{"id":1822,"date":"2011-07-17T13:18:16","date_gmt":"2011-07-17T04:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-07-17\/1822"},"modified":"2011-07-19T01:00:09","modified_gmt":"2011-07-18T16:00:09","slug":"a-few-shots-from-gion-matsuri-festival-day-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2011-07-17\/1822","title":{"rendered":"A Few Shots from Gion Matsuri Festival, Day 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: 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.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBackseat Driver<\/span>\nout of focus because I need more practice to focus-follow a moving<\/span> subject\n( the shot prior to this was in perfect focus, but the boy's pointing arm was cut off )<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

So I went again to the massive crowds at Kyoto's largest annual\nfestival, Gion\nMatsuri<\/a> as I did<\/span> on the first night<\/a> and second night<\/a>. This time I\ndidn't<\/span> screw up the camera\nsettings<\/a> so things went better. I had intended<\/span> to publish these few\nphotos last night, but I ended<\/span> up being too tired, so here they are the\nnext day.<\/p>\n\n

As always, my lens<\/a>\nbrought out smiles and curiosity, and various people and groups would pose\nfor photos...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 2000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSmiling Couple<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I wish I would have known of this “huge lens” effect on people when I\nwas<\/span> young and single, because it seems to be a powerful<\/span> attractor\nespecially of beautiful women. Not that I<\/span>'m complaining about the effect\nnow, mind you ;-), but I could<\/span> have made much better effect of it when I\nwas<\/span> single, ifyouknowwhatimean<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n

When people chatted and accepted an offer of a photo,<\/span> I had to<\/span> tell them\nto go a fair<\/span> distance away so that they'd actually fit in frame. Passersby\nwould inevitably fill in the intervening space, but a photo<\/span> opportunity\nwould often open up for a second<\/span> or two but with the natural pulse of the\ncrowd (which was crazy intense, much worse than the first night). But a photo<\/span> opportunity didn't open up naturally for this group of cool\ninternational researchers...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 5600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHidden Group<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The guy at left isn't seven feet tall... he had the right idea with a\njump,<\/span> so I pantomimed<\/span> that they should all do it...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 5000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLess Hidden<\/span>\nmid jump\n<\/div>\n\n

Still, I should<\/span> have moved from f\/2 to something that had a chance<\/span> to\nget them all in focus. It's not an<\/span> issue for two or three people standing\nside by side, but when you've got ranks of people several deep, f\/2 is just\ntoo thin even at 20m away.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFirst Matsuri<\/span>\nI'm just guessing\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nI Patronized<\/span> This Fine Establishment<\/span>\none of hundreds of street stalls\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNew Photographic Techniques<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I was sharing a beer and camera conversation with the guy in the blue\nshirt when he lamented that it was too dark to get any good shots with the\nconsumer point-n-shoot he had with him at the time, showing me how the\nrequisite long shutter times caused blurring. I suggested<\/span> that since\nblurring was all he was going to get, he should make use of it, and I\nsuggested<\/span> that he stand on the railing and brace the camera against the\npost as you see above, and go for a shot<\/span> that showed the people all\nblurred, moving like a river.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

It then occurred to me to try it myself, but unfortunately I picked<\/span> a\nwobbly<\/span> signpost to brace against. Still, the result is sort of\ninteresting...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 4 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n4 Seconds<\/span>\nbraced against a wobbly signpost\n<\/div>\n\n

The guy (Nagai-san) suggested pressing the back of the camera flat\nagainst the wall of a building,<\/span> which made it much easier to hold still for\nlong periods, though removed the ability to aim. I couldn't<\/span> do it with my camera\nbecause its back is not flat, but taking his idea to heart, I pressed<\/span> myself (including\nmy head) up against a wall,<\/span> then pressed the camera to my eye to try to make one steady\nunit, then took a shot.<\/span>..<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 1 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n1 Second<\/span>\nwith camera pressed tightly to my eye while leaning my head back against a wall<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Later, I tried<\/span> bracing the camera against a solid<\/span> utility pole, and got\nsomething showing a bit<\/span> of the pulse of the crowd.....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 1 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n1 Second<\/span>\nwhile bracing the camera against a sturdy<\/span> utility pole\n<\/div>\n\n

Later, after having made my way slowly with the crush of the crowd\nnorth, I exited<\/span> the scrum to find Sanjo Street to be crowded but really\npleasant, and I stopped<\/span> at the steps of the post office to have another\nbeer and enjoy the crowd. Maybe it was the effect of the beers, but I\nthought<\/span> to try the 300\/2 again...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f\/2 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>25 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDressed For Success<\/span>\nnot bad for 300mm @ 1\/25th<\/sup> of a second,<\/span> with a monopod<\/span> and a few<\/span> beers\n<\/div>\n\n

I moved down Sanjo a bit further until a Spanish<\/span> restaurant's outside\nstall selling a Spanish<\/span> ham & Spanish beer combo required that I stop<\/span>\nto enjoy the festivities. The ham was<\/span> so good that I actually<\/span> bought\nanother combo but skipped the beer. It was exceedingly<\/span> pleasant.<\/p>\n\n

Eventually I made my way out of the festival zone to Ooike Street, where the next day the big wooden floats\nwould pass in parade. (They're going now as I write<\/span> this.). The street<\/span> was lined with chairs in preparation...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> —\nnearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPatiently Waiting<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Continued here...<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So I went again to the massive crowds at Kyoto's largest annual festival, Gion Matsuri as I did on the first night and second night. This time I didn't screw up the camera settings so things went better. I had intended to publish these few photos last night, but I ended up being too tired, so here they are the next day.<\/p>

As always, my lens brought out smiles and curiosity, and various people and groups would pose for photos...<\/p>

I wish I would have known of this \"huge lens\" effect on people when I was young and single, because [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,26],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}