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Picking up after “Reception, Part IV (Mingling)” in the series about my brother-in-law's wedding two weeks ago, it was then time for some entertainment, starting off with a video presentation by one of Shogo's college buddies...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Preface and Introduction

He'd made a great video showing a bunch of pictures of Shogo over the years, to better acquaint Namiko with her husband. Apparently Shogo's nickname among those friends is Mattsun 「まっつん」, which is pretty funny in its own right....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Motto: We ♥ まっつん
( there were video screens on opposing walls )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Namiko Laughing
Shogo enduring

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Sharing Blame
with others at his table

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gift-in-a-Can
apron covered with inside jokes

For the next event, the doors opened and twenty or so members of the singing group where Shogo and Namiko met entered....

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mini Speech
Shogo and Namiko are the first intra-group marriage

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Performance

I knew that Shogo was a member of a “Gospel” singing group, but hadn't really understood that it meant in Japanese exactly what it means in English: they sang full-bodied English-language gospel music...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Showmanship

They really got into it, though I'm sure I was the only one in the room who understood the lyrics straight away, and I doubt many (any?) are actually Christian. As I said in the lead post of this series, I was continually and pleasantly surprised at Shogo's exuberant nature this day, and his performance with the group was pretty much the pinnacle of my surprise.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Enjoyed the Energy
but by this time George was tuckered out

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fumie
( just throwing this in here because I liked her hair and kimono )

As I mentioned in the cutting of the cake post, my goal was to get interesting or unique views that the 30 or 40 other cameras at the event might miss, so in that vein...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
( if I hadn't already said they were singing gospel, I could say they were doing a Village People cover )

Continued here...

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Yesterday in “Lunch Along the Kamo River”, I wrote that I wanted to visit the birds at the river with a longer lens, and indeed, today I spent awhile with my Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm zoom. The weather/lighting was quite different today, and this time I was on the other side of the river...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 65 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/9, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lunch Crowd
Two egrets and a heron at the Kamo River, Kyoto Japan

I focused on the large egret closest to me, who held this pose for the longest time...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 340 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/9, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Watching. Waiting. Motionless.

I had my monopod with me, but soon wished that I had my tripod. The birds didn't move, so I could have set the camera on the tripod and relaxed with the remote shutter release in hand. As it was, I tried the best I could to be comfortable holding the heavy lens and camera focused on the bird for long periods at a stretch, but you get the best stability from a monopod when everything is out of balance, so it was a challenge.

Eventually the bird started wandering around a bit aimlessly...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 380 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pardon Moi
while I scratch

... and then suddenly with purpose he stuck his neck way out as he marched quickly over to the waterfall...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
At Attention

... and then held a striking pose for a bit...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 290 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Like a Cobra at Defcon 1

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 95 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Seems to Have an Audience

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 210 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Piercing Strike!

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 210 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Houston, We Have Lunch”

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sashimi
doesn't get any more fresh than this

O
( crop from the photo above )

I was doing this with manual focus, and I feel happy with my manual-focus results for the first time in a long while.

And then “poof”, the fish was lunch...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 420 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Down the Hatch

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 420 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Gulp”

This is somewhat more work for lunch than the bird in “Lunch with a Great Blue Heron” had to do, but perhaps more satisfying.

Then a much smaller, more delicate egret flew in to try his (her?) hand at it...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 290 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/10, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Smaller. Closer. More Classy.
is it even the same kind of bird as the first one?

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/9, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Waddyuz Lookin' At?

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/14, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Quick Strike!
apparently, faster than I am

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/14, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Empty Handed
( but not for long )

One second later, so fast I couldn't get the strike...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/14, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lunch

And equally fast, in a second or two it was down the egret's throat.

Then the egret did a pufferfish impression...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 380 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/16, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Puffy Egret Pose #1
“pufferfish”

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 380 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/16, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Puffy Egret Pose #2
“penguin”

I didn't think I had much prospect to top that, so I decided to call it a day.

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/14, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Parting Shot
Golden Late-Afternoon Sun

As I was leaving, I came across this couple having a cozy lunch, and thought the inviting, relaxing (and nicely photogenic) view would make for a nice ending to the bird lunch story...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lunch
people style

It's always nice to visit the Kamo River area with a camera, as there are usually lots of people enjoying themselves. Of course, three months ago the water was several meters higher and flooding angrily, so less enjoyment then, but still nice to visit with the camera.

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1600 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Waiting for Lunch
great egret blends in with the white water
Kamo River, Kyoto Japan

I took a quick bike ride up the Kamo river today to meet a friend for lunch, and noticed egrets and heron at each of the many mini waterfalls along the river, staring motionless and intently into the waterfall. I figured that they were waiting for the water to bring a fish to them, and sure enough, a flutter of a wing later, one suddenly had a flopping fish in its mouth...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 cropped — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Easy Pickin's

The view from my bicycle with the 125mm lens didn't bring me close to the action, so I may try to visit again tomorrow with a 500mm lens.

Also along the river I found this gentleman perhaps trying too hard for a zen moment...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Zen Moment.... Sort Of

... and the area near the rear exit of a hospital filled with staff and patients eating lunch, about every third person smoking a cigarette...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lunch Break

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Exceedingly Pink Flower Arrangement
made creamy by the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5's legendary bokeh

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kids' Flower-Arranging Exhibition

I paid a visit again this year to an ikebana (flower arranging) exhibition that some friends' kids took part in, the same annual exhibition that I posted about three years ago in “Preschooler Ikebana” and “Ikebana, Part II”. Arthur Brigham, whose kids Monet and May went to preschool with Anthony, told me about it, so I made sure to snap some pictures of their arrangements. (Arthur and Monet and May featured prominently in some camping-trip posts a few years ago.)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Monet's
( second grader )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
A Bit of Detail on Monet's

The moment I got there I felt a rush of photographic inadequacy wash over me. Even though I couldn't control the lighting or backgrounds, I could control the camera position, the lens focal length, the aperture, exposure, and focus distance, all of which combined to make for an infinite number of ways to investigate any one arrangement. When a professional like former-Yahoo-colleague Dan Sroka spends weeks investigating a single dried-up leaf, I didn't hold much hope I'd be able to really capture the essence of any of these arrangements in the hour or so that I had before the event closed.

And make no mistake, even though these were simple arrangements made by young children, they had a lot of character that could be brought out with the right photograph, or trampled under foot by a gauche one. (The “bit of detail” shot above is neither... it's just a shot of a disembodied flower, though hopefully a pretty shot of a disembodied flower.)

The first obvious shot to get is one that records the overall view of a piece, straight-up emotionless documentation, to provide the same kind of context one gets when they first glance at a piece while walking up.

Here's the straight-up documentation shot for five-year-old May's arrangement:

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
May's
( five years old )

... and here are a few alternate views...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Highlight on the Green and White

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Highlight The Ring of White Flowers

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Emphasis on Color Combinations
or something like that

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sort of Distracting
but becomes sort of interesting when viewed full size

I don't think I really captured anything with these, other than some pretty pictures. I felt I had a bit better luck with Rio-chan's...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rio's
( second grader )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
( far focus )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
( near focus )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rio Flower Closeup
( this kind of shot would be a lot easier with a tripod! )

I quickly realized that I was beyond my element, so for the most part I kept to the low-hanging-fruit of “detail” shots. Flowers are pretty, so it's hard to go wrong.

Like Monet and May and Rio, most of the kids in this “junior” group are or were classmates with Anthony, including Hinano and her sister Marina, whose mom is the leader of the group (with Marina having appeared in the post three years ago as the two-year-old in a kimono with her mom).

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hinano's
( second grader )

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Marina's
( five years old )

This post's ultra-pink lead shot is from Marina's arrangement.

Akiko's strongly reflected the Jakarta-influence theme of the event, sporting Japanese and Indonesian flags...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.5, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Akiko's
( second grader )

Akiko used a pair of the blackest flowers I've ever seen, two very-deeply purple “Chocolate Cosmos”...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/200 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Chocolate Cosmos”
floral black holes highly overexposed to bring out at least some detail

They remind me a bit of the surprise in Queen Anne's Lace that I wrote about this summer, except that they're much bigger, and much darker.

Riko-chan's had some very interesting flowers...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Riko's
( second grader )

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Top-Down View

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Fuzzy Orange Pod Thing

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Spirally Orangish Flower Thing

Here are a couple of others... (I'm uncertain how to read the names... maybe Risako and Nanako, but I'm not sure...)

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
One More Flower Detail

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
One More Wide-ish View

This was just one table of “junior” arrangements, but there were many tables of adult arrangements, a few of which we'll see in a later post.

Continued here...

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Part six of posts about my brother-in-law's wedding last week picks up from the previous post, about the reception at the point when the couple had stepped out to prepare for another phase of the reception. With the couple out of the room, the mingling among the guests took up in earnest...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Parents of the Groom
make the rounds

As I mentioned in Reception, Part I, it honors someone to pour a drink for them, and Shogo's parents made the rounds to the tables bearing smiles and beer.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Humbly Offered
Humbly Received

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
All Standing
and so it went with each table

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Discovered The Higher Ground
the set of stairs heretofore unused except by me here

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Parents of the Bride
make the rounds, talking to the groom's cousin

Namiko's parents were also making the rounds to mingle with the guests, bringing smiles and beer, in the picture above chatting with Fumie's cousin Satomi. After snapping the picture I intended to stand and visit with them myself, but was suddenly interrupted by a seven-year-old boy with a sudden and apparently urgent need to use the bathroom, so I ended up missing that chance.

While waiting in the hall for Anthony, one of the staff let me know quietly that the couple would soon make a dramatic and unannounced grand entrance at the top of the stairs, so I should get ready with the camera, but to be sure not to tip off the others by being too obvious about it.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dramatic Entrance

Namiko had changed from her wedding gown into a western evening gown, as is common at many Japanese weddings.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
All Eyes (and Spotlights) on the Couple

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bigger than Life

Their descent ended right in front of my chair, where they paused for effect and photos, and I was well aware that sitting normally I'd be right in everyone's way, so I slunk down as low as I could go. At least it made for the sort of interesting shot above.

Once the lights came up and they moved over a bit, I felt better about sitting up normally, and could try for some off-the-cuff portraits...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Namiko
( she was really too close for a good portrait with the 125mm Voigtländer; if I would have had the time, I would have switched to the Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 for this )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shogo
( sporting a new boutonniere matching Namiko's dress and hair flowers )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dress Detail

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Standard Boutonniere Shot

I'm quite partial to this kind of boutonniere shot, since having stumbled upon this shot of my brother Mike's boutonniere at my brother Alan's wedding not long after getting my first DSLR, and then getting this shot at a friend's wedding a couple of years ago. Having a bit of the bride in this one really adds a touch I like.

This photo op done, the couple moved on to their own mingling phase, visiting each table to pay their respects...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shogo
at ease in his element

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
H A P P Y

The first table they visited was ours, and when they brought out the letters and balloons, Anthony got the “H” and started to be silly with it, setting the pace for all the tables. The guy in the photo above is exactly mimicking what Anthony did, which Anthony quickly points out whenever he sees these photos.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Table #2 of Ten

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Passing the Time
playing with a Spirograph-like toy

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Mingling
( he's giving a peace sign, not donkey ears )

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
... and More...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
... and finally, the honor of being the last table goes to
Namiko's Folks' Table

Continued here...