On our last night in Tokyo, we started roaming around Shibuya to see what we could find. I ended up on one of the busiest streets then set up for a long exposure. Luckily, my family was more than patient enough to wait around for me to get these photos… but everyone was getting a bit hungry, so we headed off to find some burgers!

The Flow of Tokyo at Night

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-16 14:06:55
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time2
• Aperture11
• ISO100
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I got back to my hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton there in Tokyo, which happens to be in the highest building in the city. Every night, I would turn out all the lights in the room and sit on the window sill to take photos like this. They all came out great, and they look even better full-screen.

A Blue, Blue Night in Tokyo

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-14 14:45:03
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time24
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Here’s another photo from my favorite little drinking area of Tokyo. I didn’t take a photo inside any of this places… maybe I will next time. But even this angle shows you how quaint and intimate each little bar is, only seating less than 10 people. They all have tiny little doors too. I’ve bumped my head on them many times (even before drinking!).

Izzy’s Bar in Golden Gai

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-16 16:13:26
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time8
• Aperture11
• ISO100
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I know I’ve been posting a bunch of photos of downtown Tokyo! But I took so many and a lot of them turned out pretty cool. They’ve all been a thrill to edit in the new Aurora HDR 2018 as well. The tool gets better and faster each year, so it saves me a ton of time during the editing phase. And now, I’m pretty sure I can get results that are different than I used to be able to create.

Amazing Tokyo

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-14 10:35:12
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time11
• Aperture8
• ISO100
• Focal Length45.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

…and here’s the after photo! Thanks again Aurora HDR and the team at Macphun for helping to create such fun software! I’ve been using it a ton, and I’m really excited about going back to Japan to make more photos like this. I need to go out and shoot more at night around the city. It’s so much fun… I always feel like I leave something on the table there. This next trip, I don’t want to feel like that! 🙂

Shinjuku!

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-16 15:56:46
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time2
• Aperture11
• ISO100
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I think this is my new favorite area of Tokyo! It’s close to Shinjuku and it’s composed of about 3 small streets (almost alleys), and each one has about 30 bars jammed into it. But most of the bars only seat like 7-9 people. It’s so cool! Some disappear up into dark stairs and the great unknown. Some bars are quite old, and you can go there if you’re a regular, and buy a big bottle of sake and they will just label it and leave it there for you, every time you come back. I’ve only visited two bars here, but I’m about to up those numbers when I go back.

1 AM in Golden Gai

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-16 16:50:17
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time1/10
• Aperture5.6
• ISO1600
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Speaking of this amazing hotel that set up our fish market visit, this is the view from the restaurant called Hinokizaka. We had a fabulous meal there while taking photos out the window all the time. Note that the hotel bar is on the same level and looks out in the same direction. It’s the tallest building in Tokyo, so the views are pretty incredible!

Beautiful Tokyo Skyline from the Ritz-Carlton

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-14 11:31:26
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time3
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length90.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Japan, but when I go back to edit photos like this, it makes me want to go back again very soon. I forget how relatively “easy” it is to take interesting photos of people there. I’ve never had a problem taking street photos (well except this one time with this samurai vampire guy at night… that is another story) — and, often, the photos just come out plain interesting!

Japanese Girl in the Rain

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2014-03-20 21:07:42
• CameraILCE-7R
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1500
• Aperture
• ISO800
• Focal Length
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I don’t do a lot of single-shots of buildings, but when I’m in Tokyo I make an exception. I know nothing about architecture or how to make a cool building, but I’d like to think that if I was an architect that I could make something like this. I don’t know how these guys come up with ideas like this!

Awesome Buildings in Tokyo

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2014-03-23 20:14:04
• CameraILCE-7R
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1000
• Aperture
• ISO100
• Focal Length
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I look at photos like this and then kick myself a little for not staying out longer to take more photos! The city has so many little sections… I have to find some time to get back there! It’s like the ultimate parallel universe where I’m always pleasantly and delightfully surprised around every corner.

An Unexpected Scene in Tokyo

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2013-10-03 08:49:10
• CameraNEX-7
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/15
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length10.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias