Rodney Campbell's Blog

This morning we would be heading into Ginza in the heart of Tokyo on our way to the Imperial Palace.

Ginza (銀座) is Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes.

Aglow

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/80 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Here we were standing just outside the Apple store and the light was spectacular. Light was being reflected down onto this beautiful tree and this brushed metal wall. It just felt like the tree was aglow with life and beauty. How could I not take a photo :).

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

One square meter of land in the district’s center is worth over ten million yen, making it some of the most expensive real estate in Japan.

The name Ginza comes after the establishment of a silver-coin mint (Ginza means “silver mint” in Japanese) which was built here in 1612 during the Edo period.

Ginza Crossings

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/20 sec at f/16, ISO 100

We spent a while wandering the streets, checking out some stores and having lunch before heading towards the Imperial Palace grounds.

One more crappy Supermoon shot to add to the endless stream of supermoon shots I’m sure you all have in your feeds.

I was out in the country (at Coolah) during the best supermoon evening (the 14th) and had intended on shooting it out there. I’d planned ahead and taken my long lens (the Sigma 50-500) with me. I’d intended on shooting from lower in the hills with a nice clean horizon of an open field. With perhaps a few nice trees at the top for the moon to rise behind and silhouette.

Supermoon

NIKON D750 + 50.0-500.0 mm f/4.5-6.3 @ 500 mm, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 800

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Unfortunately my plans were dashed when it was pretty much 100% cloudy and raining around sunset and after. I didn’t even see that moon that night.

So here I am back in Sydney and it’s second chance time. I couldn’t be bothered to go anywhere to shoot so this is from our house looking across to the city across the valley :).

This is actually a composite of four exposures. Two taken for the ambient sky and buildings (so they are nicely exposed – basically they’d all be black otherwise). These were taken at 3 seconds at f/8 and ISO 800.

The second set of exposures is taken just for the moon to get it’s exposure right. These two shots were at 1/60 and 1/15 sec at f/8 and ISO 800.

There’s about seven and a half stops difference between the two sets of exposures. Thus why the whole frame can’t be captured in a single exposure.

What trip to Tokyo would be complete without a trip to Disneyland :). Well any if you asked my wife or eldest daughter.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 52 mm, 1/50 sec at f/8, ISO 200

However my two youngest daughters were very keen. My cousin and his wife had offered to take the girls and I was happy to join them.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 300 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 300 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 110

So my two daughters and I travelled to my uncles place the night before and stayed the night. My cousin lives near his parents and it was going to be easier to be picked up and travel from there to Tokyo Disneyland rather than where we were staying in Arakawa.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/5.6, ISO 2000

Many rides were to be had and with a judicious use of the Fastpass system we were able to go on all the major rides and some multiple times.

It was a long day – we’d arrived early in the morning and stayed till after the evening light show. The girls (and I must admit I) had had a great time however :).

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 78 mm, 1/80 sec at f/5.6, ISO 4500

Disneyland Train

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400

Perhaps I was reminiscing too much about my Halo playing days. Memories of the good old RvB (or Red vs Blue) – and that fabulous video series based on this epic struggle. But I digress…

I’d actually shot this six weeks ago but I’m actually back in Coolah as this goes online.

Life in Red

NIKON D750 + 14.0 mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm, 25.00 sec at f/2.8, ISO 6400

Here are two takes on the same composition. We’ve got this sweet abandoned farmhouse almost hidden within this grove of spooky looking trees. It’s a perfect spot for a little light painting touch.

I’d moved to a new spot and was planning a full 360˚ panorama of the scene with the milky way arching above and over the trees again.

Thoughts turned to what colour was going to work best for a central frame to include in the final panorama.

The Blue Presence

NIKON D750 + 14.0 mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm, 25.00 sec at f/2.8, ISO 6400

We tried red, blue and green. Whilst I think I preferred the blue rendition for this single frame the red seems to have worked best with the wider 360˚ panorama.

Today we headed to Harajuku to visit the famed Shinto shrine – Meiji Jingu. It is one of Japan’s most popular shrines.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 40 mm, 1/40 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji (the first emperor of modern japan) and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 135 mm, 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

Meiji Jingu

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/8, ISO 500

At the middle of the forest, Meiji Jingu’s buildings also have an air of tranquility distinct from the surrounding city.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 72 mm, 1/80 sec at f/7.1, ISO 800