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Anthony’s Kindergarten Graduation
NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Cute
with a touch of stylish

Anthony has almost doubled in age since he started preschool, and today his tenure as a kindergartener ended. He graduated preschool today, and starts first grade next month.

Anthony looks sharp in a suit, but a kid should look like a kid, so the shorts Fumie selected maintain that perfect balance of “dressed up” and “still a kid”. It's the same ensemble that Curious George modeled a few weeks ago, with a real necktie and all.


Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Festive Entrance
milk cartons and paper

The ceremony wasn't too long, with some speeches and songs, but eventually the kids were called up in alphabetical order, and soon it was Anthony's turn...


Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 340 mm — 1/160 sec, f/4.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Heading up to the Podium
to receive his diploma

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 260 mm — 1/160 sec, f/4.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Bowing to the Principal

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 230 mm — 1/200 sec, f/4.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Receiving His Diploma

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm — 1/400 sec, f/4.8, ISO 3600 — full exif & mapnearby photos
“Song of Joy”

At one point the kids did a duet with the mommies, where the song took the form of a conversation that was really sweet (at least the parts I understood). Lots of mommies cried.


Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 180 mm — 1/250 sec, f/4.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Lots of Cameras Were Out

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Pro Shooting from the Back
he comes to every major event, from his office a couple of hours away

The lighting inside is absolutely horrid for photographs, with lots of sunlight flooding in, mixing with lots of fluorescent lights. It makes any kind of consistent white-balance setting absolutely impossible.


Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 340 mm — 1/250 sec, f/4.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Exit Procession
waiting for his row's turn to leave

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — 1/400 sec, f/5, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Row of Kimono
some of the mommies getting ready for a group photo

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105 mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Returning for a Group Photo
I caught the diploma at just the right time as he was idly playing with it

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/60 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Showing Mommy
his diploma

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/60 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — full exif & mapnearby photos
Kicking Back
talking to Kana-chan

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — full exif & mapnearby photos
photo kindly taken by Yoko-chan's daddy

Comments so far....

Congratulations, Anthony! We often play at the park next to Doshisha Elementary School. It’s nice of them to build a new elementary school just in time for Anthon’y arrival, and then go ahead and renovate the high school in eager anticipation of his arrival.

Oh, hi Grandma Friedl! I also live in Kyoto, so I can check on Jeffrey for you once in a while and make sure he’s eating his vegetables.

— comment by nils on March 17th, 2009 at 1:17am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Omedetou Anthony-chan!

Wow – so many milestones lately. And another one to come in a month when he starts 1st grade.

Aloha,
Diane
Honolulu

— comment by Diane on March 17th, 2009 at 3:05am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

He is such a handsome boy! Congratulations and all the best for first grade. My son’s KG graduation is in May and first grade starts from fall. Thanks for sharing these pictures. I also enjoyed all the fall colors pictures.

— comment by Sonal on March 17th, 2009 at 6:27am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

oops..not fall color pictures but those of cherry blossoms.

— comment by Sonal on March 17th, 2009 at 6:29am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Anthony – llongyfarchiadau from Peter in Wales !

— comment by Peter on March 17th, 2009 at 7:54pm JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Thank you, Nils. And please remind him to take Vitamins too. I myself may soon be needing medicine for my heart, since it is melting as I look at my Number One grandson. So beautiful! And can that all be Kana-chans hair, all those curls? When I last remember seeing her photo here, her hair was much shorter, I believe. So lovely!
Wonder where Sonal is writing from? Grandma Friedl, from Ohio, U.S.A.

— comment by Grandma Friedl on March 17th, 2009 at 10:06pm JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Great series of shots, but my favorite is the one YOU didn’t take! I love that last family shot. I’ll probably see it framed at Grandma’s house soon.

— comment by Marcina on March 18th, 2009 at 5:49am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Hello Grandma Friedl, I am writing from Minnesota.

— comment by Sonal on March 18th, 2009 at 11:34pm JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink

Awww! Very, very very handsome Anthony! Congratulations! Grandma Friedl is right, you may need vitamins since in your posts you mention very often that you have a cold.

Bento Boxes pictures pleaseee!
Muchas Gracias!
Griselda. Arlington, TX

— comment by Griselda Nishikatsu on March 21st, 2009 at 5:00am JST (3 years, 2 months ago) comment permalink
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