Yukimajo, Hokkaido 2008

Cloth Drying - An icy experience!

This is one of the many stupid things someone from hot-humid country come to live in the northern...
A cloth drying or icing?

Collections of My Portrait Shots

This post is all about the collection of my portrait shots...
Arranged in the order of latest shot to the oldest...

The very 1st snow experiences

On 4 November, morning, the 1st snow fall in the city of Sapporo. They called it 'The 1st snow', it is the snow that warns you about the entering into winter. After the 1st snow, it will stop for 2 to 3 weeks before the 'real' winter starts, and then, you will have very frequent snowing throughout the next 5 months (in the case of Hokkaido, or maybe only 4 months, lets see). The following photo shows how it's like from the view of my apartment.
It was the very 1st time in my life that I see snow falling...

I was expecting to see how it's like the snow that falling from the sky... but honestly, I didn't felt like enjoying that very 1st experience. Instead, I was worried, I have a morning class to catch, but worried that the snow acts like rain, will get me wet.
Ya this sounds embarrassing, but, well...

In the night of 19 November, when I am on my way cycling to cinema, snow started falling again, quite heavy indeed...
This time, the falling snow looks so gracefull in the beam of the street lights. People starts to walk with faster pace, some puts on their head cover, and some looks for shelter...
The sky was dark, but the street of the city was bright with many light and neon, and reflection of the falling snow... This is when I enjoy snow for the 1st time.

When I came out from the cinema after an approximately 2 hours' show (how long exactly is the Red Cliff part1?), the whole city was already been covered by snow... about 2 inches thick I guess. Cycling became harder... but quite a fun experience :)

After I was back to my apartment, a crazy idea came across my mind - why not try to make a snowman? Then here you go, the 1st snowman that I made, as shown...

Because there were very short supply of snow at the balcony of my apartment, I can only made a very small scale one...

Well, the snowman is doing what snowman does - stay out of the house, and still smiling :)

What makes a picture a picture?

This is a photo-turned-painting work, via Photoshop.
The photo was captured during my recent visit to Hakodate.
It was at Mt. Hakodate (very famous for its night scene) during sun set.

Problem:
Due to low light condition, the resulting photo was suffered from severe digital noise - at level that can't be solved using noise filter (It's my 1st experience encountering this problem, though I shot night scene before, see my fireworks, but such problem never arise... more to be investigated about this problem).

Solution:
Since the photo encompasses elements that make good picture (as elaborates at the end of this post), I decided not to give it up, by turning it into a 'painting' via photoshop.
Through photoshop conversion, the digital noise will disappear as may be seen.

Methods:
Open the photo in Photoshop.
Filter>Brush Strokes>Angled Strokes> then adjust the settings according to your need.


Elements make a picture a picture:
Depth -
Foreground, middle, and background; These 3 layers bring out the sense of depth for a picture/photo which is in reality two-dimensional.
Notice that when looking at the picture, your eyes traveling fore and back as if there is depth in this 2D space?
Rule of Third -
Things that are divided into equaled-half are boring, avoid it!
Apply the golden Rule of Third instead, by dividing things into one third or two third of the picture space.
See, each layers of my picture taking out one third of the space.

Then, place the 'Point of Interest' of your picture (i.e. the most interesting spot of your picture that when people look at your picture, their eyes will first meet there, e.g. eyes of the model in case of a human portrait picture, or top of the Mt. Fuji in case of a Mt.-Fuji-landscape picture, etc.) at either of the 4 intersections.

*Note: These two elements especially important in the case of landscape photography or painting.
If you are new to this, you should now start thinking of this rules when looking at others' picture or trying to make your own.
Perhaps, now is time for you to re-looking back my photos in the previous post that you think good, I'm sure you can tell now why they are 'good' :)

The Northeast Part of Japan - Nosappu

In 22 August, 2008, I've been to the northeast part of Japan, Nosappu, in the city of Nemuro.
The weather is very cool there because of the cold north wind from Russia.

One of the good thing being an international student is that you have the opportunity to join many activities, mostly free of charge or subsidised, because it's kind of cultural exchange program etc, thus people like me are wanted here in this foreign land.

My Very 1st Autumn Shots (2008, Sapporo)

As promised (to myself) that I'll create a post just for my autumn shots. Here we go...

The 1st three shots were taken during an autumn trip organized by Hokkaido University International Student Association.

Photo below is the famous Otaru Canal...



See photo below, the B&W polarizer is so powerful that it made the trees 'pop up' from the sky as if it's fake... At close up, the leaves look very attractive in yellow, be it in focused (the foreground) or off focused (the background), the whole shot give me a golden touch, so I believe many ppl will love this shot very much too - who don't love 'gold' anyway! Again, all these shots are taken from the same street- One of the main entrance into Hokkaido University (North 8, West 4). At both sides of the street are rolls of these tree (I don't know the name) that turn yellow at late autumn. Thus it's one of the attraction during autumn where it will be visited by thousands of people (or maybe million?). My apartment is at North 11, West 4, so I pass by this road everyday when going to my lab. I usually cycle to the university, but start walking after the trees turn yellow.
I am not a poet, so I don't know how to express how beautiful is the scene, but hope that my photos do... Many artist visited the place for painting, while I paint too; As photography is defined as "painting with light", so I am right to say that I am painting too, just that when the artist uses paints, brushes and paper, I am using lights, lenses, and photo sensor.
And guess what, there are other's painting in my painting :p As mentioned before, there are so many people visited the place, so happed that my friend is one of them... she was passing by when I am busying 'painting'. I said to her "Hi!... how about..." and so she became my 'painting' subject too.
The shot required great patient, because the place is so crowded while I wanted my portrait shot without distracting background... Finally the following shot is made with a long wait and a little touch out in Photoshop; to get rid of people that I can't avoid while in the scene.
Photography tip of this post:
So from the last paragraph, you should have noticed that I pay serious attention to the background of my shots, just as I would to the subject.
Go look around photos that you think best, they all have the same feature - Non-distracting background!
Just imaging that while my subject is posing there, background are old nanny collecting fruits on the floor, while obasan here and ojisan there taking photos of their grand, and some children playing with the fallen leaves - The whole shot will be spoiled!

向左走向右走

‘向左走向右’看了吗？剧情真的很假哟…

但，一部爱情片的成功与否，不是在于它够不够真实，而是在于它有没有让你感动了:’(

Miniature world of Otaru-music-box shop

Otaru, one of the very romantic tourist centre in Hokkaido, is well known for its artistic glass works, music boxes, and seafood. I have the opportunity to visit this town via Autumn Trip 2008, organised by HUISA (Hokkaido University International Students Association) the last Sunday.
My intention of joining the trip is mearly to photography autumn scenary, but to my supprise, I ended out shooting the most the miniatures in this music box shop...


Here we go for series of shots I did in the shop (bear in mind that most of them are just about the size of a thumb)...






















Technical considerations:

f/2.8 (As I don't have tripod with me, this large opening is in order for me to use higher shutter speed in the indoor, dim light; Again, my investment in the canon EOS 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM II paid)

1/60 sec (so that I can shoot hand-held in closeup)

ISO1600 (noises reduced at 4 in postprocessing using Canon's Digital Photo Professional 3.4)

p/s: BTW, how about my autumn scenery! well, will create a post especially dedicated to it :) After all, it's the 1st autumn that I experience, so don't want it to be messed up with something else.