Around Yoyogi Park, Tokyo

encosion · May 10, 2007

I'm a graphic designer by trade... So Photoshop is one of my best friends... But even best friends need a little space, so when it comes to photography, I'm leaning towards my own version of purism - I try not to touch Photoshop! This is partly to save time, but mainly to improve my photography skills...

Saying this, digital cameras come with a couple of their own built-in 'hacks' - like the Canon 400D's User Defined 'Picture Styles' where you can tweak a few settings like Sharpness, Contract, Saturation and Color tone - and I'm on the fence as to whether it's 'cheating' or not... I guess it's akin to using different types of films or filters on the lenses etc?

Anyway, without further ado, here's a selection of some of my favorite people shots from last weekend around Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan:

2007-05-05 16:56:04
Exposure Time: 1/200
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 100

2007-05-05 17:41:36
Exposure Time: 1/160
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200

2007-05-05 15:04:52
Exposure Time: 1/1600
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 100

2007-05-05 14:04:44
Exposure Time: 1/1600
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 100

All shots:
Focal Length: 75mm
Flash: flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Exposure Program: aperture priority
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Exposure Mode: auto
White Balance: auto
Color Space: sRGB

Time was of the essence on this last one and I couldn't get close enough, so I cropped this one a little tighter... Not normally a fan of cropping - I have this ideal that you should be able to compose the perfect shot in the viewfinder... Of course this falls a bit flat on my gear (see signature) as I tend to get a little extra in each shot! Anyone have any thoughts on this 'problem'?

Tips and comments appreciated... I'm only a beginner as can be evidenced by the 'Exposure Program' mode, if not by the shots themselves!

http://encosion.smugmug.com/Travel/299557

Ted Szukalski · May 10, 2007

Good candid portraits. It is interesting to see "Free Hugs" campaign in the last shot but I'm surprised it is in English.

mmroden · May 10, 2007

I love the third shot! It's just fantastically composed and a great subject.

Thiago Sigrist · May 10, 2007

Cool shots man!

As Ted said, they're really nice casual portraits, showing us the many interesting people and scenes you've found! Congrats!

Also, you're not cheating one bit. Your pictures look contrasty, with nicely saturated colors, and I think they don't require any post. And the Aperture Priority mode, that's used by a lot of pros a lot of the time, so it's not cheating either.

Thanks so much for sharing!
Take care!

-- thiago

wxwax · May 10, 2007

I like the first one, a lot.

Where did the girl get the giant condom-on-a-stick?

And why are they offering free hugs in English?

saurora · May 10, 2007

Nice shots, I especially like #1. My feeling is that cropping in the camera teaches beginners how to use their eyes and learn good compositional skills, and for that, it serves a good purpose. But I don't consider cropping cheatiing and as long as you are not effecting the quality of your exposure, why not? It makes sense to leave room for framing later anyway. Essentially you are still having an effect on the creative outcome of the print whether in the camera or in the digital darkroom. the answer lies in the print....how you get there really doesn't matter much. That's my 2 cents worth!

encosion · May 14, 2007

Thanks for you kind comments and insights into the world of pro-photography... Much appreciated!

Around Yoyogi Park, Tokyo

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