Continuing from yesterday's post, Japan's Coming of Age Day Holiday Spectacle, here are some portrait-type shots I was able to get. Let me reiterate, though, that I was scrambling to get anything, having gotten there and hour and a half after the ceremonies had ended, and didn't have time to scout locations that would give me both a good background and steady stream of photographic fodder. So, I got what I could, where I could, when I could.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sharp Dresser

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Master of the Universe

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
... with his homies

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Peace, Dude
this guy had an extremely pleasant vibe

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Racing for the Real World

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Backlit

I had noticed a sliver of light from the setting sun make its way between buildings, and saw this girl approaching, so waited a second for her to enter the light and got this shot in passing.

These white stoles are, apparently, somewhat a symbol for the day, like a white dress is for a wedding. They go along with the formal furisode kimono that (according to the current Wikipedia article) "signifies that she is both single and a legal adult, and thus available for marriage." I doubt it truly means that for many these days, but nevertheless, it's a monumental moment in one's life. (We don't have anything like it in The States, although a distant second might be wearing a cap-and-gown at college graduation.)

I have occasionally seen these white stoles worn by guests at a wedding, but for the most part, I associate them with this Coming of Age Day holiday, and as such, I associate them with Tammy Faye makeup, garish accessories, and big big hair. Yuck.

I wish I would have gotten a better shot of the lady pictured above, because she's one of the few who doesn't fall into that category.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Another Example
of a poor photo of a lady with classy tastes

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 560 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yet Another
an out-of-focus shot of a tasteful appearance, featuring an Alice in Wonderland themed kimono

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Caught Chimping
“Chimping” is photographer-speak for checking photos on the camera LCD, and has negative connotations when applied to a pro photographer. It doesn't apply here, but I couldn't think of anything better for a caption, since I'd used “Big Hair” already, yesterday

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Practical Chic
Temperatures hovered just above freezing.
After 10 minutes outside, I couldn't feel my fingers.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Impractical Chic
but sharp nevertheless

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Amazing Smile

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Very Practical
But this guy pulls it off with great style. I wish I could do that.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking for Her Ride

With the mountains in the east basking in the glow from sunset, I camped for a while at a spot that gave me that nice background with relatively few distractions. Like a spider waiting for lunch, I snapped photos of those who entered the area.

The lady above was a common sight, because just about everyone had a cell phone out, for its camera or for making a call or checking messages. The event had ended a while back, so many of those remaining were likely still coordinating their way home.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Happy Smiles

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pouty
I think the pouty one was a sister of a new adult, but I'll not speculate as to older or younger

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dandy

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying Her Best
to fuse tradition with her desire to shock

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Straight-Up Style

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rod Stewart and Friend

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Three Amigos

These three friends each gave immediate vibes as to their personalities, and each was different from the other. The girl was laid back, a friend to everyone, and happy just to be happy. If I didn't have my hands full with the camera (and if I didn't recoil from their cigarettes), I'm sure she would have offered me a drink. The man in the suit (a most-excellent suit, I'll note) just wanted to ham things up. So long as I was around, he was doing silly things. Maybe he just wanted to please?

The man in the formal Japanese ware was the tough one, and when he saw me he walked over directly to me with a look that was intended to intimidate me. I suspect he was just honing his skills to see what kind of reaction he could get, but I wasn't playing along because I'd already established eye contact with the girl, who communicated a “join in, the more the merrier” attitude. I told the tough man to go back with his friends so that I could take their picture, alright?, and he readily complied.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Peace × Three

They were accommodating (even the tough guy) and I got more interesting shots, but their cigarettes drove me on to more breathable pastures.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just A Tad Too Much

These guys were partying in the parking lot of the convenience store next to my place. The guy pictured was drunk, but was also pretending to be more drunk than he really was. Maybe. Hamming it up after I took a group photo (the opening photo of yesterday's post), he found himself on the ground. I have a photo of him sitting pensively on the ground, as if he's considering where to aim when he throws up, but I prefer to believe that he was joking around, so am sharing this smiling shot of him getting up.

After he got up, he handed me a disposable film camera and asked with slurred speech for me to take their photo. Another guy produced a second camera, so I set mine down and took a couple of shots with theirs.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 102 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Our Youth  ·  Our Future  ·  Our Hope
“Coming of Age Day” 2009, Kyoto Japan

I really need to learn how to use a calendar. Yesterday I missed the fire-department parade because I forgot about it, and today for the same reason I mostly missed the frightening spectacle that is Coming of Age Day in Japan, a holiday for those who turn 20 years old during the current school year, celebrating their official entrance into legal adulthood. This year's ceremonies were for those born between April 2, 1988 and April 1, 1989, inclusive. It's the first to include those born during the reign of the current emperor, and the last for which I can say “all these kids were in Japan before me”.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Home

I was reminded about the day when I left for an appointment after lunch and was immediately greeted with total gridlock. It's an occasion for many of the new adults to visit a shrine, and the Heian Shrine is one of the most popular for it, so for that reason enough it would be crazy-busy around here, but the city hosts a big ceremony at the Kyoto City Chamber of Commerce exhibition hall, which is even closer to my place than the Heian Shrine.

The official city-sponsored ceremony was held twice to accommodate the numbers, and I returned from my appointment an hour and a half after the final one had ended, but there were still some kids around, so I scrambled out to try to capture a few pictures in the half hour that remained before the sun set.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gaggles of Girls
big hair · bigger hopes

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Groups of Guys
big hair · bigger hopes

Another big “visit a shrine” day is shichi-go-san, a holiday for children aged 7, 5, and 3, where they visit a shrine for special blessings. The kids are, generally, all dressed up and cute enough to eat, and it's just wonderful to sit and watch them.

Today's celebrations, too, involve dressing up and visiting a shrine, but for my tastes, it's decidedly less cute. The girls, in particular, dress up exaggeratedly ornately, with, over the top hair, makeup, gaudy plastic fingernails, and, generally speaking, accessories ridiculous both in size and number.

I was out for just half an hour, but in such a target-rich environment, I had plenty of “interesting” sights to capture. I'll save those for another post; today's post are just some pictures to give an overall feeling of the scene...

The kids tended to clump into same-sex groups, with boys and girls rarely mixing...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Because all the kids went through school at the same time, the day is somewhat of a class reunion, so there were lots of group photos.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Friends Forever

Random shots...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 116 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 116 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Piling In
it took a good minute for the four to get themselves into the taxi

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/4, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
New Adults
this way

I have no idea why I took the photo above, nor why I like it so much, but there's something about it that I find appealing. The sign says (in very polite language) “New Adults”, and points the way to the hall where the ceremonies took place.

I've written many times how much I love the cultural touch of a kimono. Whether visiting a shrine, attending a wedding, out for a stroll, enjoying the cherry blossoms, enjoying the fall colors, out shopping, or even just watering the plants, the touch of a kimono just adds class and cultural depth. I love it.

Today, though, was pretty much the antithesis of all that, but it certainly makes for some interesting shots. I'll share more in a later post.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/10, ISO 200 — map & image data
Water Off a Duck's Back
or something like that

Today was the annual Kyoto City Fire Department New-Year Parade, held out in the street near my place. According to the press release, it involved about 3,000 people, 56 fire trucks/vehicles, and two fire-department helicopters. The same event three years ago, which was my first outing with a dSLR, was overcast and gloomy, but today it was bright and sunny.

Unfortunately, I missed it.

I'd forgotten about it, and was reminded only by the thunderous rumble of the helicopters flying very low, immediately overhead, taking part in the finale. (The press release said that only two would take part, but it sounded like half a dozen, as took part three years ago.)

Anthony would want to see it, of course, so we ran out and caught things just as they were shutting down. The street was filled with all manner of fire truck, from cute little support vehicles to huge ladder trucks with their ladders extended 10+ stories up. I know from past experience that the finale involves a lot of water sprayed from these trucks, and the evidence of it this year was clear on the back of a Kyoto Prefectural policeman's formal jacket, which was positively sparkling with a covering of water droplets. I asked him whether I could take a shot of it, which is why he's smiling in the photo above (I think he thought I was somewhat of a nut). In the photo, water droplets came out all flat – what made them amazing in person was that the were by far the brightest thing around except the sun itself, something totally lost in the photo.

As the fire crews were shutting down, parents moved in to pose their kids and take snapshots....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/22, ISO 450 — map & image data
Photo Op

Anthony particularly liked watching how the ladder trucks packed themselves up. This involved the huge ladder collapsing into itself and swinging around over the cab, the basket folding up, and the widely-extended support legs lifting up and then recessing into the vehicle. This interest was sparked by a Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa of some very cool hydraulic constructions sets.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 28 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/14, ISO 200 — map & image data
Ladder Truck Departing

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/2000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data
Truck and Snowy Mountain

I liked how the frosty mountain in the background was framed by the trees, and the ladder. It's not that I have such low standards, but we get so little snow here that it's always exciting to see it.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/14, ISO 280 — map & image data
Traffic Control

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/14, ISO 1400 — map & image data
More Packing Up

These little fire trucks were parked directly next to the playground. Anthony's attention wandered to the swings, and with that our fire-department outing was over as quickly as it started...

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The other day I posted a tree/island silhouette that I took on our recent jaunt to Okinawa. The shot was taken in the rain under a gloomy overcast, near dusk. Because I was exposing for the silhouette, I could get by with a relatively undemanding exposure that I could have achieved even with my old D200...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rainy-Day Gloom
looks sorta' bright

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I took the shot from a beach near the road, and while returning to the parking lot in the increasing rain, I noticed an Okinawan grave tucked away deep in a clump of trees, nestled in the darkness at the side of a hill....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/5 sec freestanding handheld, f/5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Okinawan Grave
nestled in the darkness

The picture is not going to win any prizes, but the fact that I could get anything in that situation is absolutely astounding. Prior to the D700, I would have never even considered attempting a shot without a tripod: the 100% chance of failure was not worth the calories it would cost to press the shutter button.

The D700's low-light abilities are amazing (see “Impossible Photography: No Light, No Tripod, No Hope”) but everything has limits, and in the murkiness under the trees against the side of the hill, it was too dark, even at ISO 6400. Still, it was now in the ballpark of hope, so I gave it a try – handheld freestanding at 1/5th of a second – and got acceptable results. Amazing.

It was actually darker than it looks in the photo, but the D700 sometimes meters a bit on the bright side. I actually had to lower the exposure 2/3rd of a stop in Lightroom just to get it this dark. If I actually lowered it enough so that it reflected reality, it'd be too dark to really see much, so what you see here is the reality/practicality balance I decided on.

Anyway, people have been living on these islands for 6,000+ years, so if you drive in rural areas you'll find these graves all over the place, alone or in small groups. This particular one is on a small (mall-sized) island that a road runs through (it's part of a bridge/island link to a much larger, populated island further offshore). Prior to the bridge/road coming through, it would have been isolated from the Okinawan mainland and too small to make travel to it worthwhile, so would have been supremely serene.

Here's the view from the grave....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/9, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
A View to Die For
serenity incarnate

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Coffee and Cake

An important component of Japanese culture is “presentation”, but it can quickly takes a backseat when inconvenient, such as how much of Japan's natural beauty has been disfigured by utility poles, wires, and street signs. (Examples on my blog over the years include: this · this · this · this · this · this.)

So, it's especially nice when presentation is not only remembered, but really done well. The shot above was the after-meal coffee and cake that came with the $10 lunch we had at an out-of-the-way cafe during our trip to Okinawa last weekend.

For $10, we got a big bowl of Okinawa-style soba and rice, five small plates of side dishes, hot tea, coffee, and the light after-meal cake. That's a lot for ten bucks, so you can't expect much along the lines of taste, quality, ambiance, and presentation, but this place had it all. It was wonderful. Seth Godin would approve.

The hotel we stayed at was also first class in this respect. Near the pool they have an open-air building with a variety of plush chairs and couches, reading material, a nice piano, and a well-stocked bar. It was thoughtfully laid out and appointed with tasteful, inviting furnishings, and each table had a floral decoration appropriate to the season...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Suggestions of an Auspicious New Year

The thing is, had they not bothered with these little floral displays, no one would have noticed. No one would have thought “geez, this is nice, but somehow incomplete.” Even without these little touches, the place would have been wonderful.

But they did bother. Someone had to come up with an appropriate design, procure the plants, cut and arrange them in the small display vases that also had to be procured, put them out, water them and otherwise maintain them. That's a lot of effort for a marginal improvement in the ambiance, but it hits at the deep-seated respect for “presentation”, and so they did it.

Prior to developing an interest in photography, I would have never noticed them, but now I do notice – and appreciate – such little touches of beauty.

The next day, the little floral displays were different...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos

Perhaps they change them every day, or, perhaps weekly; I don't know. Here's a close up, from above, of the newer one, which includes bowed strips of bamboo that also call to mind the New Year season, but in an understated way appropriate to the second week of the year...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hints of the Season

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On the last day of our short trip, we stopped by Shuri Castle, the main castle on Okinawa....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Light Snack
Shuri Castle, Okinawa Japan

It was almost completely destroyed in WWII's Battle of Okinawa (along with a quarter of the civilian population), but has been rebuilt over the years. Just two years ago, the small royal reception hall where princes would meet visiting dignitaries was rebuilt, and is now a place where visiting tourists can have a some jasmine tea and assorted historically-accurate sweets in a quiet, contemplative setting.