie with the big lantern, and of course he did, all tourists do, haha.
As for number 4, I’ve never really understood what “fine art” means, but I’m glad you like it, haha.
Hi Jordan - Beautiful work. You images are always memorable and visual treats! I think that the second one is stellar.
Thanks a lot! I’m glad you like them. Spring is a truly magical time in Japan. I wish I had the means to travel more in spring. If you go south to north, you can photograph the cherry blossoms from March to May.