View allAll Photos Tagged hanamikoji
One of my absolute fav subjects, so much nostalgia and character, all the more so in the evening as the light peeked through the wooden lattices, bamboo blinds and illuminated the wooden fences etc.
Gion District - Kyoto, Japan.
I had the pleasure of making a second visit to the lovely city of Kyoto this year. After dinner one night, I decided to leave the apartment I was renting to take a stroll, and no sooner had I find myself in Gion than I came upon this maiko who had just left the theater after a performance. For someone who showed plenty of grace in each stride, I'd say she walked pretty fast.
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Hanamikoji Street in Kyoto, Japan.
撮りっぱなしになっている沢山の写真たち。この機会に🍺をお供にゆっくりと見返す。そしてマッタリと現像している時間はやはり最高に愉しい。あっ、スイマセンおかわり貰えますか？🍺🍺🍺.....
So that one does not have to walk alone in life's meandering journey and when the going gets tough, the burden can be shared even if it just means carrying her knapsack every now and then.
Couple walking past an Okiya (置屋; lodging for maiko/geiko) in Kyoto’s historic street of Gion.
Re-upped with a much better edit 3May22, the original upload although faithful to the actual scene was a tad too heavily shrouded in darkness. Main reason for this reworking was to apply some new stuff I learned recently, now this has a a more apparent 3D rendering.
Along Hanami-koji dori in Kyoto, the famous Geisha district.
Bokē incidentally is a Japanese word 暈け which means blur and the “bokeh” spelling was adopted so that non Japanese speakers can pronounce it correctly.
I love the really smooth OOF (Out Of Focus) rendering, you can’t quite see the buildings in the background but if you’ve been there before, your mind will be able to fill in the details.
The lighted red lantern with its black letterings stay sharp within the plane of focus.
Gion is most atmospheric in the evening, lots of nostalgia and mystery.
With FE 55mm f1.8 ZA wide opened.
I have read that it’s not easy to catch a glimpse of the Geisha in Japan. But I was fortunate to spot this very graceful Geisha passing by me, albeit very quickly, at the Hanami-koji Lane 花見小路 in the Gion District 祇園 in the early morning. I very quickly tried to take a shot of her with my camera, hoping not to disturb her unduly, and therefore I wasn’t able to get a very sharp image. So I was still very happy to capture that subtle expression of hers :-)
Geisha 芸者 are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses. Their skills include performing various arts such as classical music, dance, games, and conversation, traditionally to entertain male customers, but also female customers today. [Source: Wikipedia]
Fabulous silk kimono that shimmers in the light. The obi knot at the back is especially eye catching. The obi can cost more than a kimono due to the specialist fabrics used which are highly prized for their craftsmanship and quality, such as nishijin-ori produced in the Nishijin district of Kyoto.
Post-processing exercise, trying out a new and easier way to post-process photos like this.
It’s common knowledge that sensor tech has stalled, fundamental RAW quality has remained the same for the past 3 to 4 generations of cameras. Manufacturers have resorted to relying on in-camera softwares to the extent of having them baked into the RAW file (especially noise reduction), same thing with lenses with software corrections (eg distortion) that cannot be switched off. These “improvements” are mostly just skin-deep affecting JPEG level only and if we have decent post-processing ability, we can achieve the same with older cameras instead of ponying up full retail for the latest cameras just for improvements on the JPEG level.
Tools that make it easier and more consistent in getting the shot however are different. For instance in older cameras, we need to press a button to invoke Eye-AF and then press the shutter. With newer cameras, Eye-AF is automatic and we just need to concentrate on getting the composition right and press the shutter. Folks who don’t appreciate the usefulness of such automation will brush this aside as yet another software crutch. Not all new tools are useful but neither are they entirely useless either.
Knowing when to move forward and avoid extinction and knowing when to stay put to avoid being misled, there’s no substitute for asking the right questions and getting to learn and know more.
Gion - Kyoto, Japan.
© 2009-2015 - Yen Baet - All Rights Reserved.
DO NOT USE ANY OF MY IMAGES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
The use of my images, in whole or in part, for any purpose, including reproduction, storage, manipulation, digital or otherwise, is strictly prohibited.
Eye catching bright red lantern in Gion (祇園), Kyoto.
Handheld shot with FE 85mm f1.4 GM.
These chochin lanterns are red, if it looks orangey in a photo, the exposure is wrong.
Curious how the new FE 50mm f1.4 GM will do with such a scene, the view will obviously be wider but the bokeh balls will be smaller. My FE 55 f1.8 ZA obviously can't do f1.4 but it pretty much matches the more expensive GM lens from f2.8 onwards making it hard to justify a switch, trying very hard here to suppress GAS! For those starting from scratch however, the choice is obvious, get the new FE 50mm f1.4 GM.
I could also try to shoot such scenes with my Voigtlander 65mm f2.0 Apo Lanthar utilizing its close focus but this lens is prone to distracting onion rings within bokeh balls. No such problems with FE 85mm f1.4 GM, no bokeh fringing and no onion rings and I could also back up a bit to include more of the surrounding into the frame if desired.
Looks like Nikon is finally getting ready to launch the Z8. This is finally the true D850 mirrorless replacement, I've said this from inception when Nikon entered the mirrorless segment in 2018 nearly 5 years ago that the Z7/Z7ii was never the D850 replacement. Many Nikon influencers/marketeers were trying to hoodwink users into buying these very overpriced 1st attempts by claiming that their Z7 had effectively replaced their D850 yada yada. One Nikon high priest even brought his Z7 to safari in a bid to dispel users’ frustrations with its AF, frankly one can shoot safari with manual focus lens if one chooses to, he was silent on his hit rates obviously.
With the passing of time, it’s now quite easy to identify most of these shills to totally discount what they say in their blogs or gear forums going forward. Like those who proclaimed that the Zeiss Batis 135mm f2.8 was a great option at $2,000 for instance!
If Nikon can price this stacked sensor Z8 close to the Sony A7RV level, it will be a great system seller because both Sony and Canon have been restricting stacked sensors to their much higher priced cameras. Nikon might just be able to do this if they chose to leave out the expensive shutter mechanism like they did in their Z9. The perennial problem with Nikon however is their rather limited lens options, already limited back in their DSLR days, it’s even worse now as the mirrorless Z mount is largely closed to 3rd party lens makers. Nikon Z’s strength is mostly in their mirrorless telephoto prime lens options.
I might finally upgrade from my ancient Nikon D800E with the Z8 but since my intention is to shoot mostly stills with the occasional wildlife, a potential Z6III at 33mp like the Sony A7IV might be the sweet spot instead.
When what you actually see is only a small fraction of what you don’t get to see in this historical street in Kyoto where many of the establishments are very exclusive and traditions are steeped in subtlety.
I enjoy shooting such scenes where the bright red chochin lantern is in sharp focus against the rest of the street in smooth bokeh thus emphasizing the somewhat mysterious nature of this historical area. The background rendering is in fact the subject more so than the bright red lantern.
Those who have been here should be able to fill out the details within the bokeh blur, in some sense to be able to see yet not quite see.
Having shot such scenes with wide, standard and short telephoto focal lengths, for a really smooth rendering with big round specular highlights, it's best to use a 85mm f1.4 prime lens and the FE 85mm f1.4 GM is as good an option as any with its rounded 11-blade diaphragm.
No bokeh fringing and sans onion rings within the specular highlights.
Gion is Kyoto’s geisha district, with hostesses in colorful kimonos often sighted on the wooden Tatsumi Bridge, or amid upscale Japanese restaurants and boutiques on Hanamikoji Street. Gion Corner hosts traditional Kyomai dances, while Kennin-ji Temple is known for its Zen garden and Yasaka Shrine has seasonal festivals in a lantern-lit courtyard. Nightlife ranges from quiet sake bars to buzzing, pub-like izakayas.
aka "Two Kimono's and a Bicycle".
We were having a coffee (and a slice of delicious Macha Cheesecake) in the coffee shop Nōen (well worth a visit if you are ever in the area). The windows were partially frosted, so I tried an experiment and took some photo's of passers-by through the frosted section (trying to release my inner Leiter) by capturing them in an Abstract or Impressionist manner. Did it work? Or is it too much?
(The cafe is on the corner of Shijo-dori and Hanamikoji-dori, just down from the Yasaka Shrine)
This is, apparently, a café on Hanamikoji-dori in Gion, Kyoto. The two young ladies in traditional dress, on their ‘phones attracted me, as well as the bright red lantern (the only colour in the scene) - I think it works better in monochrome.
The often repeated "fast lenses being useful for shooting low light scenes" is a fallacy unless you are taking a shot that utilises the look of a shallow DOF or the scene is flat.
Personally for scenes that has depth, the longer the focal length, any faster than f2.8 is kind of pointless and I'm better off shooting on tripod and stopping down the lens.
Taken with FE 55mm f1.8 ZA at f2.2, the so-called "CA monster" (regurgitated ad nauseam) for those who are clueless on how to utilise their tools.
The scene was partially illuminated by the headlights of a vehicle outside the frame.
Meanwhile the Z7 has been out for a while, been checking the Z7 Flickr groups hoping to be inspired but oddly, nothing much really jumps out. Not sure what's going on, is it the gear or the user? I suppose it is safe to say that any gear released over the past few years is more than capable of taking decent pictures, in the right hands.
Some recent talk of Canon bringing out their Gen 2 FF mirrorless 70+mp with IBIS.
Gion Sakai (in Hiragana), Western Confectionery (in Kan-ji) on the lantern in Gion late in the evening.
The lanterns in Gion are standardized it seems, be it traditional tea-house or Western confectionery shop.
Handheld shot with the FE85mm f1.4GM, no "onion rings" in the bokeh balls as promised by Sony.
Postscript
=========
Re-edited 5Nov21 with latest post processing workflow, the original upload 3 years ago did not do the shot enough justice. A great way to monitor progress is to re-process old shots posted.
There are some who would complain that the FE 85mm f1.4 GM is not sharp enough wide opened or that the auto-focus is not fast enough. These self proclaimed gear forum "experts" have no clue as to what they are talking about. It's a common thing on the internet gear forums, gear-nuts like to portray themselves as experts with seemingly special abilities to enable them to see supposed flaws in certain lenses when in fact it all boils down to their lack of ability to properly utilise the lens.
Kyoto, Japan. 2017
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Gion is Kyoto’s geisha district, with hostesses in colorful kimonos often sighted on the wooden Tatsumi Bridge, or amid upscale Japanese restaurants and boutiques on Hanamikoji Street. Gion Corner hosts traditional Kyomai dances, while Kennin-ji Temple is known for its Zen garden and Yasaka Shrine has seasonal festivals in a lantern-lit courtyard. Nightlife ranges from quiet sake bars to buzzing, pub-like izakayas.
as of 25 Oct 2019 along "private roads" in Gion there's a Fine up to 10,000 yen ($92, not legally binding though) for photography without a photo permit, all thanks to misbehaving tourists apparently "lacking common sense and manners"!
“Because Hanamikoji Street is a city road, we can’t prohibit photography there” as per the appended news article. The ban is essentially along private roads running off Hanamikoji.
Behind a Maiko is her beautiful Darari obi (だらり帯) made from the amazing Nishijin fabric (西陣織).
A recent documentary revealed rare glimpses into Kyoto's Hyakumikai (百味會) where centuries-old establishments tasked with protecting its timeless food culture are fighting for survival in today's fast changing environment.
Even the Nishijin fabric, a traditional product of Kyoto with 1,200 years of history has faced tremendous challenges but the newer generation of artisans have begun to explore new markets and products to stay relevant.
Only members of the "flat-earth society" will continue to deny that the camera industry is facing huge pressures from smartphones. Although the impact is at the lower end of the camera market, it affects the entire camera industry fundamentally. Here is an excellent article on the subject photographylife.com/smartphone-vs-camera-industry
In a fast declining market, few companies will continue to commit huge $ into R&D and what we end up getting are minor iterative upgrades, a downward spiral really.
Perhaps it's time to skip more than just 1 generation before upgrading our cameras as manufacturers keep rehashing what is essentially the same sensor again and again.
Meanwhile, I love the "rendering" of my FE 85mm f1.4 GM. "Flat-earth society" members who liked to dismiss lens rendering quality should stick to smartphones 😂!
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori #bambooforest
Maiko Mamesaya in historic Gion.
Post-processing exercise 15 Nov 2022, noticeably better compared to my initial upload 5 years ago.
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori #bambooforest #kinkakujitemple
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori #bambooforest
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori #bambooforest #kinkakujitemple
Photographed on an awesome day of Kyoto exploration with Charlie-san, Fukuda-san, Fumi-san, Maeda-san, Miki-san, sonnar-san, Take-san, and Teruhide-san. Gion, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. May 28, 2017.
Two maiko on the way to work, making there way through relentless rain beneath traditional, oiled paper umbrellas.
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori
#kyoto #kyotostreets #kyotocitylife #kyotonightlife #nightphotography #kyotojapan #kyototrip #twilight #cityscape #nightsky #japan #street #japandiaries #japanstagram #nightlights #nightscape #urban #japanfocus #japan #canon70d #canon70dphotography #dslr #ultrawide #kyotostreet #kyoto⛩ #kyoto🇯🇵 #kyotostation #kyotolife #kyotogarden #kyotoimperialpalace #kyotobambooforest #arashiyama #arashiyamabambooforest #nijocastle #kinkakuji #yasakashrine #shijodori #shijo #hanamikoji #hanamikojidori