{"id":2246,"date":"2013-04-19T17:38:05","date_gmt":"2013-04-19T08:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-04-19\/2246"},"modified":"2013-04-19T17:38:05","modified_gmt":"2013-04-19T08:38:05","slug":"photo-shoot-at-kyotos-haradanien-garden-john-and-ai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-04-19\/2246","title":{"rendered":"Photo Shoot at Kyoto’s Haradanien Garden: John and Ai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 95mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 160 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nJohn and Ai<\/span>\nat the Haradanien Garden (\u539f\u8c37\u82d1),<\/span> Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

I recently met Paul Barr and a pair of married friends of his for lunch,\nand we ended up taking the opportunity to visit the Haradanien\nGarden (\u539f\u8c37\u82d1)<\/span> in north-west Kyoto for a quick<\/span> couple photoshoot.<\/p>\n\n

It's still on my list to do a proper blog post about the place (update: it's here<\/a>), from my visit\nlast week from which so far I've posted only one wigglegram<\/a>, but it's\na daunting<\/span> prospect because the site is incomparably wonderful. Anyway,\nyou'll see a bit<\/span> of the site in these pictures today.<\/p>\n\n

It was John and Ai's first visit, so initially we had them walk around to\nenjoy the place on their own, with Paul and I following<\/span> to take candids.\nThis didn't work out well because most of the shots were from the back, and\nwithout the ability to control position and pose, it was difficult to get a\nclean<\/span> shot among the heavy (but not unpleasant) crowds.<\/p>\n\n

But it was good in the sense that it left me with a number<\/span> of specific ideas for location to return to later.<\/p>\n\n

But it was also bad in the sense that without a constant<\/span> interaction\nwith them, it was too easy to get distracted by a pretty<\/span> scene (such as these subtle pastel\nblossoms<\/a>), and we eventually lost track of them.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFound Them<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The bench they were sitting on when I found<\/span> them seemed nice, so I had<\/span>\nthem turn their back to the park and started some posed shots. Though I've been\npracticing portraiture<\/a> lately, I still<\/span> have little clue what to actually do. But I pretend<\/span> I know<\/span> what I'm doing (that is, I try to<\/span> exude confidence)\nand try to be a bit<\/span> silly to loosen them up, and the ball gets rolling.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + 17-35mm f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 180 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 150mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I'd just met them that morning, so they were understandably not yet\ncomfortable around me, nor did they have any idea what kind of pictures I\ncould<\/span> take, but they're really photogenic so I knew<\/span> I just<\/span> had to get them\nto forget the camera, even if for a moment<\/span> at a time,<\/span> and the pictures\nwould take themselves.<\/p>\n\n

One simple technique was to keep them laughing (“okay, now look into\neach other's eyes and pretend you're in love<\/i>” works when you know they\nare indeed actually in love), combined by periods of quiet where they can “be alone”\nso to speak.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMe in Action<\/span>\ntrying to get a low angle without lying in the dirt\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I reposed them on the bench and tried something more intimate, with the 85mm f\/1.4...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 180 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 900 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuick Peek<\/span>\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I don't really like to show photos on the back of the camera because it's\nso small (and outside, so bright), but I wanted<\/span> to let them know that we\nwere getting good stuff of the likes they'd probably not seen before of\nthemselves. This helps break the ice as well.<\/p>\n\n

A quick Ai-only shot from the bench...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We then moved about the park to try the places I'd noted before. Here's\nPaul shooting at a lovely<\/span> area normally packed with folks that, for a few<\/span>\nmoments here and there, was inexplicably (and most welcomly) empty...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + 17-35mm f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPaul in Action<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOne of Paul's Shots<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

We then moved to the bush with the aforementioned delicate\npastel blossoms<\/a> and Paul shot through it to them....<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 180 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTunnel of Blossoms<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I tried the same shots, but Paul's result was better:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 2500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 27mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMy Trying the Same Shot<\/span>\nbut coming up empty-handed\nphoto by Paul Barr<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Then off to the next location...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + 17-35mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 360 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + 17-35mm f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 360 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPaul Trying the Same Shot<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

By now they were pretty loosened up and comfortable with us pointing our big cameras at them, so I tried<\/span> some simple straight-up portraits...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 180 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHandsome Devil<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“Bond. James Bond”<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCan't Contain the Smile<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nShampoo-Commercial Ai<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

They both expressed a desire to do a kimono<\/span> photoshoot sometime, so here's hoping that comes to pass!<\/p>\n\n

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

I recently met Paul Barr and a pair of married friends of his for lunch, and we ended up taking the opportunity to visit the Haradanien Garden (\u539f\u8c37\u82d1) in north-west Kyoto for a quick couple photoshoot.<\/p>

It's still on my list to do a proper blog post about the place (update: it's here), from my visit last week from which so far I've posted only one wigglegram, but it's a daunting prospect because the site is incomparably wonderful. Anyway, you'll see a bit of the site in these pictures today.<\/p>

It was John and Ai's first visit, so initially we [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9,2,28,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246"}],"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=2246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}