2018 Shinjuku Gyoen Chrysanthemums: Capturing Autumn Gold
The 2018 Shinjuku Gyoen chrysanthemums were autumn gold. Under the clear skies of a perfect fall day, the flowers were breathtaking. I actually visited twice in one day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Both gave me two very different experiences with the event and how to photograph it best.
My first attempt in the morning was a lesson in popularity. The paths teemed with visitors, all eager to see the meticulously cultivated displays. It was so crowded that I gave up on getting any meaningful shots. Rather than fight the crowds, I decided to return just before the gates closed. This meant less time for photography, but the trade-off was a calmer experience with fewer people around the flowers. That allowed me to capture the images I had envisioned.
Navigating the crowds: Three strategies for photographers
The biggest challenge at a popular event like this is dealing with the crowds. With a limited number of displays, everyone gathers in the same spots. As a photographer, you have a few choices.
- Embrace the human element. You can incorporate other visitors into your shots, which can sometimes add a sense of scale and life to your photos.
- Wait it out. If you have the patience, you can wait for a clearing in the crowd to get an unobstructed shot. Be warned, this can take a significant amount of time.
- Fill the frame. This was my primary strategy. By getting up close and filling the entire frame with the intricate details of the chrysanthemums, I could isolate them from the busy background. Patience was still key, but this approach allowed me to focus solely on the beauty of the blooms.
In the end, focusing tightly on the flowers was the most rewarding approach for me, and I was thrilled with the results.
The star of the show: Ozukuri
My favorite display was the ozukuri, a stunning, dome-shaped cascade featuring hundreds of blooms grown from a single plant. Photographing this masterpiece is always a unique challenge. Do you shoot it head-on to capture its perfect symmetry, or from the side to appreciate its depth and structure? I tried both, and you can see the different perspectives in the photos here.
The 2018 Shinjuku Gyoen Chrysanthemums wide-angle view
That year, I also experimented with my wide-angle Fujifilm 10-24mm lens. It was a bit of a mixed bag. While it allowed me to capture the grandeur of the displays, I found that when shooting up close, the corners of the image would appear stretched. This distortion wasn’t ideal, but it was an interesting learning experience in understanding the limits and strengths of a wide-angle perspective for flower photography.
A final thought
As I wandered through the gardens, I found myself wondering about the chrysanthemum’s popularity. In Australia, it’s a traditional Mother’s Day gift. In Japan, it holds a place of honor as the symbol of the Imperial Family. Yet, when people here talk about their favorite flowers, you often hear about cherry blossoms or hydrangeas before chrysanthemums. Despite this, the sheer number of people who flock to this exhibition every year proves its enduring appeal.
Shinjuku Gyoen is undoubtedly one of the best places in Tokyo to witness this incredible floral art form, though it certainly has rivals worth exploring.
My photography gear for the day
For those interested in the technical details, here is the equipment I used:
- Camera: Fujifilm X-T2
- Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has photographed Tokyo since 2011. He shoots it with his Canon EOS R5. The project will take more than one lifetime to complete.
