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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Festival
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto Japan

So, as I wrote yesterday, I screwed up my camera settings and took all yesterday's photos at the smallest, lowest-quality JPEG settings, which leaves little room to correct white balance and exposure in Lightroom. I did much better the first day.

I'll probably try one more time tonight, but for what it's worth, here are some of the shots from last night, recovered as best I could, presented for the story they tell more than for their photographic qualities...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 + 1.4X TC @ 420mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Outing With Mom

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 + 1.4X TC @ 420mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fan Girls
they were distributing paper fans adorned with advertisements

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 + 1.4X TC @ 420mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just Wants To Get Home

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Musicians
in an upper floor of one of the big wooden floats

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 + 1.4X TC @ 420mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lower Level
same float

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sexy

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Owner of Those Legs

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1000 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Reactions

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Smile

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kimono Camera Lady

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Most Fun Seat in the House
at least for her

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nice Couple

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/800 sec, f/2, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Beer
Kirin Tanrei Nama

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/800 sec, f/2, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stalls
Food and Fun

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/320 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Working With a Smile

This worker (manning a large set of trash cans) chatted with me a bit about my lens, and I told him I'd put this picture up here, but I thought I'd be able to correct the underexposure better in post. (It was getting quite dark and he was in the most trafficed area, so it was difficult to get even this shot.)

He was in the area seen at the lower left of this next shot...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/800 sec, f/2, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Intersection of Shijo & Karasuma

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/800 sec, f/2, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Too Tall to Fit in Frame

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

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/200 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Picture of Poise and Grace

I futzed around with a lower color saturation in this one to reduce some distractions. The goatee-guy in all black in the background is her date, but I'm not too sad that she's the only one in focus. 🙂

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/200 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
I Have No Words
to describe what this is

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/200 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Two Couples, Four Smiles

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/200 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Walking Her Dogie

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/6 sec, f/16, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artistic Mistake
it was too dark to forget the camera was at f/16

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/800 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Much Better

These girls had asked about my camera (and big lens) and when I told them that I was mostly taking pictures of the crowd, they couldn't get the concept of not concentrating on the floats and other trappings of the festival. They reacted as if I wasn't quite playing with a full deck, until I offered to take their photo, at which point they changed their tune completely.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bought a Beer Here

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trash
the streets were remarkably clean, save around trash cans like this
(there are trash cans between the electrical boxes)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Cows
for free photo ops

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Active Kid
kept Mom on the run

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bought a Beer Here, Too
all in the name of research, you know

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/500 sec, f/2, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Having a Good Time

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/500 sec, f/2, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Two Kinds of Style
black and red... both work as far as I'm concerned

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/500 sec, f/2, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Evening's Last Posed Shot
moments later, the lights of this covered street were turned off

Continued here...

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 + 1.4X TC @ 420mm — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Young Photographer
Gion Matsuri festival, Kyoto Japan

So I went out to the second (of three) Gion Festival festival-in-the-streets evenings as I did yesterday, but this time I neglected to adjust the camera settings, and I left them at what Anthony uses for his stop-motion Lego play. That means that instead of shooting raw as I normally do, which allows for the highest quality results, I ended up shooting in the smallest, lowest-quality JPEGs the camera could do. What a huge mistake.

It's all the more depressing because I must have given my contact info to at least a dozen people, to contact me for copies of the photos I took of them or their group. History has shown that most won't bother (even though they saw the result on the back of the camera and to a person were stunned at the result), but now I worry that I'll have anything worth sending.

I had a great time chatting with a lot of fun people (the lens is a great ice breaker), but this really ruins the evening for me. I'm too depressed to even look at the pictures beyond the first few, of which one is shown above. I probably should have asked that young man for advice. 🙁

Continued here...

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Youth
Gion Matsuri Festival, Kyoto Japan

This is the season for the Gion Matsuri festival, and tonight was the first of three evenings when a lot of streets around Shijo Karasuma are closed off for pedestrian traffic. The streets fill with folks (and photographers) enjoying a festive atmosphere..

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
First Photo I Took This Evening
Shijo/Karasuma intersection, not long after being closed to traffic

I was shocked to see the photo above when I came home and checked out my pictures, because it makes it look much more crowded than it actually was. I hear that tomorrow and the next evening will be so crowded that it'll be difficult to move, but this evening was nothing but pleasant.

People come out for the mood and drink, and to check out the many massive wooden yamaboko floats that were assembled in the streets over the last few days, and take part in a big procession on Sunday. There are 32 of them scattered around, four of which can be seen (sort of) in the next photo.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Scrum Of Photographers
beside the kankoboko float (函谷鉾)
in the distance are tsukihako, kakkyouyama, and shijoukasaboko

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/3200 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tsukihako

However, I came out not to look at the floats, but to try to capture a specific kind of photo made possible by my 300mm f/2. I brought it, a monopod, and a small stool to stand on to get me above the crowd, pretty much left the aperture at f/2, and just played with the plane of focus.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking East Down Shijo Street
from Karasuma, toward the Yasaka Shrine at the foot of the mountain

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 560 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking West

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Announcement

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Cute

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Every Which Way

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Playlist Adjustment

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lots of Yukata
(light kimono)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying to Recall

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying To Get Higher

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying To Get Attention

I feel a bit bad for these girls... they were hamming it up for the camera as they approached, and asked if I'd take their picture. I told them that I already had, and gave them my card so that they could contact me for copies, but now I realize that one of the group never clearly appears, so I wish I would have had them pose.

This next group of restaurant coworkers approached and asked that I take their photo, so I told them to step back (way back) and took a few shots. I wanted something more, so I pantomimed a jump, and they obliged....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos

The idea for the jump came earlier with the guy in the first photo. I saw him jump out of the corner of my eye — either for another camera, or because he thought I was focusing on him — so when I actually did make eye contact a bit later, I pantomimed that he repeat his jump, and the photo that leads this post resulted. They smiled and started to walk away, but I motioned them over to look at the shot, and they really liked it.

Throughout the evening, lots of people would approach to chat, or just smiled as they walked by. The lens really attracts attention in a pleasant way, just as I experience the first time I used it.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/640 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Camaraderie

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wave
a slight rise in Shijo Street makes the crowd look like a wave

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Shot I Was Trying To Get

This is the closest shot I got to what I had been imagining, where the only thing in focus is a single couple. I do wish it were landscape instead of portrait, but the lady's smile makes it for me. I saw her smile bloom in the corner of the viewfinder, and I quickly recomposed to grab this shot. Moments later they were lost in the crowd.

I had to leave early because my assistant had homework before bed, so I packed away the big lens to a backpack, and threw on a 50mm f/1.4 for the walk back. Here's a shot showing how crowded it really was, and with the evening-dusk color left uncorrected...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos

I might try the same thing tomorrow, when it's supposed to be much more crowded.

Despite having lived walking distance from this event for the last seven years, today was the first time I'd attended in more than 20 years. I've never seen the big float procession, which is supposed to be amazing, but it's either unbearably hot or raining, so I may forgo it again this year as well.

Continued here...

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So the other day I cooked dinner, a stir-fry with various separate ingredients that I intended to bind together by simmering in tomato sauce. However, I hadn't paid enough attention to what I had on hand, and the can of tomato sauce turned out to be a can of cut tomatoes in water. The result was a fairly bland soppy mess.

Each ingredient (wieners, broccoli, bacon, tofu, eringi mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, the tomatoes, etc.) tasted okay on its own, but it felt disconnected and haphazard, and overall was a disappointment. As we ate I explained to 8½-year-old Anthony what my intentions had been, and when I noted the un-unified thrown-together result, he said, without the slightest hint of malice, “yeah, like pig food”.

(I couldn't help but laugh despite the overwhelming desire to cry at the veracity of the statement. Fumie said that she thought it was a “Veggie Festival” (野菜祭り), but I think she was just trying to make me feel better.)

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Meeting His Cousin Nao
she's 4 days old

Anthony's cousin Nao (七音), a little healthy girl, was born on Monday to his Aunt Namiko and Uncle Shogo (Uncle Shogo being Anthony's mommy's brother), about nine months nineteen hours after they exchanged vows. All are doing well.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sleeping Like a Baby
in her big cousin's arms

Anthony felt that she was heavy, because, it turns out, that he felt the weight of responsibility in holding someone so tiny. As for me, used to lugging around an eight year old, Nao felt about as heavy as a helium-filled balloon.