Beautiful day, gorgeous light, happy people – what more do you need?

A few portraits from our local spring festival last weekend. It’s not the first time I have shot the festival, though I took a different approach this time.

D700 + 50mm lens. All were taken close to maximum aperture, usually within a few seconds of asking if the subject minded being photographed. I reduced saturation and added some film grain in Adobe Lightroom.

(Another of our local festivals. It’s held every two years, so perhaps I’ll shoot it again this Autumn?)

Ukimafunado Festival 2008 from Tony McNicol on Vimeo.

I was out in the park with my son this afternoon and came across this! It’s the local “sakurasaoh matsuri” – as written on the pink lantern.

My landlord says that our local area used to belong to sakurasoh (Japanese primose) growers. During this festival – the primoses are in bloom now – a portable shrine is carried past the old flower growing houses, and through the park.

What a perfect setting and perfect day. A few sakura trees were in full bloom: a late flowering variety.

I’ve been using my D200 as a back-up/home snap-shot camera ever since I upgraded to the D700. This was with the Tokina F4 12-24. Not bad at all. The Tokina is pretty fuzzy in the corners at F4 but the reds and greens are really vibrant.

I shooting in RAW recently. Only a few simple adjustments here – mostly boosting shadow detail.

I was carrying my 2 year old son with my left arm as I took these shots. Luckily he was pretty well distracted by all the noise.

This is the mikoshi heading off to the far end of the park where there’s a little Japanese primose display.

I’ll ask if I can help carry the shrine next year!

]]> http://tonymcnicol.com/2009/04/19/ukima-festival-2009/feed/ 1 http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/12/09/200-kinds-of-instant-ramen/ http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/12/09/200-kinds-of-instant-ramen/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:48:38 +0000 tony http://tonymcnicol.com/?p=1265

Another shoot for my instant noodle magnum opus. There’s a restaurant - actually more of a bar – in Tokyo where all they serve is instant noodles. 200 kinds! I asked the owner why she choose instant noodles. She said because they are “cheap, easy to make, and never go off”. The dishes on the menu cost from about 200 yen to 400 yen. (2 to 4 dollars). Just the ticket for the current economic climate!

This is the interior of the bar. It was nightmare to light, but the customers were very tolerant of me snapping away as they ate.

instant ramen restaurant

A member of staff with lots and lots of instant noodles.

The bar has own-brand instant ramen. There are also 10 franchise restaurants across Japan.

instant ramen

Here’s a link all the instant ramen photos

I climbed Mount Takao near Tokyo yesterday for a photoessay I’m working on. These are statues of “tengu” goblin, which the mountain is famous for. There are two kinds: one with green and with a beak, and one with a red face and long nose.

They both have a reputation for causing trouble – but only to people who deserve it.

Here’s a less than tempting souvenir snack!

Mount Takao is a popular day trip from Tokyo – only about an hour from Shinjuku but feels like its the middle of the countryside. It’s a truly magical place with temples, shrines and links to several religions.

There’s a Shingon temple half way up called Yakuouin. It’s Buddhist, but they have some connection with Shugendo which is an ancient Japanese mountain religion. Shugendo practioners seem to spend a lot of time climbing mountains, blowing conches and meditating under waterfalls. (You can actually join the Shungendo guys at their regular waterfall dousing if you want – I might have to go and take pictures of that!)

Every time I go to Takao I end up captivated by the statues. This chap was hiding in the grass. I only noticed that a leaf was resting on his hand when I got home.

People place coins on the statues to pray. I wonder what the bug was wishing for?

Unbelievably (or perhaps all too believeably) the Tokyo government are planning to put a tunnel through Takao! Details are here. Perhaps the tengu could do something about that!

]]> http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/11/06/takao-tokyos-mystical-mountain/feed/ 3 http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/10/19/local-festival/ http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/10/19/local-festival/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:03:18 +0000 tony http://tonymcnicol.com/?p=974

This is the second time I’ve taken part in the shinto festival near my house. It happens every two years and involves hefting a 1 ton portable shrine around the neighbourhood with regular stops for sake and snacks. We start off at the local shrine 9am and finish around dusk at 5pm.

I took these with a Ricoh GR1 film camera. It was inconspicuous enough that I could get in among everyone. Having said that, everyone was so hyped, and so sake-soaked, I probably could have used anything.

I did actually do my bit carrying the shrine, but I’ll save you the picture of my poor purple bruised shoulders the next morning.

Tokyo Game Show 2008 from Tony McNicol on Vimeo.

Here’s a link to my Tokyo Games Show photos

This is a slideshow from Design Festa at Big Site last year. Lots of weird photos of weird art and weird people.

Just testing out You Tube on this blog. More recent slideshows soon.

a link to my You Tube channel

I was at the Big Site exhibition hall in Odaiba last weekend covering one of Tokyo’s many otaku events. (Deep deep into geek territory for a series of articles on Japanese pop culture exports right now)

This one was for model makers and figure collectors: everything from Tamiya tanks to latex Godzillas

I got there about 12 in the afternoon and found the whole place crawling with police and worried looking organizers. Apparently, about an hour earlier one of the huge elevators in the central hall had suddenly started moving backwards. Otaku dominoes! Scary.

Thanks Tokyomango

You Tube-d photos from last weekend’s Design Festa at Big Site