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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Op From the Big Red Bridge
early last year
I've still got lots of photos yet to go through from our trip to Toyama Prefecture (a few hours north of Kyoto) more than a year ago. At the time I noted that it was really snowy, but I need to tone the description down after the massive snowstorms in the US Midwest and East Coast this year.
Still, it was a lot of snow for us, and really pretty, with visits to historic and picturesque villages of Gokayama and Shirakawago.
It was snowing heavily in the afternoon of the third day of the trip, as it had been all day, so we didn't venture too far out, but we did take a short drive on a road through a steep valley, overlooking a river. Much of the road was protected by a snow roof with one open side...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56 mm — 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Three-Sided “Tunnel”
This was convenient because we could stop pretty much anywhere and still enjoy the view from the protection of the roof.
The vistas were wonderful, and quite monochromatic. These are all color photos...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Remnants of an Old Bridge
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150 mm — 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
It sort of reminds me of Kyoto's Bridge to Nowhere, though from the other end of the history spectrum.
I guess I was enamored with the sight... I took enough pictures of it. 🙂
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 116 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
A bit further along was a non-missing bridge...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — 1/250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Actual Bridge
This is the same bridge featured from a different perspective in what is one of my all-time favorite photos: Bridge Over Icy Water.
While we were there in the darkening dusk, a boat slowly plied the frozen waters, making it seems all the more cold...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tourist Boat
It was still snowing very heavily and getting darker, so the boat was difficult to see. Perhaps this is a “you had to be there” situation, but I really like this next shot:
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Almost Nothing
Nothing really stands out at first, so it's almost as if it's just a smudge, but then you see the waves from the boat, then the boat, then eventually (if you're in not too bright a room) other details emerge from the fog, such as the line of the road across the top of the frame. The engineer in me wants to lock onto specific, concrete things, but I guess some other facet enjoys the lack of it in this photo.
Next to the red bridge were the support towers of the bridge it apparently replaced, unlike the first non-bridge in this post, also missing its entire road bed...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Remnants of Another Bridge
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
View from the Bridge
back to the main (relatively speaking) road
Almost no one was around in this storm, but surprisingly, a car actually took the bridge while we were there...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Guts than Me
I wouldn't have minded trying the bridge, but even with my good snow tires, the road beyond it looked too steep and curvy for my taste, especially since it had likely never been visited by snowplows.
Man, you have much courage than myself to drive in snow|ice (not just as shown here but also in past).
I love the way the snowy background makes even the muted colors of the umbrella and bridge metal stand out. It also makes the tail lights on that chibi car stand out brilliantly. They make the viewer get a very real sense of the scary experience that snow driving can be.
Amazing beautiful photos!
I submitted a long post but hit something and lost it. I will conclude that, if you got it, by saying, I admire your work and look at your equipment with envy and your location with even more envy. I was there from 1953 to the summer of 1956 and took a lot of photos but none compare with what you do.
Your work is beautiful. Your English is flawless. I love your template and looked to see if it is something “out there” but couldn’t find it under “view source” so I suspect you made it from scratch.
I hope you got my original comment and it was not lost in space.
Abraham Lincoln
Brookville, Ohio
Saturday morning, 6:06 AM
When people ask my why I want so badly to move back to Japan, I want to answer that it’s probably the most beautiful country on Earth. These photos make me feel incredibly natsukashii.
These pictures are absolutely breathtaking!
You have beautiful personal photo gallery.
Anna 🙂