Rainy Nights in Tokyo

Rain sucks. Most people hate it. Shoes and socks get wet, people have to buy umbrellas, accidents occur more often, and readjust their schedules due to delays.

But for me, I LOVE the rain. Not only is it refreshing after a rainy day, but the way it changes the mood of any city is captivating. Before I moved to Tokyo, I've always had this image of what metropolitan Tokyo was like: a grungy, crowded city (similar to Hong Kong) lined with neon lights and business establishments stacked on top of each other.

I had this grand plan to hit up 3-4 different locations, but ended up stopping after the second one because... well.... it was the middle of January so it was FREEZING COLD outside!

To capture the mood of a rainy Tokyo, I went to Shimbashi and Shibuya. Check out the YouTube video I made of my adventure.

Recreating the mood and atmosphere I had in my head required some photo editing. But I'm happy to say I was able to convey it in the photographs below! Check them out and let me know what you think!

If you haven't already, subscribe to my Instagram using the icon at the bottom of the page! You'll see all of my photos, as well as some personal photos from my every day life.

MY EQUIPMENT LIST
As I continue to create photos with this set up, I really start to appreciate the age-old saying that "it's the photographer that creates the photo; the equipment are only the tools they use." I gave up a very, VERY good Sony A7s for a APS-C sensor sized camera with "less" capabilities. In the end, if the camera and lenses can do what I need it to do, it'll help me create some magic!

*Sony mirrorless camera: http://amzn.to/2ngJ89I

*Sony E-mount lens (wide angle): http://amzn.to/2DRmaRf

*Sony E-mount lens (telephoto prime): http://amzn.to/2EceiHo

*Gimbal Stabilizer for video: http://amzn.to/2Fg8Dj5

*I love this dual camera strap: http://amzn.to/2EemvLz

Real Life Places from the movie "Kimi No Na Wa" (Your Name)

Chances are that if you fell in love with the movie "Kimi No Na Wa," you know that a lot of the locations in the movie are based from real places in Japan. After knowing this, I knew I had to visit these places... well, at least the ones in Tokyo, first. 

I visited Suga Shrine (須賀神社), the setting for the final scene where Mitsuha and Taki meet after having lost their memories, at the end of the movie (spoiled the movie for you).

Suga Shrine is located in Shinjuku Ward, in the Yotsuya / Shinanomachi area.

The closest three stations are Yotsuya-Sanchome Station (四谷三丁目駅), Yotsuya Station (四谷駅), and Shinanomachi Station (信濃町駅).

The surround neighborhood around the shrine is a pleasant, most-welcomed contrast to the busy nature and noise of Shinjuku. Houses and apartments are lined up along both sides of the hilly streets. There are small supermarkets and family-owned boutique shops. When strolling past here, you will quickly forget that you're in Japan's busiest metropolis.

Walking distance from here is Jingu Stadium, home of the Yakult Swallows baseball team and a GREAT PLACE for a morning jog or stroll!!

Anyway, back on topic...

I went back a few times to recreate the scenes from the movie. While editing, I decided to add a little bit of "animation style" to the photos. Check out the video of my little trip below.

The intersection leading to the long flight of stairs, and the fork in the road a little ways down (with the mailbox) are both notable landmarks you might want to pay attention to.

As you ascend the stairs towards the shrine, you feel like you can literally recreate that specific scene in your head. Half way up, look towards your left and you'll recall that the tiny crack between the white walls of the house and the stone found is where the two main characters pass each other.

Check out and follow my INSTAGRAM (https://www.instagram.com/dannypants0000/) where I have many more photos from this trip, as well as my other adventures!

This is the list of gear I used to create this video and its photos. HONEST DISCLAIMER: These are Amazon Affiliate Links; any purchases made through the links will greatly help support my work, at no extra cost to you.

*Sony a6300: http://amzn.to/2DtGNjy
*Sony 24mm f/1.8: http://amzn.to/2Fx6XCB
*Sony 85mm f/1.8: http://amzn.to/2Dg6iai
*Zhiyun Smooth Q gimbal (love this thing!): http://amzn.to/2FwTlay
*Holdfast Gear Money Maker (cotton canvas): http://amzn.to/2FAgTeJ
*Transcend SD memory card: http://amzn.to/2DcnLAK

Engagement Session: Rachel and Kang

This post is quite overdue, but since this is New Years Day, I'll make it my mission to tie up loose ends and continue strong.
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I've known Rachel since the first day I landed in Tokyo, fresh off the plane and excited for my new life in another country. We trained in the same group for an English conversation school, and since then our lives have gone separate ways. Out of the 12 or so members in our class, only about 4 of us still remain.

When Rachel asked me to take her engagement photos this past Spring, I was definitely eager to jump on the opportunity. I've always wanted to do a cherry blossom photo shoot, and an engagement session was the perfect way to do it!

We traveled to the Showa Kinen Park (国営昭和記念公園) in Tachikawa, in the west side of Tokyo. The park is massive, and definitely would be a difficult challenge to enjoy all of it on foot.

The skies were cloudy, but luckily the flowers were in full bloom. I'm happy that Rachel and Kang really enjoyed their photos. Will be looking forward to more sessions in the future.

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo

It’s the first day of winter break for the Japanese! I am greeted with a beautiful, clear sky a I exit the heavily congested Tokyo Station. Undoubtedly, many people will be heading straight back to their hometowns after work today, which mean any major transport hub – Tokyo, Ueno, Shinagawa, Shinjuku, etc. – will be full of people trying to bid for last-minute bullet train tickets.

The Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum is one of those museums that totally fell off my radar while living in Tokyo. For some reason, it was always overshadowed by some of the more famous museums in Tokyo – Tokyo National Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, etc. – so I never got around to visiting this place.

With 2018 just a few days away, I’ve decided to make it my goal to step out of my routine lifestyle and really enjoy Japan with all its glory. My bucket list of places to go in Japan has any unchecked boxes, and the Ichigokan Museum is one of the first on my list.

More than what’s housed inside a museum, I admire more the architecture and design of it. The Ichigokan Museum is a relatively new museum, having opened in 2010. It’s built using red bricks and cast concrete, reminiscing a bit of old colonial architecture. I could stroll through quiet, serene gardens and admire the many corridors on the museum grounds, or head right next door to see the modern contrast of its neighboring buildings.

I can definitely see many #ootd photos being taken here, as an experienced photographer can take advantage of the depth and lines of the buildings to create captivating photos and portraits.

I brought my tripod just for the night shots and to clear out some of the pedestrians walking through, but if packing a tripod isn't on your agenda for the holidays, you can easily get just as amazing (if not better) photos here without one.

Check out the adventure I had while shooting photos at this lovely location. On YouTube.

Happy 2018! This is my first video of the year (and also on my channel). I'm excited and grateful to finally get this channel rolling. I've been putting it off for so long. Let me introduce you to lesser-known places that offer photo-ops as gorgeous as (if not better than) the over-crowded, most famous tourist spots in Japan.

This is the gear I brought to take these photos and make the video.

HONEST DISCLAIMER: these are Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchase made through these links will help support me with my work. They’re at no extra cost to you, the viewer.

Sony a6300

Sony E 24mm f/1.8

Sony E 10-18mm f/4

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8

Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod

I used this 3-Axis Smartphone stabilizer for the video

Audio was recorded with this small, but amazing gadget

Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Everything packed in this Gregory Zulu 40L

Osaka City Dancer

One of my favorite subjects in photography is dance. Why? Because it's invigorating; it's spontaneous, magical, and the perfect shot comes in at a fraction of a second.

I blessed to have many talented friends who engage in a variety of fine arts, including but not limited to ballet, gymnastics, breakdancing, pole dancing, and martial arts.

It has always been a passion of mine to capture their movements in contrasting environments.

"Osaka City Dancer" is a series collaboration with "Dom Thompson." I first met him in a small speakeasy bar in Sugamo, Tokyo. Based in Osaka, he travels quite a bit to perform in theatrical shows. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to catch him in Osaka. A few messages back and forth, and we were able to schedule a shoot on a beautiful, chilly day in downtown Osaka - Dotonbori (道頓堀). The results are what you see below: