Just returned from Japan teaching a workshop for the mentor series (www.mentorseries.com), had a fun group of folks along. We started in Tokyo and ended in Kyoto, known for beautiful temples, traditional Japanese homes and geishas. Of course I was very excited to photograph a geisha with their intricate dress and makeup. But sometimes no matter how hard you try things just don’t work out. The geishas are know to frequent certain parts of Kyoto, so off I went looking for them. The first geisha I saw only made me want to find more. People parted the street as they walked down the road. These woman seems to be almost mythical and even more mysterious than I imagined. This in turn made me determined to make a good photograph of a geisha. On our last night in Kyoto I staked out Gion Corner, a famous spot known for geishas. At this point I was beyond being subtle, I was ready to run after one if I had to…I was the geisha paparazzi. I had a few close encounters, fleeting shots as the geishas walked down the streets, but never that one mysterious glance I hoped for….next time. Tech. D3, 70-200mm, f5.6, 1/400, ISO800.
I had better luck with the deer at Nara. Nara was the capital of Japan in 710, and still has many beautiful temples. Nara also has tame deer, tame enough to come up to you and nibble on your camera bag. This deer are fed by the tourists, and aren’t bothered by flash. So I decided to snoot my SB900 with a Honl snoot, and see how close I could get. This deer was sure the flash was edible, and came right up for a taste. Tech: D3, 24-70mm 2.8, f8 at 1/250, incandescent white balance, SB900 gelled with orange, Honl snoot.
