Slippers

This photo came from the early days with my new Canon, one of those weekends after you first buy it and you’re itching to take it out and see what it can do. Amusingly, I ended up going to Arashiyama (yes, the same Arashiyama I went to a couple of weeks ago and have been posting a lot of pictures from) with my girlfriend, a friend Charlie, and his friend Satoko. Charlie actually had his EOS 450D (the equivalent of a generation back of my camera), Sakiko brought Kurumi, her Olympus e-620 and I lent Satoko my TZ5 and we merrily tramped around Arashiyama, taking pictures of anything that moved. And lots of things that didn’t. I also swapped lenses with Charlie for a bit, using his kit lens while he borrowed my 30mm prime, and this shot was taken during that period, at Tenryuji. 

Saks Monochrome Portrait

From the trip around Arashiyama (and the brilliant, overpowering light there) comes this portrait. It’s been retouched, and I think it’s absolutely beautiful. It does help that she’s my girlfriend.

Ukai

Ukai fishing is one of those things that makes Japan so special and unique, and it’s also one of those things that is incredibly frustrating to photograph well. The fishermen aboard the little craft are using fire and drumbeats to attract sweetfish to the side of the boat, where a small flock of cormorants on leashes wait to gobble them up (partially) and spit them back out on board. Obviously, the fire only works well at night; the little boat is zooming up and down the river, and, birds being birds, the cormorants don’t exactly sit still. Somehow though, I managed to capture this relatively decent shot. I don’t even think I was using my tripod. Anyway, watching Ukai pretty much wrapped up our day in Eigamura (which I might post some photos of) and Arashiyama last weekend.

Self Portrait

I’ll be quick. This is a self portrait I took in Arashiyama yesterday. My girlfriend (the owner of the eye) doesn’t like it, but I think it’s rather interesting. The light was bright and direct, and Arashiyama beautiful. It was taken with my friend’s telephoto, something I really need to buy for myself.