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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Patiently Waiting
with just a hint of apprehension?
Anthony was looking forward to his shichi-go-san wishes-for-a-long-life children's blessing event because he had been assured that it involved candy and toys. We were looking forward to it because we knew he'd look so cute, as the Anthony in a Hakama picture I posted the other day bore out.
It's just a short walk to the shrine, and it was a wonderful day, so we headed out with Fumie's folks...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading to the Shrine
(let's pretend the stranger in the tan hat who ruined my shot is a family friend who's supposed to be there)
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shrine is Popular on a National Holiday
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1/5000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Oh, There's Daddy
The shrine does a brisk business as a venue for marriage ceremonies and photo shoots. A friend of a friend got married here a few years ago, and you can see wedding photo shoots going on most any weekend (such as this one). The same shrine sub-business that handles all that has a large inventory of traditional formal clothes for rent, so that's where we went for Anthony's special day.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying on Tabi for the First Time
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Feels Silly!
Anthony had never had tabi (often called “tabi socks” in English) before, and found it to be a notable experience. I've never worn them, so can only imagine, though I suppose it's similar to toe socks (gohonyubi kutushita), of which I have plenty. (I wonder, though, what Anthony's reaction would be when trying on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes!?)
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
First Layers
Getting dressed in a hakama is deceptively complex. It sort of looks like a simple robe (had hard can it be?), but it's got all kinds of layers and belts and such, with specific ways they must be done. I guess it's comparable to my expecting a clip-on tie and then being faced with the real thing.
Luckily, the staff had plenty of practice, and one Matsushita-san went about getting him dressed in a pleasant but efficient manner that belied the complexity of it all.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Scene
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Layers
Somewhere around here is when I took the picture that leads this post, where the ladies are working in an efficient whirlwind of activity getting him gussied up, and he's just standing there taking it all in stride.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Checking the Snugness
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Tying
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
And More Tying
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
And Yet More Tying
( one of my favorites )
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 50 mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
And Finally All Done!
The dressing room didn't lend itself to portraits, but there was an unimaginably-expensive formal wedding kimono hanging there, so with that as a backdrop, I asked him to make some silly poses for me....
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Happy Pose
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 34 mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ninja Pose
Great story and very nicely told, both words and pictures. Selective focus choice in several shots – ‘The Scene’, and ‘And More Tying’ – is subtle and thoughtfully done.
Wonderful post. Anthony looks very cute. I especially love the expression on Grandpa as he is inspecting the progress.
Ah, we still have pictures from our son’s 七五三, also done in Kyoto, but at the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. I’d attach one, but son, now 18, would not appreciate it! 😉
Wow, thank you for sharing this with us! Lovely pictures! (as always 😉
First shot of A is adorable.
I have been back to this blog a number of times to look at the Patiently Waiting photo. It is so sharp, and yet has silky smooth blurring into the distances. This blur emphasizes the distances in the situation.
I did peek at the Exif to see that it was captured at f/3.5 I might have guessed something like an f/1.2 to give the 2cm DOF.
Little doubt that your family will be looking at this beauty photo for many-many years.
Thank you for sharing, Roy
Being at 70mm (rather than, say, 30mm) helps exaggerate a shallow depth-of-field, but another thing that contributes strongly to the overall look is that I used a touch of Lightroom’s “negative clarity” on this, similar to (but much less than) done here. I then painted a bit of positive clarity back over the eyes. I’d missed focus on the shot, and these help to reclaim the photographic quality of a shot whose main impact has nothing to do with the photographic quality. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the result… even though I had better-focused ones in the series, I liked this result better. —Jeffrey