A day of shadow hunting in Shinjuku
Chinese photographer Fan Ho fascinates me. His photos amaze me because he was a master of light and shadow. I resolved to do my own. So I headed to Nishi-Shinjuku to see what I could do.
Well, skill levels aside, there are more differences between Ho and me. The landscapes we work with are different. And Fan did much of his work in the 1950s and 1960s in Hong Kong, half a century ago. Nish-Shinjuku has nothing in common with that city. What would I do?
I started with some trepidation. Never before had I done anything like this. Well, I had once at Yushima Seido, but that was a simple thing. And even though I knew Nishi-Shinjuku well, it was my first time doing something creative there.
Still, I realized what I needed to do once I took my first photo. Well, I thought I understood. As with everything in life, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. But there are times we still won’t be sure. Anyway, the more I walked, the more shadows I found. They were in the sky, on walls, on the ground. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower was covered in them. I saw them everywhere.
The one thing that I was happy about was the timing. I got some nice shadows with the sun only halfway into the sky. They nicely angled across the buildings.
In the end, I learned one important thing. It is harder to write about shadows than take pictures of them. Should I stop writing? Please leave comments below. I’d appreciate it if a word or two (or three) appeared.
What was my photo gear for these pics?
Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF10-24 mm F4 R OIS
- Fujifilm XF 55-200 mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and okonomiyaki. His camera will capture the entire city one day.
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External related websites:
- Fan Ho Photography (official website)