I have always wanted to visit Japan and Tokyo specifically. When a Scott Kelby Photography workshop email arrived in my inbox I was immediately interested and excited to attend. Myself and twelve other photographers traveled to Tokyo for a five day intensive photography workshop with Scott and his VP Erik Kuna. This was my second workshop after traveling to Santorini last year. I knew I was in for a lot of hours, a lot of photography growth, and a lot of fun. On any trip you are hoping for one great image. Here are some of my favorite images from the trip:
Senso-ji temple
Our week began with an early morning shoot at the Senso-ji temple, Tokyo's oldest buddhist temple. The grounds begin with the Kaminarimon Gate, impressive by itself but just the beginning of many interesting sights around the temple.
Shibuya
We had several very long days during the workshop with an opportunity to shoot Tokyo at night. I was looking forward to seeing the lights and energy of the town after dark. Our first night shoot included a visit to the world-famous Shibuya crossing.
We had opportunities to photograph both Shibuya and Shinjuku during the week. The bold colors and movement were seemingly everywhere.
Our practice panning from an earlier Kelby Inner Circle assignment came in handy during the trip as we attempted to capture bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles moving about the city at night.
Omoide Yokocho
In Shinjuku there is a section of small alleyways where food is the attraction. Tiny restaurants and grills fill the alleys attracting large crowds. Before my trip I wanted to capture a shot of an open grill with lots of atmosphere and character. This...is...the...place...
Shibuya and Shinjuku at night
Kyoto
Mid-week we took the bullet train from Tokyo station south to Kyoto to photograph for the day. Mt. Fuji was barely visible on the trip down - not clear enough for a good photo however. We visited the famed Arishyama Bamboo Forest along with equally famous Fushimi Inari Shrine with its glowing red gates.
Modern Architecture
For fans of Modern Architecture Tokyo has many great buildings to see both during the day and lit up at night. Our host, Scott Kelby, taught us a technique to create fine art images from our architecture shots. I hope to improve this technique with practice.
Visions of silhouettes
Our hosts were aided by a photography guide throughout the workshop. Lawrence guided us to locations most would not know about for many of our sessions. Several of the spots we visited were perfect for taking high contrast shots of silhouettes against light or dark backgrounds. This was a new genre of photography for me and it will fit in well with my street photography.
It was a great workshop for myself and all of the photographers. We had a great time, worked hard, and came away with amazing images from Tokyo. Until the net time...
Credits:
JJL Photography