NikonGear'23

Images => People, Portraits, Street, PJ & Cityscapes => Topic started by: Akira on May 13, 2016, 16:49:31

Title: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 13, 2016, 16:49:31
Harajuku has been an intriguing area in Tokyo for those who want to sense what is current or what is likely to be in fashion.  Most notably there are many different apparel shops of brands of many different levels, from the globally established to the young and aspiring.

Today I strolled around the area and made some snaps.  Hope you enjoy them.  All images were taken with Nikon D750 and AF-S Nikkor 24/1.8G.  Most images are trimmed.

The first set.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 13, 2016, 16:53:14
The second set.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: tommiejeep on May 13, 2016, 17:04:07
Akira, very nice walkabout series.  The fashionable lady with the Soccer ball, interesting fashion accessory  :) .  I like the Graffiti , second image, but I really like what I see of the Louis Vuitton delivery truck with the bags on top.  The joggers do not seem too fashion oriented  ;) . 
Many thanks for posting,
Tom
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 13, 2016, 17:21:02
Tom, I'm so glad that you as experienced street shooter liked the series.  The joggers appeared all of a sudden, and I really liked this disharmonious combination of the joggers and the fashionable shops behind them.  :)
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: bobfriedman on May 13, 2016, 19:14:25
i miss harajuku.. are the kids still at the metro station all dressed up?
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 14, 2016, 01:11:50
i miss harajuku.. are the kids still at the metro station all dressed up?

Yes, although they look a bit simpler and less colorful, the kids are trying to look cool!
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: armando_m on May 14, 2016, 04:17:35
awesome series Akira,

I was wondering why I felt this did not look very Japanese, until I realized I was reading all the signs
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 14, 2016, 04:59:10
awesome series Akira,

I was wondering why I felt this did not look very Japanese, until I realized I was reading all the signs

Thanks, Armando.  LOL, you are right!  I don't see hardly any signs or writings in Japanese either.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Rick Waldroup on May 14, 2016, 11:25:24
An excellent set of photos, especially the first one and the one of the joggers.  Japan has been the one place I have always wanted to visit.  Your shots only make my desire to visit burn even brighter.  Great stuff.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 14, 2016, 18:26:37
Rick, thanks for dropping in on and leaving kind comments.  During the stroll, I was pretty much inspired by unusual and unexpected combinations of various elements.  It's a fun place for street photography.

Hope your desire will become a reality.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: JJChan on May 15, 2016, 10:36:11
Nice series Akira!
The D750 seems to have taken a liking to your vision!

JJ
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 15, 2016, 11:02:05
JJ, thanks!  D750 and the AF-S lenses calibrated at Nikon service (24/1.8G and 50/1.8 in my case) work wonderfully together (without in-camera micro adjustments).  And its 24MP sensor and "Flat" picture control let me set the ISO value to 3200 or higher without any hesitation.  :)
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Airy on May 15, 2016, 13:31:27
Takeshita dori, Omote sando... been there only twice, and I wish I could return for a purely photographic trip. The countryside too, with one big difference as you noted: on the countryside, you must fetch your pic; in those part of Tokyo one may sit and wait for pics to happen. But, beside the "picturesque" character of the place, it is the attitude of Japanese people towards photography and their general tolerance towards those weird foreign photographers that I miss most. I do not know how people feel about that, but if negative, you won't suffer from direct consequences.

I aprticularly like the one with the runners (because it looks more lively), and I appreciate the tactile footpaths, demonstrating that we are in a civilized part of the world. In my home town, sidewalks are meant to trap blind people, not to mention the even more numerous people with fragile ankles, given their poor design and absence of maintenance.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: elsa hoffmann on May 15, 2016, 19:01:42
The "pots" wall art is sooo funny!
great set of images
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Frank Fremerey on May 16, 2016, 01:02:47
Lovely. Now that I can see them. With internet. At home.
In my office. Doing backup finally.

Standout is the Luis Vuitton Carriage in a shopping area
with child and mother in most sweet spots. Great light.
Great moment. Hope to see you live one day!!!!
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Frank Fremerey on May 16, 2016, 01:05:38
PS ... the joggers are also good. Problem here is: they melt into the BG. Love. Frank
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: stenrasmussen on May 16, 2016, 01:06:41
I do enjoy them Akira!
The girl with the ball is my fav but they all covey the evening mood often found in big cities.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 16, 2016, 02:34:40
Airy, glad to know you had good memories of Japan to share.  As I mentioned, the runners appeared out of the blue when I was shooting this show window with interesting decoration.  I felt the scene surreal rather than lively.  :)

Elsa, thanks!  I couldn't just pass by this hilarious graffiti.  :D

Frank, thanks for your comment!  Glad you like some.  As you see, the runners was strongly backlit, but I thought they are effective enough to give the surreal feel to the image.  A B&W treatment might be worth trying to make the runners stand out more.  And, of course, why not seeing each other in person in the future!

Sten, thanks for dropping by.  Harajuku shows its unusual face more at night than in the daytime.



What is good about the wideangle lenses of 24mm and wider for this kind of snapshot is that you can direct the camera a bit away from the people I want to include in the frame by keeping my intention unnoticed by them.  The image of Louis-Vuitton carriage with the little girl and the mother is an example.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Tom Hook on May 16, 2016, 04:39:10
Thanks for showing us these pictures of Tokyo. This part of the city is of course interesting but what really strikes my fancy are the very attractive and stylish people themselves - and they seem so young to my 68 year old eyes!
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: John Geerts on May 16, 2016, 14:07:21
Beautifull series, Akira. Striking it's so 'western' with surprisingly a lot of ' French' influence.
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: John Geerts on May 16, 2016, 14:11:35
What is good about the wideangle lenses of 24mm and wider for this kind of snapshot is that you can direct the camera a bit away from the people I want to include in the frame by keeping my intention unnoticed by them.  The image of Louis-Vuitton carriage with the little girl and the mother is an example.
That is a great advantage for street photography. I use it a lot too, for instance with the  Angenieux 35-70. The lens looks like a tele-lens, so people feel safe, but they are half in the frame with 35mm  ;)
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 16, 2016, 14:39:15
Tom, thanks for kind comments.  I also believe they are so young.  I would smile to see them trying hard to make themselves look cool.  :)

John, thanks for dropping in on and commenting.  Apparently the western influences seen in Tokyo are mostly based on the fashion brands.  Indeed a mild wideangle lens looking like a tele offers the same advantage for the street snaps.  :)
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Anirban Halder on May 17, 2016, 03:27:53
Very nice street shots Akira. I'm not surprised such a neighborhood exist in Tokyo, but I'm surprised that they don't have signs in Japanese for these brands. :)
Title: Re: Strolling around Harajuku, Tokyo
Post by: Akira on May 17, 2016, 05:36:01
Thanks, Anirban!  I think that Japanese people in general consider the names and messages in foreign languages as important parts of the exoticism and the specialty of these brands.