#Photography

How much does a photoshoot cost?

Work: writing, research and design
Thursday, August 24th, 2023

If you're looking to up your photography and move past the "selfie", you might consider a photoshoot. High quality, unique images can make your brand stand out. This is particularly true if you've been relying on product photos provided by suppliers or wholesalers.

So what does it take to have your own unique photos? It's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question. The most expensive shoot I've worked on was a couple of thousand pounds [keep reading...]

Unpopular opinion: Tokyo is overrated

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, August 7th, 2023

I can cope with it for a few hours, but longer than that and it starts to get the better of me. The noise, the atmosphere, the sense of being crushed. Too much.

Don't get me wrong. There are some lovely places to visit, from the Statue of Liberty (no, honest) and its surrounding parkland to the various temples and parks dotted about. It's just to get [keep reading...]

Tamba: another of Japan’s Jurassic Parks

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, July 24th, 2023

Dinosaur fossils have been found in about three dozen locations in Japan. Wherever they pop up, the local city makes the most of the tourist potential. From museums to mascots, evidence of the country's prehistoric past is writ large for those who go looking.

For the most part these are aimed at the local tourist rather than those from foreign shores. Most of the museums I've explored around Hyogo and Kyoto have predominantly Japanese information with little in English beyond a few name plates. To be fair, they are way off the beaten tourist trail and are pretty [keep reading...]

“Gosh, that’s a big Buddha!”

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, July 17th, 2023

While there's no official state religion in Japan, both Shinto and Buddhism cast a long shadow over the culture. The country is full of temples, shrines [keep reading...]

The cranes at Kawasaki Heavy

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, July 10th, 2023

I've lost count of the number of times these have appeared in my shots. The dockside cranes at Kawasaki Heavy Industries are like old friends. They stand tall, often silhouetted against Kobe's rich evening sky, waiting for me to arrive with camera in hand.

Mostly they stand still. Occasionally I see them move, shuffling something weighty from submarine to dock. Once I watched as one of the mighty machines slid gingerly on its tracks. For a moment I had the impression it was about to rise up and transform [keep reading...]

Why I’ve returned to Lockdown Mode to beat my work from home blues

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, July 3rd, 2023

Between the rain and work, I've spent too much of these past couple of weeks indoors. It's been tough, and I've slipped both mentally and physically. The aches are back. So too the melancholy. You should see my prompts [keep reading...]

Hydrangea spotting in Kobe

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Tuesday, June 20th, 2023

I went nature spotting at the Kobe City Forest Botanical Garden. It's not the catchiest of names, but it doesn't disappoint.

Japan has distinct seasons. In times of old, a Japanese season lasted about a fortnight, and it isn't hard to see why. Sakura lasts about that long. [keep reading...]

Panasonic LUMIX: an old camera makes a return

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, June 5th, 2023

With my Nokia Smartphone starting to look a little tired, thoughts turned to a new camera. I love my FujiFilm X-T20, but it can be a bit bulky and inconvenient. I wanted something small and compact, good enough for a bit of ad hoc snapping. Maybe some [keep reading...]