How Instagram has reinvigorated my photography

The main reason why most blogs die off is the lack of an audience. By that count, it's a wonder I've kept this blog going for so long... (albeit with rather infrequent updates)

Fortunately, I love photography enough to keep going!

Of course, even the deepest well will run dry some day, so I recently sought to find better ways of sharing my photography. I first tried porting this entire blog over to Tumblr because it has social network functionality built-in, and then discovered to my disappointment its lack of SEO. This blog completely trumps it, and I suspect Google's ownership of Blogger has to do with it too.

I considered making better use of Flickr, where I already have an account, but even with the recent upgraded interface and 1TB of storage, I feel reluctant to put too much energy into a platform that doesn't seem to be drawing in new users. It didn't help that their app isn't available in my region for my iPod Touch 5, my main media sharing and consumption device. (I use a Blackberry Z10 as my main communications device)

Then came Instagram. I was actually asked by my wife to set up an account so I can follow and "like" her photos on the service. I dutifully did so and ignored the platform for a while, until the start of July.

I can't remember why I started taking an interest in the first place, but since then I've been a very active member of the community. Initially, I didn't have any specific goal for the platform. I thought of it as an extension of my current photo sharing on Facebook, Blogger and Tumblr.

Actually, this isn't my first posting on Instagram. The real original has been cleared out because it was a random shot that doesn't quite merit the real estate!

But after I started exploring the platform further, I started to see its potential as my main platform for sharing photos. Firstly, it doesn't require me to write much. While I do enjoy writing, it is time-consuming and takes time away from the main purpose of my blog -- photography. Secondly, there is an active community on the platform who are engaged and always exploring new content. Thirdly, you do get a lot of feedback in the form of 'likes' and comments, though people are unlikely to give any criticism.

Hotel Musashiya at Hakone (1)

Was in Hakone, Japan, recently for a short holiday, and I stayed two nights in a ryokan with a 145-year history. The deco was decidedly old-school, but it was cosy, the service staff was friendly and the food was great. I like this type of ryokan because they just feel more authentic to me.

The view from their open air onsen on the top floor (5th storey) was great too, as it faces Lake Ashi.

Official website (Japanese only):
http://6348.info/

English website (Japanican):
http://www.japanican.com/hotels/shisetsudetail.aspx?st=4321003

More to come…

First try at Photo-stitching

I have read about how it is possible to create ultra-high resolution images by stitching many images together previously, but I didn’t try it out because I didn’t have Photoshop or other similar imaging software. (My main imaging tool has been Nikon’s Capture NX 2.

Recently, I installed a demo version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, which comes with Adobe’s Photomerge tool, an automated photo-stitching function. You may watch a tutorial video by Adobe here, but all you really need is a bit of common sense.

PANORAMAS WITH A 90MM LENS? No problem! With Adobe’s excellent Photomerge, you can create 60-megapixel panoramic images like this quite easily!

So I found myself at Kumamoto Castle in Japan’s Kyushu island today, and found the perfect vantage point to take a wide-angle shot of the main castle building. The problem is, with my current Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera, I didn’t have a lens that was of the right focal length to get the perfect framing – the 18mm f2 (28mm equivalent on 35mm film) is too wide, and 60mm f2.4 (90mm equivalent) is too long.

The Kyoto shrine I almost missed (again)

My first trip to Japan’s cultural capital was in the autumn of 2007. After a friend encouraged me to do more with my time in Japan, I packed my bags, took a week of absence from university exchange classes and headed off to Kyoto on a cheap night bus for my first major trip of my one-year stay.

My guide book then was a book about viewing cherry blossoms and autumn foliage in Kyoto, and it included several classic walking trails, including one to Kinkakuji (金閣寺) and Ryoanji (龍安寺), another to Kiyomizudera (清水寺), and others to less well-known destinations such as Kurama (鞍馬). I thoroughly enjoyed that trip, and on my second visit there in February 2008, I revisited many of the same places.

Bathe me in luscious red and orange

So when I visited Kyoto again in February 2012 – this time with my family and my girlfriend – I’d planned to stick to my tried and tested itineraries. But my independent-minded sister insisted on going to the Fushimi-Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社). Who was she (someone who’d only been to Japan once) to tell me (with many trips within Japan under my belt) where to go?

Why are Japanese kids so cute?

Case in point:

Elmo and brother, spotted near the exit of Kyoto’s Kinkakuji temple

And this:

This was taken before the previous picture…

And the secret to them smiling and posing for the camera was this:

The lady on the left is their very friendly and obliging mother, who was waving a lollipop so her children would look in the right direction!

Some people suggested that it’s what they wear, but I think it’s something more than that. An eternal mystery to me… perhaps until they start climbing over my head and break the spell…

(Photos taken on Nikon F6 with the Nikkor AI-S 35mm f1.4, on Provia 400X slide film)

My 2011 in pictures

2011 was certainly an eventful year, but I still can’t say for sure if I could call it a good year.

Work-wise, it was by far the toughest year since I started work. Had to deal with the disappointment and anguish of not getting the reports when I went to Japan to cover the March 11 disasters. Tougher though, was coping with the change to local news reporting, which has made work-life a little more colourful but infinitely more stressful. (I’m still debating if it was the right move)

PICTURE OF THE YEAR: The Workers’ Party’s historic capture of a GRC at the May 7 General Election is easily one of the biggest events of the year, and I had the privilege of witnessing and capturing the electrifying atmosphere that night. The real bonus was submitting it to my paper’s photo desk and having it selected for our front-page the following day. It doesn’t get bigger than that for me.

On the other hand, I think little has changed in terms of my personal life. Still dating the same (wonderful) Joanne, still hanging out with the same friends. Went on two holidays – both of which were to places I have visited before (Hong Kong and Tohoku, Japan).

As with the previous couple of years, I guess the bright spots are the good photos I managed to take during the course of the year. The May 7 General Election was arguably the biggest event of the year in Singapore – not just because of the result but also the socio-political changes it brought on, and I was glad I used my time off work to visit the various rallies, as well as the results announcement at Serangoon Stadium.

Sendai City Office, revisited

When I was there in March, the Sendai City Office was a shelter for those who had lost their homes, or could not return to their homes following the tsunami and earthquake. (I wrote a litte about it here.)

When I revisited the office in August as part of my stopover in Sendai for the Tanabata festival (posts here and here), it had already been reverted to its original purpose. But the ground floor had been converted into an exhibition area of sorts, with pictures, posters and messages of encouragement from all over Japan.

An old man looking at pictures of various recovery efforts in Miyagi prefecture.

Sendai Tanabata (2): Outdoor shows

While the highlight of the Tanabata is definitely the long, flowing Fukinagashi streamers around town that I mentioned here, the festival has in recent times expanded to include outdoor events as well.

There are free musical and cultural performances by groups from Sendai and other parts of Japan, as well as the usual food and games stalls lining the sidewalks, turning the city into one big carnival.

At Kotodai Park, the main venue, you can catch live performances by local music artistes and school groups. There was also a segment where they showcased the Suzume-odori (すずめ踊り, meaning “Sparrow dance”), a part of the annual Aoba Matsuri (青葉まつり), a spring festival. The festival was not held this year because of the March 11 disasters.

A bunch of friendly youngsters at Kotodai Park (勾当台公園), the main venue for the outdoor performances during the Tanabata.

All photos taken with the Nikon F6, with the AFS 24mm f1.4 or AIS 35mm f1.4. I used Kodak Portra 800 and Fujifilm Superia  Premium 400 films.

Sendai’s Tanabata(1): At the Shopping Arcade

Ah, Sendai.

I was there just five months ago, immediately after the March 11 triple disasters. I’ve been wanting to go there since I was in Japan for my university exchange in 2007/2008, but haven’t been able to fit it in. And when I finally got there in March (and the journey took a whole day on the road), it was hardly the kind of circumstance I was expecting.

But by August, there were little signs of what happened less than half a year ago. As I stepped out of JR Sendai train station for the first time, I was greated by giant fukinagashi streamers, the iconic Tanabata ornament. I knew I was there to celebrate this time.

Thousands of streamers can be found around Sendai city’s central area during the annual Tanabata festival.

The Tanabata festival (七夕) actually originated from the Chinese Qi Qiao festival, and celebrates the yearly union of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi.

And while Tanabata is celebrated all over Japan and not unique to the city, the scale of Sendai's Tanabata is by far the largest in the country, drawing about 2.2 million visitors each year. The tradition of celebrating Tanabata in Tohoku started more than 400 years ago, with records found from the time of Date Masamune (1567-1636AD), warlord of the Sendai Clan.

Akita’s Kanto Matsuri

The second stop of my summer matsuri vacation was the city of Akita, known for its delicious rice, beautiful women, and the Akita Inu dog breed. (Hachiko, the legendary canine who waited for its dead master at Shibuya train station for a decade, was an Akita Inu.)

Akita’s Kanto Matsuri （竿灯まつり）, which draws 1.3 million visitors annually, involves adult men balancing huge bamboo frames – called kanto – through various means during an evening parade. The most basic move is balancing the pole on the palm, but the more skillful performers would try doing so on their shoulders, their heads, or even their hips.

Historical records show that the Kanto festival started at least 250 years ago, its main purpose to pray for a good rice harvest. The practice of balancing the kanto was said to have started as a means to stave off the lethargy caused by the summer heat.

One of the many groups at the Kanto festival. The biggest kanto are 12m high and weigh 50kg, with about 46 paper lanterns attached.

Shooting this festival was a major challenge for me. Firstly, framing was difficult because the performers are constantly on the move. Secondly, it’s difficult to capture the right background because everyone else is also moving. Thirdly, as the people with the kanto do their balancing act, their team members move around them, often preventing me from getting a clear shot. Lastly, there generally isn’t much variation – the moves don’t differ that much after a while…

Aomori Nebuta 2011 (3): I’ll be back!

Although staying four nights in Hirosaki seemed like a long time for a small city, it turned out to be too short a stay. We’d spent one evening at the Hirosaki Neputa, two at the Aomori Nebuta, and one at the Goshogawara fireworks festival.

While the fireworks were dazzling and the Neputa an interesting variation of a float parade, the Nebuta had arguably the most to offer, and regrettably we missed the grand finale, on August 7.

Besides the evening parades from August 2 to 6, the last day of the matsuri is quite different – there is a parade featuring the floats in the day, and in the evening, the floats will parade on the waters of Aomori Bay, against the backdrop of a fireworks display. I was gutted that I couldn’t be there. (By then, we had to be in Sendai, our final stop)

And as a prelude to the Nebuta, there is also a fireworks event at Asamushi Onsen (浅虫温泉), a hot springs town just about 30-45 minutes away from Aomori City. Just imagine soaking in an outdoor onsen while viewing fireworks!

Anyway here are some more pictures taken at the Nebuta. Once again, all on Kodak Portra 800 film, Nikon F6 with the AIS 35mm f1.4 lens and SB900 flash.

“We’re going to the matsuri!”

Aomori Nebuta 2011 (2): After the clock strikes 7.10pm…

The main draw of the Nebuta Matsuri is the nightly two-hour parade. Each participating group usually consists of a float accompanied by haneto dancers chanting "Rase-rase-rasera!" and moving in unison to the beat of a marching band.

Each float, which is pushed manually and lit up from within, may measure up to 5m high, 9m long and 7m wide, and weigh up to four tonnes. Costing up to 4 million yen each to build, they usually depict scenes from Japanese and Chinese mythology.

As the sun begins to set, the performers line up on the four major roads closed off for the parade. The roads form a ring, and within the two hours, the performers will cover all four roads and get back to where they started. The audience members, lining both sides of the roads, wait in anticipation as they guzzle their beer and lap up their take-away sushi.

Once the clock strikes 7.10pm (don’t ask me why), the procession begins!

The photos were taken on August 2 and 4. I used my Nikon F6 paired with the Nikkor AIS 35mm f1.4 or AFS 24mm f1.4, on Kodak Portra 800 film.

RASE RASE RASERA! RASERAAA! RASERAAA!

Aomori Nebuta 2011 (1): People watching

It was my trip to Aomori last year that first piqued my interest in returning to the prefecture again, for its most famous celebration of the year. So perhaps it was most befitting that I started my jaunt through the Tohoku Sandai Matsuri (東北三大祭り), or Tohoku’s three big festivals, with Aomori's Nebuta Matsuri (ねぶた祭り).

It is also the earliest of the three famous festivals to start (Aug 2), and stretches all the way till Aug 7. This makes it the longest of the three.

While the exact origin of the Nebuta Matsuri is unclear, some historical records say a variation of it had already taken place in the Kyoho era (1716 to 1735) of the Tokugawa period. It was much simpler then, however, and involved a parade of people carrying lanterns.

The festival now is far more elaborate now, and attracts over 3 million visitors a year from all over Japan and overseas. Here’s a look at some of the people who were there on Aug 4, 2011.

With the roads closed off for the festival, you’re free to sit anywhere! These girls are dressed in the haneto costume, which is worn by performers as well as those who wish to join in the parade.

I love Hirosaki (3): Around town

Having featured an old cafe here and a few other interesting shops here, I have come to the last post on Hirosaki town, in Japan’s Aomori prefecture.

A few other shots from around town.

A beauty salon in Dotemachi.

I love Hirosaki (2): More interesting shops

The retail outlook in Hirosaki probably isn’t the brightest in Aomori prefecture. As Mr Kozai from Manchan told me, one of the biggest departmental stores in town, Nakasan, had just gone bankrupt. And as a result, those who have been accumulating vouchers from the store have essentially lost a substantial part of their savings.

And truth be told, when Joanne and I arrived in Hirosaki on Aug 1, the reception was rather cold. In the sense that as we dragged our luggage from the JR Hirosaki station to Super Hotel Hirosaki where we stayed, the streets were mostly empty, and not many shops seemed to be open. (The hotel was good btw)

But as it turns out, there are some interesting shops around, and we could have easily spent more time just browsing about town.

Display in men’s boutique The Screw, located just a stone’s throw away from our hotel.

I love Hirosaki (1): The oldest coffee house in Tohoku

Last year, I first read about the town of Hirosaki (弘前) when I was preparing for my autumn trip to Aomori prefecture. It was simply a transit point for me, a place to take a break before I took the Resort Shirakami (リゾートしらかみ) train down Aomori’s scenic west coast for the final leg of that Aomori expedition. As a result, Joanne and I spent just a day there – which we realised was not enough!

As fate has it, we were “forced” to return to Hirosaki again this time, because all the hotels in Aomori city were fully booked, and Hirosaki is the nearest town with accommodation. And because we stayed there for four nights, there was plenty of time to explore the charming town a little more.

Manchan’s distinctive western style shop front.

I would like to introduce some interesting shops I discovered during this trip, because yes, Hirosaki has more than just apples and the Neputa summer festival.

First up: Manchan cafe (万茶ン), said to be the oldest coffee house in the whole of Tohoku region and the fourth oldest in Japan

Hirosaki’s Neputa Matsuri

Because I decided on my trip just over a month before the summer festivals, I ended up staying at Hirosaki (弘前) town, even though my main purpose was to attend the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri (青森ねぶた祭り).  All the Aomori hotel rooms on Rakuten Travel were fully booked by the time I checked!

Well in any case, since we were in Hirosaki, I thought I might as well visit the local Neputa matsuri (ねぷた祭り), which started on Aug 1, the day we arrived there.

While it was of a much smaller scale than its neighbouring town’s event, I was very happy to have been a part of the Neputa because it was 1) a good chance to test the exposure settings for my F6 (important as film is so expensive!) and 2) to see how a float-based matsuri like the Nebuta flows.

Local youths running on the street with their float. As part of their manoeuvres, some of the carriers would raise up their floats, run towards the audience, and stop just in the nick of time, a step or two in front of the seated audience. This I believe to show their strength in manoeuvring their heavy loads. (Nikon F6 with AFS 24/1.4, Fujifilm Natura 1600 film)

Summer Fireworks, Aomori 2011

Here’s a video I took of the grand finale at the Goshogarawa (五所川原) summer fireworks festival in northern Aomori prefecture, Japan. It was held on August 3.

The whole programme lasted about one and a half hours, and Joanne and I both enjoyed ourselves – after we managed to find a spot to sit and watch, that is. According to official estimates, about 280,000 people were there that evening.

The fireworks was part of the city’s summer festival, known as the Tachinebuta matsuri (立佞武多祭り). Like Aomori prefecture’s two other major summer festivals, it features a parade of floats in the city centre, accompanied by song and dance. Despite its relatively small scale – with only about 15 floats – the Tachinebuta literally stands out because it features three that stand at over 20 metres. That’s about 7 storeys high!

Two of the three tachinebuta that are featured in this year’s event. Taken from an overhead walkway at JR Goshogawara station. As you see, the floats tower over everything but the shed they are stored in.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to attend the festival, which started on the following day, as we had only four evenings to spare in Aomori prefecture. Two evenings were spent in Aomori city for the Nebuta matsuri (the biggest in the prefecture), and another in Hirosaki for the Neputa matsuri.

More to come on the Nebuta and Neputa festivals... :)

Exploring the Arakawa Line

Tokyo is known for its complex train network, with 13 subway lines and two major railway lines serving the city centre. Just like any other new visitor to the city, I was overwhelmed when I first took a look at the train map back in 2007, when I was about to leave for my exchange in Japan.

In the smaller Japanese cities, however, residents are served mostly by buses, and some like Hiroshima and Okayama (which I have been to) have tram lines serving the city centre.

Many public bus services still run through Tokyo – I commuted by bus to my train station almost every day when I went to school there. They charge a flat rate of 200 yen and are incredibly punctual. (I believe it’s partly to do with good planning and a general lack of traffic on the bus routes.)

But did you know that there are still trams in Tokyo?

One of them is the Arakawa line, which opened in 1913 and now serves a few suburbs just north of the JR Yamanote line.

Last week, on the second day of my holiday in Japan, Joanne and I took the Arakawa line from one end (Waseda) to the other (Minowabashi). Earlier in the day, I’d brought Joanne on a tour of the Nishiwaseda campus where I’d studied, so actually it was a no-brainer to finally take the chance to explore the line.

Ready to board the tram at Waseda station? It’s located just behind the Nishiwaseda campus library. All adult passengers pay a flat fare of 160 yen, regardless of how far you go. The trams are also fairly regular, with a frequency of about 8 minutes in the afternoon. It got surprisingly packed after just a few stops though!

Memories of the Aomori Autumn, 2010

Tohoku was the only region in Japan I did not set foot on during my one-year university exchange programme in 2007/2008. Which was why I decided to visit one of the prefectures in the region – Aomori – last October.

I also wrote about the trip in a travel piece for The Straits Times.

Little did I expect to go back again this March, so soon after the previous trip. This time round, I was sent by my company to report on the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated vast stretches of Tohoku’s east coast. Of course, it later developed into a major nuclear disaster, which led to an early return flight for me. I wrote about that disappointing trip here.

Well, about three months after that, I made the decision to visit Japan again. Since the triple disasters, airfares to Japan have plunged, with travellers all over the world avoiding the country. At the time of my flight booking, Singapore Airlines was charging just over $500 for a return ticket. I have wanted to go for Tohoku’s 3 major summer festivals since my trip last year, and this year was as good a time as any to go.

But before leaving for the latest trip, , I thought it might be worth sharing some of my favourite pictures from the 2010 trip:

Aomori prefecture is known as the apple capital of Japan. Half of the apples grown in Japan can be found here. This picture was taken at the Hirosaki Apple Park.