Rodney Campbell's Blog

Inside the Hiroshima Castle gatehouse it was time to get out the trusty fisheye lens for a different view of the inside.

The Inside

NIKON D750 + 15.0 mm f/2.8 @ 15 mm, 1/15 sec at f/4, ISO 200

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.

Twists

NIKON D750 + 15.0 mm f/2.8 @ 15 mm, 1/15 sec at f/4, ISO 360

By now it was well after sunrise – though you’d not really know it since the sky was quite overcast.

The light was soft and dreamy which was perfect for this five minute long exposure with the Lee Little Stopper stacked with a 1.2 hard grad and polariser.

Jangle Dreams

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 18 mm, 309 sec at f/14, ISO 100

Gerry and I had recce’d this area on the tessellated rocks earlier (before we’d started shooting) and I liked this little pool with the circle of water and the long tendrils of jangles. I figured I could massage it into some foreground interest.

Tessellated rocks done I turned around and headed for the outer rock shelf. Here the waves were crashing into the outer rocks. Every now and then a big wave would hit and the water would break over the top and cascade across the rocks behind. The result as we see here.

Tendrils

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 19 mm, 1.6 sec at f/14, ISO 50

If you’re willing to stand out in the water and have rushing water come up above your knees then this is a the place for you :).

Swivelling left and looking out to see, drop in the Little Stopper again for another multi minute long exposure with those nice tendrils of clouds in the sky.

Arachnid

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 19 mm, 154 sec at f/14, ISO 50

Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshimajō), also called the Carp Castle was constructed in the 1590s, but was destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6 1945. It was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original.

Hiroshima Castle

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, 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.

Inside the keep is an informative museum on Hiroshima’s and the castle’s history and Japanese castles in general, while panoramic views of the surrounding city can be enjoyed from the top floor.

View from Hiroshima Castle

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Its main keep is five stories tall, and its grounds are surrounded by a moat. Also within the castle’s precincts are a shrine, some ruins and a few reconstructed buildings of the Ninomaru (second circle of defense).

The Castle

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 98 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 140

Ninomaru

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 34 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 100

It was a wet and rainy day when we visited the Hiroshima Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Atomic Bomb Dome

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 112 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 900

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園) is one of the most prominent features of the city. It is a large park of over 120,000 square meters.

Before the bomb, the area of what is now the Peace Park was the political and commercial heart of the city. For this reason, it was chosen as the pilot’s target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities.

The park’s main facility is the Peace Memorial Museum. Consisting of two buildings, the museum surveys the history of Hiroshima and the advent of the nuclear bomb. Its main focus though is on the events of August 6: the dropping of the bomb and its outcome in human suffering.

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/8, ISO 360

The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. When the bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing, and remains so today. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Atomic Bomb Dome is a tangible link to Hiroshima’s unique past.

An early start to get down to Coalcliff in time for sunrise. As usual it was another late night last minute plan to head out on Sunday.

The aim was really to shoot waterfalls – since it had been raining heavily in Sydney for a few days.

Chrome

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 18 mm, 124 sec at f/11, 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.

This was the first shot of the day – still 25 minutes till sunrise. I probably could have just stopped there and been pretty happy the days shooting :). A nice guess (I’ll just claim good estimating skills) at a natural twilight long exposure with the water going to chrome.

The reflections on this still water were fantastic. The clouds streaming overhead made for nice diagonal patterns in both the sky and water. Plus there were nice ripples in the sand below the water to add extra interest.

Teardrop

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 18 mm, 46 sec at f/13, ISO 100

With that shot in the can Gerry and I went a wandering nearby looking for additional compositions. I particularly liked this little pool of water in the rock. The shape I felt matched nicely with the sky overhead.

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 18 mm, 1/2 sec at f/8, ISO 800

and lastly a crappy selfie before heading off to the outer rock shelf and the tessellated rocks there.