Summer Fireworks 2016
This past weekend in my town here in Japan, my family was able to enjoy the annual summer fireworks festival. From the end of July through much of August, towns all across the country hold their own special fireworks displays, and people come out to watch them, often wearing traditional Japanese clothing. Being as popular as it is, it can get very crowded – there were at least tens of thousands of people line up...
Using Natural Framing In Photography
One of the most important aspects of good photography is framing, that is, where elements are placed within the image. It’s important to have a good balance so that the viewer’s eye has a natural place to go to when they see it. Thankfully, there are many cases where you don’t have to figure out how to frame the shot yourself – the design of the world around you has already done the job for...
Mt Fuji Reflected In Rice Paddies
Just before I left the Mt Fuji area during my recent trip, I met up with Yuga Kurita to take some sunset photos. He has lived in the area for some time, and is an incredibly talented photographer with most of his photography being focused on Mt Fuji itself. I had not planned anything all that special, but he recommended we photograph Fuji along some local rice paddies, and I’m so glad he did! These...
Kaneyama Waterfall In Yamanashi Prefecture Japan
Last week I took a brief trip to the Fuji Five Lakes area, which is at the base of Mt. Fuji. This area is known for its five lakes which were formed from eruptions of Fuji long in the past. Obviously the main attraction is Mt. Fuji itself and the great views of it from these lakes, but there are some other great places in the area to visit as well. The Kaneyama Waterfall is...
Terraced Rice Fields In Chiba Prefecture Japan
Last week I took a photography trip down to southern Chiba Prefecture. There are lots of great places to photograph there, but one of the main places I wanted to shoot was these terraced rice fields in Kamogawa. These are known as the Oyama Senmaida rice fields, and are unique in that they are the only rice fields in Japan to grow solely on rain water. These fields have been on my radar for several...