Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mt. Fuji
under the rising sun
富士山
from 77km away and 5½km above (48 miles away and 3½ miles above)

I traveled again yesterday from Japan to Ohio (Kyoto → Osaka → Tokyo → Chicago → Cleveland → Rootstown) to spend some time with my folks, especially since my mom had a stroke earlier in the year. I wanted Anthony to see the property I grew on one more time, so he came along for this trip.

I don't like having to pop up to Tokyo for the transpacific flight, but that hour-long flight from Osaka to Tokyo always holds the promise of a nice Mt. Fuji view, so that's something to look forward to. Mt. Fuji isn't quite so pretty during the summer, as without the cone it's just a big dark cinder cone (This bland shot with snow is not looking so bad now.), but Mt. Fuji is Mt. Fuji.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/640 sec, f/8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Smart Marketing
Airline name on the inside of the winglet
puts the name in all the out-the-window photos

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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/640 sec, f/8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
It's a Big World
this picture was taken 48km (30 miles) from where the first was

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Friendly Skies” Personified
impromptu portrait with United Airlines flight-attendant Jason
while waiting to exit my flight at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Our flight from Chicago to Cleveland was on United Airlines, and one of the flight attendants had the most amazing smile permanently affixed to his face. Whether standing back to observe while people boarded, or while helping people board, or while doing the safety presentation, or while passing out drinks and snacks, this smile just radiated at 11 the whole time.

I sat at the back of the plane, so I could watch for a long while as he passed out a packet of snacks and a napkin to each passenger, working his way forward. Each time he passed something out, the smile made you feel that it was the highlight of his day. It was really quite amazing to watch.

The whole time I watched, the smile wavered only twice, each time suddenly blooming into an even more dazzling display, though one touched with a hint of embarrassment; I could tell that he must have just been complimented on his smile.

It really brought a lovely glow to the short flight, one that I appreciated all the more in my jet-lagged zombie state, though it made me wonder why I can't manage that kind of smile for even the 1/60th of a second for a photo. Sigh.

Once we pulled up to the gate, I knew it would take a while before people would clear out enough for me to actually exit, so what the heck, I went to the back galley to ask him for a portrait. I mentioned that he must get complimented on his smile all the time, and he got this “well, actually...” look on his face and said that he didn't, but had been complimented twice on this flight. I smiled to myself and thought “called it!”.

He kindly agreed to a portrait, and I spent a few seconds trying to take it as he stood, but the back galley of a 737 isn't the best place for a portrait and the lighting was really bad. I didn't want to take any more of his time than I already was, so I quickly adjusted his position to one side of the galley where the light was a bit smoother, and a few seconds later I had the photo above.

I took the time to get his employee number so that I could pass along this sentiment to United directly, and his email so that I could send a copy of the photo, and by then the ground crew were coming in the back entrance, so I left him to his work.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Waiting to Exit
I've got time for another dozen portraits...

Dad picked us up at the airport, and we stopped by to see Mom, who was looking great. Jetlag shooed us home quickly, though, and we both slept through the night pretty well.

In the morning I took Anthony up to where I went to high school to borrow the soccer goals...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62mm — ¹/2500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Corner-Kick Practice
aiming for the cone in the upper corner
Rootstown High School, Rootstown Ohio

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40mm — ¹/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Close Enough

Anthony asked whether they had these goals here when I went to school, and I had to answer truthfully that I had no idea... I never paid attention to soccer or any sport when I was in school. He couldn't comprehend the idea, which silently pleased me to no end.