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Nikon D3S + 16mm f/2.8 — ¹/90 sec, f/4.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
In the Middle of Gion Matsuri
photo by Shozo Fukushima

In the few days that I've been clawing back from a nasty cold, a couple of folks that I chatted with during Kyoto's big Gion Matsuri festival last week have sent me copies of photos they took of me. As I described in “A Thin Slice of Big Crowds at Kyoto's Gion Matsuri Festival”, I brought a small stool to raise me a bit above the considerable crowds, and with my Nikkor 300mm f/2 on a monopod, shot the festivities. I've much left to post, but ones already up include a bit from day 2, some from day 3, a sequence that I think really highlights what the lens is good at, and a different kind of set from a special day-4 event.

Folks are not accustomed to seeing such a big lens, so they approach with smiles and curiosity, perhaps more so because the person with the lens is a big foreigner. Many ask whether they can take my photo, to which I reply “of course”, or if they're close enough to chat, “of course, no need to ask”.

I particularly appreciated when camera-savvy folks asked about the lens (hint: if they say “wow, big lens!” instead of “big camera!”, they're camera savvy 🙂 ). One such camera-savvy photographer got up close with a fish-eye lens, so I had to hand him my card and ask for a copy. Kindly, he replied, and I find out that he's Fukushima-san, a professional photographer from just outside of Osaka. Thanks Fukushima-san!

If his camera clock is correct, here's the shot I was taking...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/800 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking East Down Shijo Street.
at a scrum of photographers next to one of the huge wooden festival floats

Here's another he took a bit later, showing the backpack for the lens...

Nikon D3S + 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 90mm — ¹/20 sec, f/5.3, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
photo by Shozo Fukushima

The next day, among those I chatted with was the group of international researchers I mentioned before, and they collectively sent me a few shots.

DMC-FZ35 @ 4mm — ¹/15 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Justin, The Lens, Me

They thought the lens (or me) was sufficiently silly (impressive?) enough to try to sneak a shot while walking by, but I “caught” one...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/640 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying To Sneak a Shot

... and that opened a fun dialog.

As they left, they snapped a shot of a pair of girls that approached asking about the camera. (Like I said, the lens has its benefits 😉 ).

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300HS + 4.3-21.5mm @ 9mm — ¹/13 sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos

I told the girls to stand in the same spot that the group of researchers had, but the crowd had become too thick...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/320 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
They're In There Somewhere

I gestured for them to come closer, and a shot opened up...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/250 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

They've yet to email for copies, though.

It was just getting too dark by this time, so I put the lens away in preference to finding a beer. All the shots above are unnaturally bright to compensate for the closing darkness, but one last shot before I moved on shows more closely what it was like at the time...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/320 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Row of Festival Stands
many with smoky grills of one sort or another

Continued here...