Monday, October 11, 2010

A Photo Walk to Odaiba

Posted in Photo Walks

Among the many awesome and interesting places in Tokyo, Odaiba is by far my favorite place to visit.  It’s a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay with amazing views of the Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo Skyline.  In addition to it being a great place for photographs, Odaiba has many attractions such as the Fuji Television studios, several shopping complexes, restaurants, a replica of the Statue of Liberty, beaches, and the Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba to the heart of Tokyo.

Odaiba is most commonly accessed by taking the Yurikamome transit system.  However, on this day, I opted to take the more scenic route by walking across the north side of the Rainbow Bridge from Tamachi to Odaiba.  The north side provides a view of the Tokyo Harbor and skyscrapers, including the Tokyo Tower.  The south side gives a view of many shipping yards and Mount Fuji on a clear day.  I ended up on the north side of the bridge and managed to capture some interesting shots of Tokyo Bay, the Tokyo Tower, the Rainbow Bridge, and several other locations in Odaiba.

Posted in Photo Walks

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Visit to Ueno Zoo

Posted in Animals, Personal

During Obon week, an annual Buddhist event commemorating one’s ancestors, I had some time off from work and decided to do a bit of exploring. The Obon week in mid-August is one of Japan’s three major holiday seasons.  During this time, many people don’t have work or school.  Therefore, domestic and international travel is extremely busy and expensive.  Rather than deal with the crowds and the inflated travel fees, I opted to stay in town and visit places that I have yet to visit.

One of these places is Ueno Zoo, Japan’s oldest and most famous zoo.  The zoo, located in the Taito Ward of Tokyo, is home to over 2600 animals from 464 different species.  I spent the afternoon in both the western and eastern parts of the grounds photographing different animals including white rhinos, Asiatic elephants, Japanese macaques, giraffes, penguins, flamingos, and various kinds of birds.  Unfortunately, the last giant panda at Ueno Zoo, Ling Ling, died in April 2008.

Posted in Animals, Personal

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Air Jordan I Retro KO (AJKO) Hi Product Shot

Posted in Personal, Product Shots

With the recent release of the classic Air Jordan I Retro KO Hi basketball shoe, also known as the “AJKO,” I had a pair of the White/Black-Varsity Red colorway to photograph at my disposal. 

First, some background on the shoe…This colorway of the Air Jordan I Retro KO Hi, along with the White/Varsity Red, closely resemble the original versions that were released 25 years ago.  And just like their original counterparts, these two colorways feature full canvas uppers and come pre-weathered, giving them a vintage look straight from 1985.  This release marks the first time in 25 years that the AJKO has been available for sale, albeit in limited quantities. 

Rather than photograph the AJKO in the usual tabletop manner, I wanted to give the image some added life…one that will compliment the AJKO’s vintage look and urban feel.  To achieve this, I photographed the AJKO in front of a blue brick wall using nothing more than available light. 

Posted in Personal, Product Shots

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Dave’s Black & White Portrait Session, Hacienda Heights, CA

Posted in Individuals

Dave, the creative yet brutal mastermind behind CreativeMatador.com, was recently in the studio for a quick black & white portrait session.  Dave was photographed doing what he does best, sketching his illustrations on his sketchpad for his next creative piece.  The photos will not only be used for his blog but also on various web sites to promote Creative Matador. 

If you haven’t already, check out Dave’s artwork at CreativeMatador.com and his inspiration behind each piece. 

Posted in Individuals

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sottomarino Italia Watch Product Shots

Posted in Personal, Product Shots

In my ongoing quest to perfect the art of product photography, I experimented with something a little different this time around.  Rather than shoot your average-sized product, I wanted to photograph smaller products that contained more detail, such as watches. 

Prior to the shoot, I went out and purchased a tile of black granite as well as a sheet of clear plexi-glass.  The black granite tile adds more of a dramatic look and feel to the image, especially with the particular watch I used for the shoot.  The clear plexi-glass is an easy and effective way to add reflection to the shot.

One of the watches I used for this shoot is a Sottomarino Italia watch from the Otaria collection, model #SM-50095-A.  The case is made of solid stainless steel with black finish while the band is made of leather. 

Below are two images from the shoot, one with the black granite tile as the background and one with a white background with reflective surface. 

Posted in Personal, Product Shots

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