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tokyo

The tide changes

At the end of last year, we were back in Japan for a wedding and some skiing in the alps, but amidst the fun, I’ve been peeling back layers of my online pres...

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

N700 Bullet Train

This was my favourite bullet train for years, since I first came to Japan, in fact.

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

With a Whisky #7

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Laphroaig, this time), “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prom...

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Dodging the rain

Rainy season really is rainy season. In the last week, we’ve only had a few hours without rain. I was lucky enough to be in Shibuya during one of those hours.

Go big or go home

Tokyo Skytree, written 東京スカイツリー and pronounced “Tōkyō Sukaitsurī” in Japanese, is 634m tall broadcasting tower in eastern Tokyo. I’d only ever looked at the ...

Impulses

To honour the demolition of Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium, Japan air self-defence forces’ acrobat team, the Blue Impulse, could be seen (& heard) flyi...

Tokyo Station [Drink And Click™]

I attended another Tokyo “Drink and Click” last night, and had a great time taking long-exposure shots around the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. 

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

Stumbled Upon

There’s something very “Tokyo” about going for walk with no real purpose, and stumbling upon something like the image above.

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

Limbo

It was one of those non-stop weeks. You know the kind; at times, it felt as though I was on autopilot. A busy week at work, coupled with meeting up with peop...

Black And White

Things aren’t always black and white (even if they are black and white). Do not fear, the driver hasn’t abandoned the train – I was in fact in the last car, ...

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

Frozen in Time

It’s widely accepted that us humans are different to “the animals” in many ways; with one key aspect being our “understanding” of time. We have the ability t...

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

Sedate Sunday

Today was, as predicted, a complete wash-out. I woke up at around 12:30pm, which is even later for me. I’m recovering from a flu, or cold, or something rotte...

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

Thawing Out

It’s the first Saturday in weeks that we’ve not been submerged in snow. No blizzard today, just very clear skies. In fact, the huge mounds of snow dotted aro...

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

A Jiyugaokan Jaunt

I’ve shown photos from Jiyugaoka numerous times. It’s a lovely place in central Tokyo, and is definitely worth a visit.

Wandering [what to do?]

Though my destination is usually the same each night (same train line, same final stop), I try to walk through different backstreets to increase my chances f...

Uptown

In contrast to yesterday’s post, the area of Aoyama (Blue Maountain) in central Tokyo is about as upmarket as one can get before the famous Ginza district.

Ascension

I would argue that there are two zoos in Ueno; the official Ueno Zoo, and downtown Ueno. Downtown Ueno is home to one of the more “seedy” [みすぼらしい] areas in T...

Squared-off

I couldn’t help but think of the never-ending “battle of the sensor sizes” between camera manufacturers when I saw this structure.

Pipe

The gap in the fence was just large enough to squeeze the lens through! I liked the obvious ageing in this scene, from the rusty pipe to the obviously draugh...

My friend Zaq

I don’t think that this advertising ploy had any effect on these little girls, other than a few moments of happiness. I felt sorry for the person inside, tho...

Where’s my wallet?

It’s fashionable in Japan to keep one’s wallet in one’s back pocket - something my father told me never to do under any circumstances. I suppose that’s the d...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Tokyo Motor Show [2013]

I like cars very much, and jumped at the chance to attend the “special preview night” of the Tokyo Motor Show before it opened this weekend. Tickets were lim...

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

Sunny Sunrise

It seems that I’m forever saying that the weather will improve, only for the weekend to be a wash-out. This last weekend was, again, a damp and dreary affair...

Uncharacteristically wet

The weather forecast for the next 7 days alludes to more rain, cloudy days, and generally a rather British-style autumn. It’ll be November soon! October last...

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

Communication lines

Look up in Japan, and you may see something similar to this. There’s an abundance of overhead cabling so dense, it’s a wonder there’s any room for birds to r...

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

Drawing Crowds

Rather a short post, but I wanted to share what I saw tonight as I walked through Shinjuku station in Tokyo. There were easily 100+ women of all ages, taking...

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

In line

This set of posters caught my attention as I walked through the Roppongi district in Tokyo. My brother’s here for a few weeks, having a much deserved holiday...

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

Roadside

After spending much of the weekend inside, looking at various computer screens, we decided to get out of the apartment and make the most of some lovely weath...

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

Chidorigafuchi at night

Just as fast as it came… it’s gone. Tokyo’s hanami, lasting just about 10 days, surprised us all and has left as suddenly as it came. It’s all pretty much gr...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

Colour, contrast

Quite clearly Japan. The trees, the topography; this certainly isn’t the UK. I don’t usually take photos with multiple-exposure, as I don’t usually take a tr...

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

End of Fall

The weather in Tokyo has taken a sharp turn and become rather cold. Just two weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket, but now there’s a crispness in the air signif...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

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japan

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

Hiroshima in Focus

Before 1945, Hiroshima was a thriving castle town, a key economic hub, and a centre of samurai culture under the Asano clan. Today, it is best known as the s...

Miyajima Part II – hike up Mt. Misen

Scaling Mount Misen via the Daisho-in Route was an adventure—3km, 2,000 stone steps, and a race against the setting sun. Dressed more for a city stroll than ...

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

My Tottori, My Dune

Explore the unique Tottori Sand Dunes, a hidden gem just 300km from Hiroshima City. Discover Japan’s least populated prefectural capital, featuring impressiv...

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

Izushi

“Our random drive through the back roads of central Japan took us to Izushi, Hyogo prefecture.”

N700 Bullet Train

This was my favourite bullet train for years, since I first came to Japan, in fact.

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

Morning Light

![Office A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/640s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/c82d2-image-asset.jpeg)

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Dodging the rain

Rainy season really is rainy season. In the last week, we’ve only had a few hours without rain. I was lucky enough to be in Shibuya during one of those hours.

Impulses

To honour the demolition of Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium, Japan air self-defence forces’ acrobat team, the Blue Impulse, could be seen (& heard) flyi...

Tokyo Station [Drink And Click™]

I attended another Tokyo “Drink and Click” last night, and had a great time taking long-exposure shots around the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. 

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Though I was fortunate enough to play with a model railway in my formative years, it wasn’t until I first visited Japan that I really understood the appeal o...

Tōfukuji – 東福寺

Tōfukuji (東福寺) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto that is particularly famous for the colours of its autumn foliage, though many trees have red leav...

Fushimi Inari - 伏見稲荷

If you were to think of “Japan”, there’s a high chance that you’d conjure up images of “red gates” in mountains, after you’ve thought about sushi, cartoon ch...

Quiet Kyoto

I was fortunate to tag along to a work-related trip to Kyoto at the end of last week, and escaped the seemingly never-ending rain of Tokyo. Kyoto is differen...

Stumbled Upon

There’s something very “Tokyo” about going for walk with no real purpose, and stumbling upon something like the image above.

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

Black And White

Things aren’t always black and white (even if they are black and white). Do not fear, the driver hasn’t abandoned the train – I was in fact in the last car, ...

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

Frozen in Time

It’s widely accepted that us humans are different to “the animals” in many ways; with one key aspect being our “understanding” of time. We have the ability t...

Sedate Sunday

Today was, as predicted, a complete wash-out. I woke up at around 12:30pm, which is even later for me. I’m recovering from a flu, or cold, or something rotte...

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

Thawing Out

It’s the first Saturday in weeks that we’ve not been submerged in snow. No blizzard today, just very clear skies. In fact, the huge mounds of snow dotted aro...

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

Wandering [what to do?]

Though my destination is usually the same each night (same train line, same final stop), I try to walk through different backstreets to increase my chances f...

Uptown

In contrast to yesterday’s post, the area of Aoyama (Blue Maountain) in central Tokyo is about as upmarket as one can get before the famous Ginza district.

Squared-off

I couldn’t help but think of the never-ending “battle of the sensor sizes” between camera manufacturers when I saw this structure.

Pipe

The gap in the fence was just large enough to squeeze the lens through! I liked the obvious ageing in this scene, from the rusty pipe to the obviously draugh...

My friend Zaq

I don’t think that this advertising ploy had any effect on these little girls, other than a few moments of happiness. I felt sorry for the person inside, tho...

Where’s my wallet?

It’s fashionable in Japan to keep one’s wallet in one’s back pocket - something my father told me never to do under any circumstances. I suppose that’s the d...

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

Folding Fields

The coastline around Fukui-prefecture is characterised by jagged metamorphic rock (of which I took a photo last year), and the vast expanse of the Sea of Jap...

The Steamy Mountain Forests

I’ve spent the last couple of days in Fukui prefecture (where this shot was taken), undertaking repairs for work. I’m pretty tired after hours of travelling ...

Aroma

I made the transition from instant coffee to real coffee during my PhD. The difference is so dramatic, that they’re essentially different drinks, and should ...

Surface Tension

I’ve always been fascinated by pond-skaters.  They seem to defy the laws of physics, though they are perhaps merely ambassadors. The overcast skies made for ...

Sunny Sunrise

It seems that I’m forever saying that the weather will improve, only for the weekend to be a wash-out. This last weekend was, again, a damp and dreary affair...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

Communication lines

Look up in Japan, and you may see something similar to this. There’s an abundance of overhead cabling so dense, it’s a wonder there’s any room for birds to r...

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

Political climate

There’s politics in the air. Local elections are taking place all over Tokyo, which means that there are numerous posters and political campaigners with loud...

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

Drawing Crowds

Rather a short post, but I wanted to share what I saw tonight as I walked through Shinjuku station in Tokyo. There were easily 100+ women of all ages, taking...

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

Colour, contrast

Quite clearly Japan. The trees, the topography; this certainly isn’t the UK. I don’t usually take photos with multiple-exposure, as I don’t usually take a tr...

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

End of Fall

The weather in Tokyo has taken a sharp turn and become rather cold. Just two weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket, but now there’s a crispness in the air signif...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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nex-7

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

End of Fall

The weather in Tokyo has taken a sharp turn and become rather cold. Just two weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket, but now there’s a crispness in the air signif...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

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rx1

Salzburg

A few photos from walking around Salzburg.

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

Please let me Finnish

Finland is a funny place. There’s a population of 5 million (that’s Manchester and Birmingham combined), and a language that is like no other.

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

Vertical Correction

Those of you in the know, who spend time processing photos in your digital darkroom, probably know that it is possible to “correct” images for some types of ...

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

RX1 in London

After lots of deliberation over which lenses are more suitable for a day trip to London, I decided to ignore my camera bag and just picked up the RX1. Full-f...

Mist opportunities

Here’s one nice thing about driving into work, rather than taking a cramped commuter train in Tokyo—the view.

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Impulses

To honour the demolition of Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium, Japan air self-defence forces’ acrobat team, the Blue Impulse, could be seen (& heard) flyi...

Limbo

It was one of those non-stop weeks. You know the kind; at times, it felt as though I was on autopilot. A busy week at work, coupled with meeting up with peop...

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

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a7r

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

Updating the A7R on High Sierra

So, I finally figured out how to update my A7R with the latest firmware. I didn’t realise, but it’s been years since I have updated the firmware, and we are ...

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

What else is a macro lens good for?

A proper macro lens must reproduce objects on the sensor at 2:1 or better—1:1 is often referred to as a “proper” macro lens, and anything beyond 2:1 reproduc...

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

Travelling without moving

Travel is great, but one thing it does is eat up time. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit in the last few weeks, which has provided some very i...

Morning Light

![Office A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/640s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/c82d2-image-asset.jpeg)

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

Manchester in Black and White

Sometimes the weather is just against you, no matter what. I lived in Manchester for a number of years, and basically lived by that phrase. There’s just noth...

Jórvík (York)

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. T...

Going Native

I decided to take my A7R out with its native 55mm lens; SEL55F18Z. This lens is possibly the E-mount’s best lens in terms of measurable, objective, optical p...

Life’s too short…

At present, I’m not taking nearly as many photographs as I would like. This is due to the combination of a busy working week, and miscellaneous menial activi...

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Limbo

It was one of those non-stop weeks. You know the kind; at times, it felt as though I was on autopilot. A busy week at work, coupled with meeting up with peop...

Sedate Sunday

Today was, as predicted, a complete wash-out. I woke up at around 12:30pm, which is even later for me. I’m recovering from a flu, or cold, or something rotte...

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

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street

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

Ueno Nights

Ueno is an interesting little district in central Tokyo. Famous for its zoo, park, museums, and shitamachi 「下町 」– lit. the “low city”.

Sedate Sunday

Today was, as predicted, a complete wash-out. I woke up at around 12:30pm, which is even later for me. I’m recovering from a flu, or cold, or something rotte...

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

A Jiyugaokan Jaunt

I’ve shown photos from Jiyugaoka numerous times. It’s a lovely place in central Tokyo, and is definitely worth a visit.

Uptown

In contrast to yesterday’s post, the area of Aoyama (Blue Maountain) in central Tokyo is about as upmarket as one can get before the famous Ginza district.

Ascension

I would argue that there are two zoos in Ueno; the official Ueno Zoo, and downtown Ueno. Downtown Ueno is home to one of the more “seedy” [みすぼらしい] areas in T...

Squared-off

I couldn’t help but think of the never-ending “battle of the sensor sizes” between camera manufacturers when I saw this structure.

Pipe

The gap in the fence was just large enough to squeeze the lens through! I liked the obvious ageing in this scene, from the rusty pipe to the obviously draugh...

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

Political climate

There’s politics in the air. Local elections are taking place all over Tokyo, which means that there are numerous posters and political campaigners with loud...

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

In line

This set of posters caught my attention as I walked through the Roppongi district in Tokyo. My brother’s here for a few weeks, having a much deserved holiday...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

Roadside

After spending much of the weekend inside, looking at various computer screens, we decided to get out of the apartment and make the most of some lovely weath...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

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sony

Sony MZ-R37 Review - Minidisc Recorder

There are others on the internet doing a better job of objectively reviewing… everything, but I’m going to stick to my subjective review style. I do apprecia...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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zeiss

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

Colour, contrast

Quite clearly Japan. The trees, the topography; this certainly isn’t the UK. I don’t usually take photos with multiple-exposure, as I don’t usually take a tr...

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voigtlander

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

Chidorigafuchi at night

Just as fast as it came… it’s gone. Tokyo’s hanami, lasting just about 10 days, surprised us all and has left as suddenly as it came. It’s all pretty much gr...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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street-photography

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

My friend Zaq

I don’t think that this advertising ploy had any effect on these little girls, other than a few moments of happiness. I felt sorry for the person inside, tho...

Where’s my wallet?

It’s fashionable in Japan to keep one’s wallet in one’s back pocket - something my father told me never to do under any circumstances. I suppose that’s the d...

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

In line

This set of posters caught my attention as I walked through the Roppongi district in Tokyo. My brother’s here for a few weeks, having a much deserved holiday...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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travel

Hiroshima in Focus

Before 1945, Hiroshima was a thriving castle town, a key economic hub, and a centre of samurai culture under the Asano clan. Today, it is best known as the s...

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

My Tottori, My Dune

Explore the unique Tottori Sand Dunes, a hidden gem just 300km from Hiroshima City. Discover Japan’s least populated prefectural capital, featuring impressiv...

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

Please let me Finnish

Finland is a funny place. There’s a population of 5 million (that’s Manchester and Birmingham combined), and a language that is like no other.

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

A cure for GAS

I’ve written about gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) before, and I’m going to go one step further with this post. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, ...

Quiet Kyoto

I was fortunate to tag along to a work-related trip to Kyoto at the end of last week, and escaped the seemingly never-ending rain of Tokyo. Kyoto is differen...

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

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flowers

Makro

Just a quick snap from one of my favourite lenses—the Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R. It’s a heavy lens, and goes down to a 2:1 macro, which is very usable. It h...

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

By Any Other Name

We set out on Sunday afternoon, cameras in hand, with no real purpose other than to enjoy a good walk. I decided I’d muscle-up, and carry the A7R with Tamron...

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

Roadside

After spending much of the weekend inside, looking at various computer screens, we decided to get out of the apartment and make the most of some lovely weath...

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50mm

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

Going Native

I decided to take my A7R out with its native 55mm lens; SEL55F18Z. This lens is possibly the E-mount’s best lens in terms of measurable, objective, optical p...

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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35mm

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Back to top ↑

walking

Stumbled Upon

There’s something very “Tokyo” about going for walk with no real purpose, and stumbling upon something like the image above.

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Thawing Out

It’s the first Saturday in weeks that we’ve not been submerged in snow. No blizzard today, just very clear skies. In fact, the huge mounds of snow dotted aro...

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

Wandering [what to do?]

Though my destination is usually the same each night (same train line, same final stop), I try to walk through different backstreets to increase my chances f...

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

Roadside

After spending much of the weekend inside, looking at various computer screens, we decided to get out of the apartment and make the most of some lovely weath...

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england

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

Jórvík (York)

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. T...

RX1 in London

After lots of deliberation over which lenses are more suitable for a day trip to London, I decided to ignore my camera bag and just picked up the RX1. Full-f...

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

With a Whisky #2

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Going Native

I decided to take my A7R out with its native 55mm lens; SEL55F18Z. This lens is possibly the E-mount’s best lens in terms of measurable, objective, optical p...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Le Tour Cambridge

A first, I thought I was lost, but I was actually in the UK to witness Stage 3 of Le Tour de France, from Cambridge to London.

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landscape

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

Folding Fields

The coastline around Fukui-prefecture is characterised by jagged metamorphic rock (of which I took a photo last year), and the vast expanse of the Sea of Jap...

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

End of Fall

The weather in Tokyo has taken a sharp turn and become rather cold. Just two weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket, but now there’s a crispness in the air signif...

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macro

Makro

Just a quick snap from one of my favourite lenses—the Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R. It’s a heavy lens, and goes down to a 2:1 macro, which is very usable. It h...

What else is a macro lens good for?

A proper macro lens must reproduce objects on the sensor at 2:1 or better—1:1 is often referred to as a “proper” macro lens, and anything beyond 2:1 reproduc...

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

By Any Other Name

We set out on Sunday afternoon, cameras in hand, with no real purpose other than to enjoy a good walk. I decided I’d muscle-up, and carry the A7R with Tamron...

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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uk

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

Jórvík (York)

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. T...

A Different Point of View

After taking my phone out with me last weekend, I thought I’d go a little larger and use the RX100 this weekend. I wanted to see how I would get on with just...

Bourn Mill

Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to th...

Going Native

I decided to take my A7R out with its native 55mm lens; SEL55F18Z. This lens is possibly the E-mount’s best lens in terms of measurable, objective, optical p...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Making the most of magic hour

It’s nice to still have oodles of daylight available after a full day out. Better still, the sun hangs low in the sky, which results in some nice shadows and...

Waddesdon Manor

Finally, I “have the internet”. It’s taken a while—my most recent posts were actually composed on my phone, which is far from ideal—but now that I have the i...

Life’s too short…

At present, I’m not taking nearly as many photographs as I would like. This is due to the combination of a busy working week, and miscellaneous menial activi...

Le Tour Cambridge

A first, I thought I was lost, but I was actually in the UK to witness Stage 3 of Le Tour de France, from Cambridge to London.

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switzerland

When sharpness matters

In the world of high-resolution photography, sharpness and megapixels often take centre stage. However, as I reflect on my experience with Sony’s powerful A7...

Winter Moments

It’s been rather a busy end to the year, but that’s no surprise. The short daylight hours and other priorities have left photography as a distant thought in ...

Alpine Tour - Day 1

Taking the back roads, avoiding Autobahns, we left early on Saturday morning in the direction of the Alps. Warming up the tyres on the bikes on some well tro...

Updating the A7R on High Sierra

So, I finally figured out how to update my A7R with the latest firmware. I didn’t realise, but it’s been years since I have updated the firmware, and we are ...

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

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food

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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holiday

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

Vertical Correction

Those of you in the know, who spend time processing photos in your digital darkroom, probably know that it is possible to “correct” images for some types of ...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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university

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

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nex-c3

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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bw

Squared-off

I couldn’t help but think of the never-ending “battle of the sensor sizes” between camera manufacturers when I saw this structure.

My friend Zaq

I don’t think that this advertising ploy had any effect on these little girls, other than a few moments of happiness. I felt sorry for the person inside, tho...

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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autumn

A Different Point of View

After taking my phone out with me last weekend, I thought I’d go a little larger and use the RX100 this weekend. I wanted to see how I would get on with just...

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

Sunny Sunrise

It seems that I’m forever saying that the weather will improve, only for the weekend to be a wash-out. This last weekend was, again, a damp and dreary affair...

Uncharacteristically wet

The weather forecast for the next 7 days alludes to more rain, cloudy days, and generally a rather British-style autumn. It’ll be November soon! October last...

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

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shinjuku

Morning Light

![Office A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/640s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/c82d2-image-asset.jpeg)

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

Where’s my wallet?

It’s fashionable in Japan to keep one’s wallet in one’s back pocket - something my father told me never to do under any circumstances. I suppose that’s the d...

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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raw

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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okinawa

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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black-and-white

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

Manchester in Black and White

Sometimes the weather is just against you, no matter what. I lived in Manchester for a number of years, and basically lived by that phrase. There’s just noth...

By Any Other Name

We set out on Sunday afternoon, cameras in hand, with no real purpose other than to enjoy a good walk. I decided I’d muscle-up, and carry the A7R with Tamron...

Black And White

Things aren’t always black and white (even if they are black and white). Do not fear, the driver hasn’t abandoned the train – I was in fact in the last car, ...

Ueno Nights

Ueno is an interesting little district in central Tokyo. Famous for its zoo, park, museums, and shitamachi 「下町 」– lit. the “low city”.

Single Lenses & Single Malts

I met up with a fellow RX1 owner and photography-enthusiast last night, for a bite to eat and a few drinks. He brought along his Ricoh GR, and I was quite im...

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

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flower

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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blossom

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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yellow

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

Cambridge Botanical Gardens

A friend at work suggested that we pop to the botanical gardens at lunchtime, which I thought would be a great idea, even more so as I had my RX1 with me.

Making the most of magic hour

It’s nice to still have oodles of daylight available after a full day out. Better still, the sun hangs low in the sky, which results in some nice shadows and...

Keeping the autumn spirit alive

The autumn colours have all but disappeared from central Tokyo, though some remains aloft. Most leaves have long since fallen, and the weather’s turned much ...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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urban

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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abstract

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

By Any Other Name

We set out on Sunday afternoon, cameras in hand, with no real purpose other than to enjoy a good walk. I decided I’d muscle-up, and carry the A7R with Tamron...

Pipe

The gap in the fence was just large enough to squeeze the lens through! I liked the obvious ageing in this scene, from the rusty pipe to the obviously draugh...

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

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coffee

Updating the A7R on High Sierra

So, I finally figured out how to update my A7R with the latest firmware. I didn’t realise, but it’s been years since I have updated the firmware, and we are ...

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

Aroma

I made the transition from instant coffee to real coffee during my PhD. The difference is so dramatic, that they’re essentially different drinks, and should ...

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

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leaves

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

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tree

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

Back to top ↑

night

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

Ueno Nights

Ueno is an interesting little district in central Tokyo. Famous for its zoo, park, museums, and shitamachi 「下町 」– lit. the “low city”.

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

Ascension

I would argue that there are two zoos in Ueno; the official Ueno Zoo, and downtown Ueno. Downtown Ueno is home to one of the more “seedy” [みすぼらしい] areas in T...

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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snow

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

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work

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

The Steamy Mountain Forests

I’ve spent the last couple of days in Fukui prefecture (where this shot was taken), undertaking repairs for work. I’m pretty tired after hours of travelling ...

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

Constructive boredom

There’s an awful lot of building work going on at the moment. So much so, that I am not sure if the cicadas or builders are making more noise. Under such con...

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aps-c

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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nokton

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rain

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Uncharacteristically wet

The weather forecast for the next 7 days alludes to more rain, cloudy days, and generally a rather British-style autumn. It’ll be November soon! October last...

Tire-phoons

A double-typhoon last week has summed up quite a tiresome October. The strong wind coupled with the opening of the heavens, along with a few other factors, h...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

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canon

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

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green

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

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nature

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

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asia

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trees

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

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weather

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

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sakura

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

Frozen in Time

It’s widely accepted that us humans are different to “the animals” in many ways; with one key aspect being our “understanding” of time. We have the ability t...

Chidorigafuchi at night

Just as fast as it came… it’s gone. Tokyo’s hanami, lasting just about 10 days, surprised us all and has left as suddenly as it came. It’s all pretty much gr...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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review

Sony MZ-R37 Review - Minidisc Recorder

There are others on the internet doing a better job of objectively reviewing… everything, but I’m going to stick to my subjective review style. I do apprecia...

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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city

Go big or go home

Tokyo Skytree, written 東京スカイツリー and pronounced “Tōkyō Sukaitsurī” in Japanese, is 634m tall broadcasting tower in eastern Tokyo. I’d only ever looked at the ...

Quiet Kyoto

I was fortunate to tag along to a work-related trip to Kyoto at the end of last week, and escaped the seemingly never-ending rain of Tokyo. Kyoto is differen...

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

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sel55f18z

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

Going Native

I decided to take my A7R out with its native 55mm lens; SEL55F18Z. This lens is possibly the E-mount’s best lens in terms of measurable, objective, optical p...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

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16mm

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

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fall

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

Back to top ↑

hanami

Frozen in Time

It’s widely accepted that us humans are different to “the animals” in many ways; with one key aspect being our “understanding” of time. We have the ability t...

Chidorigafuchi at night

Just as fast as it came… it’s gone. Tokyo’s hanami, lasting just about 10 days, surprised us all and has left as suddenly as it came. It’s all pretty much gr...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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mobile-phone

A few mobile snaps

I’ve been taking photos with mobile phones since my first camera phone, which predated the iPhone-era by quite some time. Most of those photos are long gone,...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

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lenses

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

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leica

Makro

Just a quick snap from one of my favourite lenses—the Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R. It’s a heavy lens, and goes down to a 2:1 macro, which is very usable. It h...

What else is a macro lens good for?

A proper macro lens must reproduce objects on the sensor at 2:1 or better—1:1 is often referred to as a “proper” macro lens, and anything beyond 2:1 reproduc...

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

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sunset

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cosina

Old Lady

Lovely weather again this morning. Walking from Akihabara to Hongo after treating Charlotte to a birthday Starbucks breakfast, the air was crisp and the stre...

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light

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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temple

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

Stumbled Upon

There’s something very “Tokyo” about going for walk with no real purpose, and stumbling upon something like the image above.

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

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akihabara

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

Wandering [what to do?]

Though my destination is usually the same each night (same train line, same final stop), I try to walk through different backstreets to increase my chances f...

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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sel24f18z

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

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cherry-blossoms

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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jiyugaoka

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

A Jiyugaokan Jaunt

I’ve shown photos from Jiyugaoka numerous times. It’s a lovely place in central Tokyo, and is definitely worth a visit.

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insect

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

Surface Tension

I’ve always been fascinated by pond-skaters.  They seem to defy the laws of physics, though they are perhaps merely ambassadors. The overcast skies made for ...

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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buildings

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

Go big or go home

Tokyo Skytree, written 東京スカイツリー and pronounced “Tōkyō Sukaitsurī” in Japanese, is 634m tall broadcasting tower in eastern Tokyo. I’d only ever looked at the ...

Keeping the autumn spirit alive

The autumn colours have all but disappeared from central Tokyo, though some remains aloft. Most leaves have long since fallen, and the weather’s turned much ...

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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red

Fushimi Inari - 伏見稲荷

If you were to think of “Japan”, there’s a high chance that you’d conjure up images of “red gates” in mountains, after you’ve thought about sushi, cartoon ch...

Keeping the autumn spirit alive

The autumn colours have all but disappeared from central Tokyo, though some remains aloft. Most leaves have long since fallen, and the weather’s turned much ...

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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whisky

With a Whisky #7

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Laphroaig, this time), “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prom...

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

With a Whisky #2

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Single Lenses & Single Malts

I met up with a fellow RX1 owner and photography-enthusiast last night, for a bite to eat and a few drinks. He brought along his Ricoh GR, and I was quite im...

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countryside

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

Bourn Mill

Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to th...

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

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sakura-2014

Frozen in Time

It’s widely accepted that us humans are different to “the animals” in many ways; with one key aspect being our “understanding” of time. We have the ability t...

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

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28mm

Washington DC

So I’ve only gone and bought myself a new bloody camera. Somehow I managed to justify it to myself, though the truth of the matter is all of the photos in th...

Travelling without moving

Travel is great, but one thing it does is eat up time. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit in the last few weeks, which has provided some very i...

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

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europe

Please let me Finnish

Finland is a funny place. There’s a population of 5 million (that’s Manchester and Birmingham combined), and a language that is like no other.

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

Vertical Correction

Those of you in the know, who spend time processing photos in your digital darkroom, probably know that it is possible to “correct” images for some types of ...

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vienna

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

Travelling without moving

Travel is great, but one thing it does is eat up time. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit in the last few weeks, which has provided some very i...

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

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black-forest

The Great Outdoors

The site is back up and running, but the import tool has only imported text, and not the images, from the last few months of 2021. Not a big deal, but a litt...

Baden Baden

I haven’t used my new camera enough yet, as life has been in the way. I do notice the pixel difference to the A7R (36 vs 24), but of course, none to the RX1....

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sel18200le

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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mountain

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

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animal

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

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garden

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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bullet-train

N700 Bullet Train

This was my favourite bullet train for years, since I first came to Japan, in fact.

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Though I was fortunate enough to play with a model railway in my formative years, it wasn’t until I first visited Japan that I really understood the appeal o...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

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park

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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setagaya

Stumbled Upon

There’s something very “Tokyo” about going for walk with no real purpose, and stumbling upon something like the image above.

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

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plum

Thawing Out

It’s the first Saturday in weeks that we’ve not been submerged in snow. No blizzard today, just very clear skies. In fact, the huge mounds of snow dotted aro...

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cherry-blossom

Chidorigafuchi at night

Just as fast as it came… it’s gone. Tokyo’s hanami, lasting just about 10 days, surprised us all and has left as suddenly as it came. It’s all pretty much gr...

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24mm

The tide changes

At the end of last year, we were back in Japan for a wedding and some skiing in the alps, but amidst the fun, I’ve been peeling back layers of my online pres...

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

Manchester in Black and White

Sometimes the weather is just against you, no matter what. I lived in Manchester for a number of years, and basically lived by that phrase. There’s just noth...

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botanical-gardens

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

Cambridge Botanical Gardens

A friend at work suggested that we pop to the botanical gardens at lunchtime, which I thought would be a great idea, even more so as I had my RX1 with me.

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ueno

Ueno Nights

Ueno is an interesting little district in central Tokyo. Famous for its zoo, park, museums, and shitamachi 「下町 」– lit. the “low city”.

Wandering [what to do?]

Though my destination is usually the same each night (same train line, same final stop), I try to walk through different backstreets to increase my chances f...

Ascension

I would argue that there are two zoos in Ueno; the official Ueno Zoo, and downtown Ueno. Downtown Ueno is home to one of the more “seedy” [みすぼらしい] areas in T...

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

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dsc-rx1

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

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lens

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

With a Whisky #3

Written whilst enjoying a single malt Lemsip, “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or ...

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

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china

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

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clouds

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

Political climate

There’s politics in the air. Local elections are taking place all over Tokyo, which means that there are numerous posters and political campaigners with loud...

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

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summer

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

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architecture

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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fukui

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Folding Fields

The coastline around Fukui-prefecture is characterised by jagged metamorphic rock (of which I took a photo last year), and the vast expanse of the Sea of Jap...

The Steamy Mountain Forests

I’ve spent the last couple of days in Fukui prefecture (where this shot was taken), undertaking repairs for work. I’m pretty tired after hours of travelling ...

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spring

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

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london

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

RX1 in London

After lots of deliberation over which lenses are more suitable for a day trip to London, I decided to ignore my camera bag and just picked up the RX1. Full-f...

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21mm

Washington DC

So I’ve only gone and bought myself a new bloody camera. Somehow I managed to justify it to myself, though the truth of the matter is all of the photos in th...

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

With a Whisky #7

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Laphroaig, this time), “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prom...

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motorbike

Triumph Speed Triple CAFE RACER

It’s all the rage at the moment, the cafe racer scene, thanks largely in part to Instagram and other social media channels. For those of you not on Instagram...

Alpine Tour - Day 1

Taking the back roads, avoiding Autobahns, we left early on Saturday morning in the direction of the Alps. Warming up the tyres on the bikes on some well tro...

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a73

Baden Baden

I haven’t used my new camera enough yet, as life has been in the way. I do notice the pixel difference to the A7R (36 vs 24), but of course, none to the RX1....

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germany

Baden Baden

I haven’t used my new camera enough yet, as life has been in the way. I do notice the pixel difference to the A7R (36 vs 24), but of course, none to the RX1....

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italy

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zug

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

When sharpness matters

In the world of high-resolution photography, sharpness and megapixels often take centre stage. However, as I reflect on my experience with Sony’s powerful A7...

Winter Moments

It’s been rather a busy end to the year, but that’s no surprise. The short daylight hours and other priorities have left photography as a distant thought in ...

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bird

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

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shinkansen

N700 Bullet Train

This was my favourite bullet train for years, since I first came to Japan, in fact.

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Though I was fortunate enough to play with a model railway in my formative years, it wasn’t until I first visited Japan that I really understood the appeal o...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

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camera

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

A cure for GAS

I’ve written about gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) before, and I’m going to go one step further with this post. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, ...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

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home

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

Back to top ↑

sigma

Up early

Woke up just before 6am this morning, to help Charlotte get the express train to the airport from the other side of Tokyo. Tokyo’s Narita Airport is quite fa...

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science

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sky

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

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toudai

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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ume

Colour, contrast

Quite clearly Japan. The trees, the topography; this certainly isn’t the UK. I don’t usually take photos with multiple-exposure, as I don’t usually take a tr...

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ryukyu

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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plants

Cambridge Botanical Gardens

A friend at work suggested that we pop to the botanical gardens at lunchtime, which I thought would be a great idea, even more so as I had my RX1 with me.

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lilies

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

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skyline

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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hiroshima

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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colour

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

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beijing

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

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wildlife

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

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skytree

Go big or go home

Tokyo Skytree, written 東京スカイツリー and pronounced “Tōkyō Sukaitsurī” in Japanese, is 634m tall broadcasting tower in eastern Tokyo. I’d only ever looked at the ...

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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tamron

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

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trains

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Though I was fortunate enough to play with a model railway in my formative years, it wasn’t until I first visited Japan that I really understood the appeal o...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

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yaeyama

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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rainbow

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sonnar

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

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photography

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

A few mobile snaps

I’ve been taking photos with mobile phones since my first camera phone, which predated the iPhone-era by quite some time. Most of those photos are long gone,...

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random

April 2025

Reflecting on April 2025 with haiku poetry — a month of phone-photography, language learning, and quiet creativity. Featuring iPhone 15 Pro captures and plan...

With a Whisky #3

Written whilst enjoying a single malt Lemsip, “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or ...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Sedate Sunday

Today was, as predicted, a complete wash-out. I woke up at around 12:30pm, which is even later for me. I’m recovering from a flu, or cold, or something rotte...

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sel35f28z

Life’s too short…

At present, I’m not taking nearly as many photographs as I would like. This is due to the combination of a busy working week, and miscellaneous menial activi...

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

Made for each other

As one leaves the Yamanote loop, one very quickly finds that going east-west across Tokyo is far easier a task than traversing north-to-south. Today’s photo ...

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car

Winter Moments

It’s been rather a busy end to the year, but that’s no surprise. The short daylight hours and other priorities have left photography as a distant thought in ...

Mist opportunities

Here’s one nice thing about driving into work, rather than taking a cramped commuter train in Tokyo—the view.

With a Whisky #2

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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60mm

Makro

Just a quick snap from one of my favourite lenses—the Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R. It’s a heavy lens, and goes down to a 2:1 macro, which is very usable. It h...

What else is a macro lens good for?

A proper macro lens must reproduce objects on the sensor at 2:1 or better—1:1 is often referred to as a “proper” macro lens, and anything beyond 2:1 reproduc...

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

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ultron

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

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saffron-walden

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zurich

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freiburg

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ishigaki

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

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Switzerland

August Update

Visited the Zoo. Learned 2300 Kanji in under 6 months.

Prime Time

Exploring the breathtaking Swiss Alps on motorbikes, we captured stunning landscape photos of mountain passes and vistas. This post shares highlights from ou...

July 2025

Escaping some of the heat that kicked off July 2025 with photos from a recent hike up Mt. Rigi. Time may feel steady rather than fleeting, but life is full o...

Around Zug

A weekend digital detox with a visiting friend meant hiking, sightseeing, and minimal screen time—just enough to view and share some photos. Letting the im...

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hiking

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

Miyajima Part II – hike up Mt. Misen

Scaling Mount Misen via the Daisho-in Route was an adventure—3km, 2,000 stone steps, and a race against the setting sun. Dressed more for a city stroll than ...

When sharpness matters

In the world of high-resolution photography, sharpness and megapixels often take centre stage. However, as I reflect on my experience with Sony’s powerful A7...

Around Zug

A weekend digital detox with a visiting friend meant hiking, sightseeing, and minimal screen time—just enough to view and share some photos. Letting the im...

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low-light

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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pond

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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cloud

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

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train

Black And White

Things aren’t always black and white (even if they are black and white). Do not fear, the driver hasn’t abandoned the train – I was in fact in the last car, ...

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

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coffee-beans

Aroma

I made the transition from instant coffee to real coffee during my PhD. The difference is so dramatic, that they’re essentially different drinks, and should ...

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colours

By Any Other Name

We set out on Sunday afternoon, cameras in hand, with no real purpose other than to enjoy a good walk. I decided I’d muscle-up, and carry the A7R with Tamron...

Keeping the autumn spirit alive

The autumn colours have all but disappeared from central Tokyo, though some remains aloft. Most leaves have long since fallen, and the weather’s turned much ...

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japanese

Longer days

Discover my journey learning Japanese kanji with Anki, aiming to master over 2000 characters to improve my reading abilities. Plus, a quick update on new cam...

Japanese Maple

The Chinese character for tree, 木, basically looks like a tree. It’s quite an easy one to learn. Turn it upside down, imagine it falling, and it resembles so...

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winter

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

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wind

Tire-phoons

A double-typhoon last week has summed up quite a tiresome October. The strong wind coupled with the opening of the heavens, along with a few other factors, h...

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christmas

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government-building

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

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moon

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

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particles

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wide-angle

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akb

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

Watching Over You

I shared the photo below with a friend back in the UK tonight, who commented “how is it even remotely legal to have such a heavily tinted rear screen?

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alcohol

Single Lenses & Single Malts

I met up with a fellow RX1 owner and photography-enthusiast last night, for a bite to eat and a few drinks. He brought along his Ricoh GR, and I was quite im...

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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yokohama

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

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carl-zeiss

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

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ryukyu-islands

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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plum-blossom

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pollution

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typhoon

Tire-phoons

A double-typhoon last week has summed up quite a tiresome October. The strong wind coupled with the opening of the heavens, along with a few other factors, h...

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

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gas

A cure for GAS

I’ve written about gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) before, and I’m going to go one step further with this post. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, ...

With a Whisky #3

Written whilst enjoying a single malt Lemsip, “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or ...

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drink

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Aroma

I made the transition from instant coffee to real coffee during my PhD. The difference is so dramatic, that they’re essentially different drinks, and should ...

OJ

A nice big glass of ice-cold orange juice is a refreshing way to start the day. The little remote is for my Sony digital photo frame which sits below our TV,...

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insects

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

Surface Tension

I’ve always been fascinated by pond-skaters.  They seem to defy the laws of physics, though they are perhaps merely ambassadors. The overcast skies made for ...

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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life

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

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nokia

Uncharacteristically wet

The weather forecast for the next 7 days alludes to more rain, cloudy days, and generally a rather British-style autumn. It’ll be November soon! October last...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

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storms

Dramatic Lighting

This time of year is like a second rainy season. The skies are often very dramatic, with water-laden clouds lining the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may even...

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

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kamakura

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shrine

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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butterfly

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

Fluttering by

I noticed the briefest moment of sunshine during my lunch break, and took the opportunity to get to know my camera a little more. I took a number of photos i...

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shadows

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

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echizen

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

The Steamy Mountain Forests

I’ve spent the last couple of days in Fukui prefecture (where this shot was taken), undertaking repairs for work. I’m pretty tired after hours of travelling ...

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full-frame

I made it just 2 days…

Well, I made it 2 whole days (though just 1 shopping day) into 2014 without buying a new lens… though this lens was no impulse buy. It’s the new Sony FE (ful...

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cameras

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

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kyoto

Tōfukuji – 東福寺

Tōfukuji (東福寺) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto that is particularly famous for the colours of its autumn foliage, though many trees have red leav...

Fushimi Inari - 伏見稲荷

If you were to think of “Japan”, there’s a high chance that you’d conjure up images of “red gates” in mountains, after you’ve thought about sushi, cartoon ch...

Quiet Kyoto

I was fortunate to tag along to a work-related trip to Kyoto at the end of last week, and escaped the seemingly never-ending rain of Tokyo. Kyoto is differen...

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cambridge

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

Cambridge Botanical Gardens

A friend at work suggested that we pop to the botanical gardens at lunchtime, which I thought would be a great idea, even more so as I had my RX1 with me.

Le Tour Cambridge

A first, I thought I was lost, but I was actually in the UK to witness Stage 3 of Le Tour de France, from Cambridge to London.

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helicopter

Making the most of magic hour

It’s nice to still have oodles of daylight available after a full day out. Better still, the sun hangs low in the sky, which results in some nice shadows and...

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pancolar

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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reviews

Sony MZ-R37 Review - Minidisc Recorder

There are others on the internet doing a better job of objectively reviewing… everything, but I’m going to stick to my subjective review style. I do apprecia...

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amsterdam

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

Vertical Correction

Those of you in the know, who spend time processing photos in your digital darkroom, probably know that it is possible to “correct” images for some types of ...

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egu

Vienna with A7R - Pt 1

After 4 days back in the UK following on from my visit to Amsterdam, I was back at an airport. This time, I decided that being as I was on a work trip, alone...

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usa

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

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iphone

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tour

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hong-kong

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rant

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iso

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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prime

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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manual-focus

End of Fall

The weather in Tokyo has taken a sharp turn and become rather cold. Just two weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket, but now there’s a crispness in the air signif...

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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zoom

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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love

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fuji

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takao

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water

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language

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transport

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

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rose

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bamboo

Hints of Spring

It’s slowly getting warmer. The days are getting longer. The sun was out, and so at lunchtime a visit to the Cambridge Botanical Gardens was in order (again)...

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sun

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market

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shops

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christmas-tree

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roppongi

In line

This set of posters caught my attention as I walked through the Roppongi district in Tokyo. My brother’s here for a few weeks, having a much deserved holiday...

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shopping

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

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android

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nex

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wordpress

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

The Wordpress /page/2 error 404

Everything’s easy when you know how. I had found that clicking links at the end of my blog, to get to page 2 or 3, was landing users with an error 404, “page...

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cuisine

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japanese-food

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housing

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

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sensoji

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

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tower

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strange

Drawing Crowds

Rather a short post, but I wanted to share what I saw tonight as I walked through Shinjuku station in Tokyo. There were easily 100+ women of all ages, taking...

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taxi

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valentine

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valentines-day

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marunouchi

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water-feature

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c3

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festival

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matsuri

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sakura-2013

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sakura-season

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meguro

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nakameguro

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bunkyo

Thawing Out

It’s the first Saturday in weeks that we’ve not been submerged in snow. No blizzard today, just very clear skies. In fact, the huge mounds of snow dotted aro...

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skyscraper

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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tourism

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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stamen

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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colour-contrast

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

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contrast

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

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gardens

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drinks

Single Lenses & Single Malts

I met up with a fellow RX1 owner and photography-enthusiast last night, for a bite to eat and a few drinks. He brought along his Ricoh GR, and I was quite im...

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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heat

Summer Storms

Summer is definitely here. For the last two days, the temperature in central Tokyo peaked somewhere over 35°C. North of Tokyo, in the mountains of Gunma-ken,...

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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headphones

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tori

Fushimi Inari - 伏見稲荷

If you were to think of “Japan”, there’s a high chance that you’d conjure up images of “red gates” in mountains, after you’ve thought about sushi, cartoon ch...

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

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bokeh

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

Rain, a few drinks, DSC-RX1

Rainy season is truly upon us. It’s been raining solid since the weekend, with barely a break. The relentless humidity renders everything moist. Condensation...

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rainy-season

Dodging the rain

Rainy season really is rainy season. In the last week, we’ve only had a few hours without rain. I was lucky enough to be in Shibuya during one of those hours.

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

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tsuyu

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

Showers

Showers are the theme for June. Rain showers, and bathroom showers. It’s almost constantly raining at the moment, and is predicted to continue raining for as...

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fieldwork

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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clothes

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

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flight

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

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haneda

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

At the gate

I’m currently waiting to board my ANA 787 to Beijing (interestingly, still called Peking in Japanese). It’ll be my first time to visit mainland China, and I’...

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air-quality

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climate

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lumia-920

Uncharacteristically wet

The weather forecast for the next 7 days alludes to more rain, cloudy days, and generally a rather British-style autumn. It’ll be November soon! October last...

Mantis

I saw this little guy scuttle up to the top of a bollard. Only around 1inch (2.5cm) long, I crouched down and made use of the “touch-focus & capture” abi...

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advertising

My friend Zaq

I don’t think that this advertising ploy had any effect on these little girls, other than a few moments of happiness. I felt sorry for the person inside, tho...

Drawing Crowds

Rather a short post, but I wanted to share what I saw tonight as I walked through Shinjuku station in Tokyo. There were easily 100+ women of all ages, taking...

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yoyogi

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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art

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

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politics

Political climate

There’s politics in the air. Local elections are taking place all over Tokyo, which means that there are numerous posters and political campaigners with loud...

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sel16f28

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

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shinto

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sunflower

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

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sunflowers

Soaking up the sun

Yesterday saw the [temporary] return of fair weather after a week of drizzle. The temperature was around 35°C again, and the flowers seemed to appreciate the...

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cicada

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

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phones

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technology

My favourite computer is…

Weirdly, my iPad Pro. I would like the newer version, for the smaller bezels, FaceID, and the USB-C port. The new pencil has a couple of nice refinements, al...

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pipe

Pipe

The gap in the fence was just large enough to squeeze the lens through! I liked the obvious ageing in this scene, from the rusty pipe to the obviously draugh...

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

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rust

Rusty Pipe

I’m still getting used to my new camera, so it’s just as well that the weather is terrible at the moment, otherwise I’d be in danger of letting technology ge...

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apartments

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

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bicycle

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

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shibuya

Dodging the rain

Rainy season really is rainy season. In the last week, we’ve only had a few hours without rain. I was lucky enough to be in Shibuya during one of those hours.

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

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life-in-tokyo

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

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humidity

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

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tocho

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph de...

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal l...

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building

Squared-off

I couldn’t help but think of the never-ending “battle of the sensor sizes” between camera manufacturers when I saw this structure.

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fly

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stars

The celestial ballet

Have you ever set a reminder so far ahead in time that it really, truly, becomes a reminder? I did just that around a year ago, when I created a calendar ale...

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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panorama

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a7

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

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crow

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

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sunrise

Sunny Sunrise

It seems that I’m forever saying that the weather will improve, only for the weekend to be a wash-out. This last weekend was, again, a damp and dreary affair...

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daigakuimo

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

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potato

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

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sweet-potato

Super sweet potato

Quite a few people showed interest in my “University Potato” post, and I agreed that perhaps I didn’t give this rather interesting and utterly delicious snac...

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lake

August Update

Visited the Zoo. Learned 2300 Kanji in under 6 months.

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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animals

August Update

Visited the Zoo. Learned 2300 Kanji in under 6 months.

Surface Tension

I’ve always been fascinated by pond-skaters.  They seem to defy the laws of physics, though they are perhaps merely ambassadors. The overcast skies made for ...

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gingko

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nagano

The Pilot

I absolutely adore the bullet train - they’re like aeroplanes on rails. The above photo is of the E2 series Asama shinkansen, which took us from Tokyo to Nag...

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

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htc-one

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comparison

Blend is Beautiful

I agree with the above coffee advert - blend is beautiful. This sentiment is valid for certain aspects of photography, too. Often, it is desirable to have a ...

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products

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

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aoyama

Uptown

In contrast to yesterday’s post, the area of Aoyama (Blue Maountain) in central Tokyo is about as upmarket as one can get before the famous Ginza district.

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prints

Introducing: Prints

This is something I’ve been working on for many weeks, so it’s about time I gave it a little plug; I’m now selling ultra-high resolution prints (300 ppi)__.

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snow-2014

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

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website

Longer days

Discover my journey learning Japanese kanji with Anki, aiming to master over 2000 characters to improve my reading abilities. Plus, a quick update on new cam...

A Sunday Stroll

Well, it’s stopped snowing (for now). Very strong winds persisted all night through to this morning, leaving very clear skies, and very cold vegetables.

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drink-and-click

Tokyo Station [Drink And Click™]

I attended another Tokyo “Drink and Click” last night, and had a great time taking long-exposure shots around the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. 

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university-of-tokyo

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

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sakurajosui

Sakurajosui - 桜上水 - Part 1

We’ve lived here, in Setagaya ward’s Sakurajosui, for over three years now. And for a few weeks each year, its name’s been very apt. As predicted, Sunday was...

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construction

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

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15mm

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

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heliar

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

Wider-Eyes

As I mentioned in my last post, last week was rather busy. The weather was essentially perfect – not too cold, bright sun, and not windy at all. Though I oft...

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conference

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time

Life’s too short…

At present, I’m not taking nearly as many photographs as I would like. This is due to the combination of a busy working week, and miscellaneous menial activi...

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

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rx100

A Different Point of View

After taking my phone out with me last weekend, I thought I’d go a little larger and use the RX100 this weekend. I wanted to see how I would get on with just...

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

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buckinghamshire

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

Waddesdon Manor

Finally, I “have the internet”. It’s taken a while—my most recent posts were actually composed on my phone, which is far from ideal—but now that I have the i...

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80mm

Das Pancolar - Vienna Pt3

This post has been a long time coming. I’m currently in Japan for a week, on business, and haven’t had time to look at photos or really take many at all. I p...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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jupiter-3

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

With a Whisky #1

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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driving

Mist opportunities

Here’s one nice thing about driving into work, rather than taking a cramped commuter train in Tokyo—the view.

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orchid

With A Whisky #5

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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still-life

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distagon

Travelling without moving

Travel is great, but one thing it does is eat up time. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit in the last few weeks, which has provided some very i...

Back in Tokyo

![Hotel Life A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/160s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/9749e-image-asset.jpeg)

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mangrove

It’s not Black and White

It’s that time of year when Sony release a new A7 body. We have the A7, A7S, A7R, A7II, and now, the A7RII! First thing’s first, they are all very capable ca...

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forest

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swiss

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

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luzern

Luzern

The welcome party for the conference at ETH didn’t start until the evening, so I took a train with a friend to Luzern (or Lucerne). The weather, as you can s...

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america

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

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barcelona

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spain

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roses

Makro

Just a quick snap from one of my favourite lenses—the Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R. It’s a heavy lens, and goes down to a 2:1 macro, which is very usable. It h...

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a7iii

Baden Baden

I haven’t used my new camera enough yet, as life has been in the way. I do notice the pixel difference to the A7R (36 vs 24), but of course, none to the RX1....

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new-york

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motorcycle

Triumph Speed Triple CAFE RACER

It’s all the rage at the moment, the cafe racer scene, thanks largely in part to Instagram and other social media channels. For those of you not on Instagram...

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p30pro

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ipad

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

My favourite computer is…

Weirdly, my iPad Pro. I would like the newer version, for the smaller bezels, FaceID, and the USB-C port. The new pencil has a couple of nice refinements, al...

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amalfi

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beach

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schwarzwald

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minidisc

Sony MZ-R37 Review - Minidisc Recorder

There are others on the internet doing a better job of objectively reviewing… everything, but I’m going to stick to my subjective review style. I do apprecia...

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rowing

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weekly

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imperial-palace

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hokkaido

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

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sapporo

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

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Japan

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Miyajima

Miyajima Part II – hike up Mt. Misen

Scaling Mount Misen via the Daisho-in Route was an adventure—3km, 2,000 stone steps, and a race against the setting sun. Dressed more for a city stroll than ...

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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Hiroshima

Hiroshima in Focus

Before 1945, Hiroshima was a thriving castle town, a key economic hub, and a centre of samurai culture under the Asano clan. Today, it is best known as the s...

Miyajima Part II – hike up Mt. Misen

Scaling Mount Misen via the Daisho-in Route was an adventure—3km, 2,000 stone steps, and a race against the setting sun. Dressed more for a city stroll than ...

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iriomote

Happy New Year

A quiet start to 2026, new hardware on the desk, and the last frames from a summer trip to Iriomote-jima and Ishigaki-jima, shot with a new 90mm lens.

24mm as a boring wide angle

The 24mm is often dismissed as too normal—too close to what a phone can do. But with the right lens, it’s anything but boring.

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90mm

The tide changes

At the end of last year, we were back in Japan for a wedding and some skiing in the alps, but amidst the fun, I’ve been peeling back layers of my online pres...

Happy New Year

A quiet start to 2026, new hardware on the desk, and the last frames from a summer trip to Iriomote-jima and Ishigaki-jima, shot with a new 90mm lens.

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cooking

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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manual

Chef

Lens: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 Camera: NEX-C3, ISO 250, f/1.4, -3.0, 1/60, RAW

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boke

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fish

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koi

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feeding

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spider

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bangkok

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bike

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thailand

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tuk-tuk

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starbucks

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kit-lens

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18mm

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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rikugien

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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stabilisation

Rikugien at Night

I’ve been to Rikugien Gardens before, but never at night. Sunset is before 6pm now, so we won’t be leaving the work in sunlight for another 6 months, most li...

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flea

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fleamarket

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stalls

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danbo

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german-market

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wine

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ex-pat

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immigrants

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immigration

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30mm

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cat

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crop

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detail

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megapixels

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code-404

The Wordpress /page/2 error 404

Everything’s easy when you know how. I had found that clicking links at the end of my blog, to get to page 2 or 3, was landing users with an error 404, “page...

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error

The Wordpress /page/2 error 404

Everything’s easy when you know how. I had found that clicking links at the end of my blog, to get to page 2 or 3, was landing users with an error 404, “page...

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technical

The Wordpress /page/2 error 404

Everything’s easy when you know how. I had found that clicking links at the end of my blog, to get to page 2 or 3, was landing users with an error 404, “page...

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galaxy-nexus

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kushiyaki

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samsung

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yakitori

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house

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ice

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kichijoji

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restaurant

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twilight

Sensoji

I took this photo in October, 2011. Recently going through my archives, it jumped out of the dark at me. I’ve thrown it onto the homepage of my site, which w...

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view

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aerosol

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clear

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cold

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moonrise

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electric-town

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ale

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beer

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lager

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pedantic

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cafe

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club-sandwich

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sandwich

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chinatown

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chinese

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chinese-new-year

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lion

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year-of-the-snake

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foreigner

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gaijin

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commercial

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hibiya

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customer-support

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repair

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warranty

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hdr

Colour, contrast

Quite clearly Japan. The trees, the topography; this certainly isn’t the UK. I don’t usually take photos with multiple-exposure, as I don’t usually take a tr...

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dust

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conformity

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gender-roles

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romance

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stereotypes

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white-day

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wafu

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suntory

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vending-machine

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plant

Hanami

We went for our annual “hanami” (flower viewing; though mainly cherry blossoms) in Tokyo yesterday, as the season is here proper. Friends and family back hom...

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concrete

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tsutaya

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3-11

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disaster

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electricity

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energy

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nuclear

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power

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bag

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handbag

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manbag

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masculinity

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sexism

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stuff

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buds

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bomb-dome

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genbaku

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genbaku-dome

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bloom

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okonomiyaki

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miyajima

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pollen

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color

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purple

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umbrella

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waffles

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bubbles

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tsutsuji

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band

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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metal

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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music

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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ozzfest

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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ozzy

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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rock

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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tool

Ozzfest Japan 2013

Music is a funny thing. It polarises people. Lasers are also polarised. I like music, and I like lasers. When one of my favourite bands uses lasers. I’m happ...

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bubbys

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

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pie

Bubby’s Pie & Coffee

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to anyone receiving a huge amount of emails from my site over the last week. I’ve had a problem with Wordpress plugins, which ...

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data

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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ice-hockey

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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nhl

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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pimms

Mixing it up

Ice hockey is an unusual sport for the British to follow, as there’s basically zero-interest across the country. A few cities have teams, which are certainly...

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mdr-1r

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afternoon

Roadside

After spending much of the weekend inside, looking at various computer screens, we decided to get out of the apartment and make the most of some lovely weath...

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gates

Walking through Ueno Park

I ventured out from my air-conditioned office around noon to meet a work associate from Taiwan, at the nearby Ueno station in central Tokyo. I rarely leave t...

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breakfast

OJ

A nice big glass of ice-cold orange juice is a refreshing way to start the day. The little remote is for my Sony digital photo frame which sits below our TV,...

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oj

OJ

A nice big glass of ice-cold orange juice is a refreshing way to start the day. The little remote is for my Sony digital photo frame which sits below our TV,...

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orange-juice

OJ

A nice big glass of ice-cold orange juice is a refreshing way to start the day. The little remote is for my Sony digital photo frame which sits below our TV,...

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riverside

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

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sumida-ku

Criss Cross

I went for a stroll on Saturday afternoon during a break in the near-constant rain. I was meeting friends for drinks in Ginza, and thought I’d walk there fro...

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blur

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

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motion

Van Go

June’s passing in a blur. It’s almost July! The weather has gone from a pleasant spring, to a muggy and humid rainy season in full-swing. Today’s weather was...

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archive

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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arthropod

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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borneo

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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creepy-crawlies

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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malaysia

Closer

Taken in Borneo during 2008, this picture of a giant millipede was subconsciously inspired by some great artwork from the NIИ EP Closer, of the Downward Spir...

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shoes

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

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size

The Brogue

I’m above average height. That’s in UK terms. Here in Japan I’m so far above average, I can’t easily find shirts, trousers, or shoes. As returning to the UK ...

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haze

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pm10

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pm2-5

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smog

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tsinghua

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787

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

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ana

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

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boeing

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

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dreamliner

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japanese airlines ANA and JAL ordered the planes en masse. I recall seeing huge adverts around Tokyo (above). However, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner got off to r...

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anthers

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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sel30f35

Pollen

I rarely use my macro lens outside of the house, probably as its 30mm focal length is duplicated by the smaller and slightly faster sigma lens. I’m not sure ...

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mt-takao

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graffiti

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

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microcontrast

Graffiti

There’s not much graffiti around Tokyo, but there’s some really high quality stuff tucked away in the nooks and crannies of the city.

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poster

Political climate

There’s politics in the air. Local elections are taking place all over Tokyo, which means that there are numerous posters and political campaigners with loud...

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angles

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shapes

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squares

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triangles

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east-japan

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hachiman

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buddha

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lily

Golden rayed lily of Japan

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken pictures of lilies, and it won’t be the last. Usually, if I post photos of lilies, they’ll be ones I’ve bought for Charl...

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exuvia

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

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todai

Coming out to play

Over 40% of my photolibrary this year was captured using the Zeiss 24/1.8 for Sony E-mount (which translates to a focal length of 35mm on a camera with a “fu...

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920

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phone

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lumia

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bikes

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

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parking

No bikes

This apartment block, quintessentially Japanese in every way, had an interesting sign on the staircaseNo bicycles allowed”. The tenants solved this by parkin...

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lines

Communication lines

Look up in Japan, and you may see something similar to this. There’s an abundance of overhead cabling so dense, it’s a wonder there’s any room for birds to r...

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edogawa

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fireworks

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pruning

On growth

These trees are so heavily pruned each year, I’m routinely amazed by their relentlessness. This particular tree stands about 10m tall, and is considerably ol...

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falling-rain

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raining

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bisection

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

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bus-station

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

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half

The other side of Shibuya

Shibuya is a multi-layered behemoth of a district. There are roads above train lines above roads above tunnels. I wanted a photo showing another layer, the o...

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commute

To and From Work

I don’t drive for my daily commute, but some in Tokyo do. I spotted these cars as I was leaving work and heading to the train station to catch a ride home. I...

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lightning

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thunder

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land

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

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mansion

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

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rental

Almost level with the ground

It’s surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping stateme...

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doorway

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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stripes

Behind closed doors

This striking red building really stood out down the backstreets of Bunkyo, as I walked to meet Charlotte in Akihabara (click the photo for fullscreen). If i...

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bricks

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

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weave

Weaved

It’s far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan.  At first it’s quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years...

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pigeon

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luck

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mid-flight

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sound

Feel good hit of the summer

There’s no mistaking summer in Japan. Any summertime anime scene will have their distinct chorus in the background. I say background, but sometimes it can fe...

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railway

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

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station

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

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underground

Left, right?

There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or take...

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honto

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nansei-shoto

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tourist

Taketomi-jima - 竹富島

Sometimes the stars align in such a way, that one is convinced of fate. Staying on Taketomi-jima (jima means island in Japanese), was one of those moments. W...

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hibiscus

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dark

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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long-exposure

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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milky-way

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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space

The River of Heaven

It’s essentially impossible to see the Milky Way from Tokyo, due to the huge levels of light pollution.  Only when we venture far from our man-made distracti...

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goroawase

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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musashi

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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tokyo-sky-tree

Goroawase

Tokyo Sky Tree towers above Tokyo at a height of 634m, broadcasting HD television (amongst its other uses). Its height of 634m was no accident; it stands in ...

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shadow

The Shadows

This photo is from last week - it’s been raining here for the last couple of days and I’ve neglected my camera somewhat.

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grass

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bar

Single Lenses & Single Malts

I met up with a fellow RX1 owner and photography-enthusiast last night, for a bite to eat and a few drinks. He brought along his Ricoh GR, and I was quite im...

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delay

Not on schedule

After a large typhoon hit Tokyo last night, the trains are uncharacteristically not on schedule. That usually means that trains are running, but they may be ...

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kinmokusei

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

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osmanthus

Autumnal Aroma

What’s that smell? Oh, it’s kinmokusei, otherwise known as “G_olden Sweet Osmanthus”_ (also called the sweet olive). This shrub is found all throughout Japan...

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flying

Birds of a feather

Spend any length of time in Japan, and you’ll see crows. There are hardly any pigeons in all of Tokyo, but there are a few. These big crows rule the roost. N...

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boredom

Tire-phoons

A double-typhoon last week has summed up quite a tiresome October. The strong wind coupled with the opening of the heavens, along with a few other factors, h...

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hermit

Tire-phoons

A double-typhoon last week has summed up quite a tiresome October. The strong wind coupled with the opening of the heavens, along with a few other factors, h...

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morning

Sunny Sunrise

It seems that I’m forever saying that the weather will improve, only for the weekend to be a wash-out. This last weekend was, again, a damp and dreary affair...

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red-leaves

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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reflection

Upon Reflection

Sometime last week, though I can’t remember when, the clouds briefly parted and a few rays of sunlight burst through the gap.

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earthquake

Surface Tension

I’ve always been fascinated by pond-skaters.  They seem to defy the laws of physics, though they are perhaps merely ambassadors. The overcast skies made for ...

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tamagawa

A walk down the Tama River

I’m not sure why, but I always love to see paths, walls, and other man-made features “disrupted” by nature. The irony is that it is the man-made structures w...

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duck

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turning

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big-site

Tokyo Motor Show [2013]

I like cars very much, and jumped at the chance to attend the “special preview night” of the Tokyo Motor Show before it opened this weekend. Tickets were lim...

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cars

Tokyo Motor Show [2013]

I like cars very much, and jumped at the chance to attend the “special preview night” of the Tokyo Motor Show before it opened this weekend. Tickets were lim...

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tokyo-motor-show

Tokyo Motor Show [2013]

I like cars very much, and jumped at the chance to attend the “special preview night” of the Tokyo Motor Show before it opened this weekend. Tickets were lim...

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shinjukugyoen

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold fo...

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hedomisaki

Back in Okinawa

I’m back in Okinawa - this time for work - but rather than post uninspiring and dull photos of work (plus, this site is my hobby - to escape work!), I have a...

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question

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monkey

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

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snow-monkey

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We returned last night from an impromptu trip to the Japanese Alps. There’s no snow in Tokyo, but there was no shortage of snow here. I hope you enjoy the ph...

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ginza

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aperture

Sonnar 2/35

It’s raining a lot here in Tokyo (and Kyoto, apparently - you know who you are!), and so I decided to take a quick macro shot of my DSC-RX1.

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asakusa

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derelict

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street-ph

Ascension

I would argue that there are two zoos in Ueno; the official Ueno Zoo, and downtown Ueno. Downtown Ueno is home to one of the more “seedy” [みすぼらしい] areas in T...

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omotesando

Uptown

In contrast to yesterday’s post, the area of Aoyama (Blue Maountain) in central Tokyo is about as upmarket as one can get before the famous Ginza district.

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precipitation

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seasons

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coast

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

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rural

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

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sea-of-japan

Coasting to the coast

This is Part II of my two-part photo-journal related to a fieldwork trip in Fukui (Part I).

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landslide

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man-made

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rocks

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bubble

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physical-media

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blizzard

Yomping through the Snow

The now infamous Honshu Blizzard of 2014 was responsible for umpteen tonnes of snow dumped across Tokyo and regions beyond. We decided to lay low, and stay i...

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yushima

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fe-55

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bladerunner

Shooting in the rain

When it’s raining like this in central Tokyo, I can’t help but think of Blade Runner…

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nakano

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umegaoka

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kudanshita

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aoyama-cemetery

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cemetery

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akamon

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

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builders

Under Construction - 工事中

Spring isn’t just the time when the natural world comes alive – it’s also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.

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caterpillar

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

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daisy

Fresh as a daisy

Things have returned to “normal” here in Tokyo now that the cherry blossom blossoms have blossomed. Random little parks and patches of greenery are no longer...

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rcast

Black And White

Things aren’t always black and white (even if they are black and white). Do not fear, the driver hasn’t abandoned the train – I was in fact in the last car, ...

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jpgu

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minato-mirai

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jst

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

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yakiniku

JST a minute…

Time in Japan is all wrong. By that, I literally mean Japan Standard Time (JST). I feel this way due to living in Tokyo for a number of years, and JST seems ...

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temples

Quiet Kyoto

I was fortunate to tag along to a work-related trip to Kyoto at the end of last week, and escaped the seemingly never-ending rain of Tokyo. Kyoto is differen...

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inari

Tōfukuji – 東福寺

Tōfukuji (東福寺) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto that is particularly famous for the colours of its autumn foliage, though many trees have red leav...

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tofukuji

Tōfukuji – 東福寺

Tōfukuji (東福寺) is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto that is particularly famous for the colours of its autumn foliage, though many trees have red leav...

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tokaido

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Though I was fortunate enough to play with a model railway in my formative years, it wasn’t until I first visited Japan that I really understood the appeal o...

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compact

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

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humid

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

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muggy

Compacted

The “plum rain” season is just about to start. The origin of the word, as with many Japanese words, is Chinese. It’s written 梅雨 and is pronounced つゆ / tsuyu ...

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tokyo-station

Tokyo Station [Drink And Click™]

I attended another Tokyo “Drink and Click” last night, and had a great time taking long-exposure shots around the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. 

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aeroplane

Impulses

To honour the demolition of Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium, Japan air self-defence forces’ acrobat team, the Blue Impulse, could be seen (& heard) flyi...

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blue-impulse

Impulses

To honour the demolition of Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium, Japan air self-defence forces’ acrobat team, the Blue Impulse, could be seen (& heard) flyi...

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noodles

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

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tantanmen

Like a Leica

This photo pretty much sums up rainy season in Japan. When it’s not raining, it’s about to. A very localised storm headed our way this morning; I was alerted...

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cycling

Le Tour Cambridge

A first, I thought I was lost, but I was actually in the UK to witness Stage 3 of Le Tour de France, from Cambridge to London.

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church

Life’s too short…

At present, I’m not taking nearly as many photographs as I would like. This is due to the combination of a busy working week, and miscellaneous menial activi...

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manor-house

Waddesdon Manor

Finally, I “have the internet”. It’s taken a while—my most recent posts were actually composed on my phone, which is far from ideal—but now that I have the i...

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magic-hour

Making the most of magic hour

It’s nice to still have oodles of daylight available after a full day out. Better still, the sun hangs low in the sky, which results in some nice shadows and...

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bourn

Bourn Mill

Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to th...

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cambridgeshire

Bourn Mill

Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to th...

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mill

Bourn Mill

Bourn Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the UK. The earliest records show its use in 1636, but it is likely that this actual mill dates back to th...

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chicken

With a Whisky #2

Written whilst enjoying a single malt, ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or impress...

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mist

Mist opportunities

Here’s one nice thing about driving into work, rather than taking a cramped commuter train in Tokyo—the view.

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lumia-1520

A few mobile snaps

I’ve been taking photos with mobile phones since my first camera phone, which predated the iPhone-era by quite some time. Most of those photos are long gone,...

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town

A Different Point of View

After taking my phone out with me last weekend, I thought I’d go a little larger and use the RX100 this weekend. I wanted to see how I would get on with just...

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ashridge

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

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hertfordshire

Ashridge Estate - Pt. 1 - Ashridge House

Someone (mentioning no names; a passive-aggressive trait I’ve inherited from my father) accidentally drowned their car keys, and so we ventured to St. Albans...

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the-north

Jórvík (York)

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. T...

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york

Jórvík (York)

I needed a long boat, not a camera! The heavens opened during our drive up the A1(M) on Friday afternoon, and didn’t stop until sometime on Sunday morning. T...

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purchase

Introducing: Prints

This is something I’ve been working on for many weeks, so it’s about time I gave it a little plug; I’m now selling ultra-high resolution prints (300 ppi)__.

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shop

Introducing: Prints

This is something I’ve been working on for many weeks, so it’s about time I gave it a little plug; I’m now selling ultra-high resolution prints (300 ppi)__.

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manchester

Manchester in Black and White

Sometimes the weather is just against you, no matter what. I lived in Manchester for a number of years, and basically lived by that phrase. There’s just noth...

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vivitar

Manchester in Black and White

Sometimes the weather is just against you, no matter what. I lived in Manchester for a number of years, and basically lived by that phrase. There’s just noth...

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discussion

With a Whisky #3

Written whilst enjoying a single malt Lemsip, “With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent prose, or ...

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vivtar

Finding our bearings

The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t good, so we hopped into the car and hit the road. We don’t really know the area well at all, such is the life of a com...

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adobe

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

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editing

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

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lightroom

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

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post-processing

Let there be Light

To take a photograph, to capture an image, is to freeze time. More specifically it is to capture light. Space and time are intrinsically linked, but theories...

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20mm

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super-wide

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washing-machine

Rinse, Repeat

There’s a cyclic nature to the journey many people interested in photography will take, related to their gear. Artists with a vision, might be able to purcha...

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gloomy

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

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hitchin

Another 50mm…

Another weekend of dull weather (supremely foggy today), culminating in my lacking inspiration, which is a bit of a shame, as I have a couple of “new” optics...

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blue

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

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hampstead

Blue Skies

I am just about “done” with winter. I appreciate my car’s heated seat, warm clothes, and hot cups of coffee, but I am one of those people who prefers the war...

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bags

A cure for GAS

I’ve written about gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) before, and I’m going to go one step further with this post. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, ...

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gear

A cure for GAS

I’ve written about gear acquisition syndrome (GAS) before, and I’m going to go one step further with this post. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, ...

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espresso

Espresso and Blossoms

Arguably the best thing about Europe is that there is a hugely diverse set of cultures, and histories, just a few hours away. As with anything, it’s easy to ...

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clarity

Morning Light

![Office A7R & Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm F2.8 1/640s ISO100 28mm](/assets/images/c82d2-image-asset.jpeg)

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aist

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

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industrial

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

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tsukuba

Around AIST

![つつじ A7R & Carl Zeiss Sonnar 55mm F1.8 1/800s f/2.2 ISO100 55mm](/assets/images/bf890-image-asset.jpeg)

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critique

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

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curation

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

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selection

With a Whisky #6

Written whilst enjoying a single malt (Talisker, today), ”With a Whisky” brings you the latest ramblings from my side of the world. I can’t promise prominent...

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hotel

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tokyo-tower

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city-life

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f1-8

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contemporary-art

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kanazawa

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modern

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museum

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flag

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

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patriot

Zürich

This was my first time to Switzerland; an interesting country in central-west Europe, yet not part of the EU. With an interesting history and lots of archite...

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late-summer

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orange

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don-mcconnell

Guest Post - Cricket on the beach

Not everyone wants to have a blog, though many people do and simply don’t have time, energy, or the knowhow to get up and running. For readers who’d like to ...

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fuji-x100

Guest Post - Cricket on the beach

Not everyone wants to have a blog, though many people do and simply don’t have time, energy, or the knowhow to get up and running. For readers who’d like to ...

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guest-post

Guest Post - Cricket on the beach

Not everyone wants to have a blog, though many people do and simply don’t have time, energy, or the knowhow to get up and running. For readers who’d like to ...

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agu

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

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san-francisco

San Francisco

Travelling at the very end of the year can feel a little more exhaustive than usual. With Christmas just around the corner, there is probably more to think a...

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clothing

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savile-row

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suit

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austria

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bmw-m3

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dog

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e92

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m3

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mia

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hedgehog

Hedgehog

Finally, I used my camera again! In fairness, I have been using my camera on-and-off all summer, but either haven’t had the time to publish things to the web...

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frogs

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new-orleans

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rheinfall

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rhine

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waterfall

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firware

Updating the A7R on High Sierra

So, I finally figured out how to update my A7R with the latest firmware. I didn’t realise, but it’s been years since I have updated the firmware, and we are ...

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waffle

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finland

Please let me Finnish

Finland is a funny place. There’s a population of 5 million (that’s Manchester and Birmingham combined), and a language that is like no other.

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fuerteventura

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

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sea

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

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solo

Fuerteventura

I have always appreciated a good landscape. In part, I think it’s because I grew up in a very pretty but very flat part of the world—the horizon was the limi...

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alpine-tour

Alpine Tour - Day 1

Taking the back roads, avoiding Autobahns, we left early on Saturday morning in the direction of the Alps. Warming up the tyres on the bikes on some well tro...

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alps

Alpine Tour - Day 1

Taking the back roads, avoiding Autobahns, we left early on Saturday morning in the direction of the Alps. Warming up the tyres on the bikes on some well tro...

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touring

Alpine Tour - Day 1

Taking the back roads, avoiding Autobahns, we left early on Saturday morning in the direction of the Alps. Warming up the tyres on the bikes on some well tro...

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washington-dc

Washington DC

So I’ve only gone and bought myself a new bloody camera. Somehow I managed to justify it to myself, though the truth of the matter is all of the photos in th...

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bryant-park

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manhattan

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public-library

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ferrari

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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gtc4lusso

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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sports-car

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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luxury-car

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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car-review

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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v12-engine

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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all-wheel-drive

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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ice-driving

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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automotive-review

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso Review

Saalfelden, 20 February 2019. Five hours on a train cutting through the Alps from Switzerland to Austria is an impressive experience in its own merit, but th...

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bike-tour

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held

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motorcycletour

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tank-bag

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baden-baden

Baden Baden

I haven’t used my new camera enough yet, as life has been in the way. I do notice the pixel difference to the A7R (36 vs 24), but of course, none to the RX1....

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huawei

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france

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motorrad

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mountains

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cafe-racer

Triumph Speed Triple CAFE RACER

It’s all the rage at the moment, the cafe racer scene, thanks largely in part to Instagram and other social media channels. For those of you not on Instagram...

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speedtriple

Triumph Speed Triple CAFE RACER

It’s all the rage at the moment, the cafe racer scene, thanks largely in part to Instagram and other social media channels. For those of you not on Instagram...

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triumph

Triumph Speed Triple CAFE RACER

It’s all the rage at the moment, the cafe racer scene, thanks largely in part to Instagram and other social media channels. For those of you not on Instagram...

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55mm

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naples

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st-blasien

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astonmartin

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b500

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coronavirus

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covid19

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lockdown

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rhein

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sculling

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bourbon

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cocktail

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decorations

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old-fashioned

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whiskey

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models

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video-games

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wipeout

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speakers

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easter

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lamp

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light-fitting

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foal

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german

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horse

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pferd

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double-rainbow

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astro-city

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sega

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video-game

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books

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erebus

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indoors

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kandel

The Great Outdoors

The site is back up and running, but the import tool has only imported text, and not the images, from the last few months of 2021. Not a big deal, but a litt...

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trip

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audi

Winter Moments

It’s been rather a busy end to the year, but that’s no surprise. The short daylight hours and other priorities have left photography as a distant thought in ...

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aegerisee

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hike

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brunnen

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lucerne

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jimbocho

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日本

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kansai

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osaka

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hydrangea

Tokyo to Sapporo

Eighteen years after my first trip to Japan, this marks my first time on the island of Hokkaido in the north. The area is a winter tourist spot due to the ex...

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nagoya

N700 Bullet Train

This was my favourite bullet train for years, since I first came to Japan, in fact.

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ferry

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taketomi

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Fuji

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opera

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Tojinbo

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Sea of Japan

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Travel

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Fukui

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Rocks

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Landscape

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Blog

Tōjinbō II

A few photos from this familiar rock formation at the Sea of Japan, and some notes on the new website.

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Travel,

Salzburg

A few photos from walking around Salzburg.

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Salzburg,

Salzburg

A few photos from walking around Salzburg.

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Austria,

Salzburg

A few photos from walking around Salzburg.

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Tsuruga,japan,tour,countryside

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Izushi

Izushi

“Our random drive through the back roads of central Japan took us to Izushi, Hyogo prefecture.”

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Hyogo

Izushi

“Our random drive through the back roads of central Japan took us to Izushi, Hyogo prefecture.”

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Updates

Updates to the Site

After years of using Squarespace, I finally made the switch to Jekyll and GitHub Pages. The reasons? Clunky editing, restrictive workflows, poor mobile apps,...

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Cyberpunk

Updates to the Site

After years of using Squarespace, I finally made the switch to Jekyll and GitHub Pages. The reasons? Clunky editing, restrictive workflows, poor mobile apps,...

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PM250

Updates to the Site

After years of using Squarespace, I finally made the switch to Jekyll and GitHub Pages. The reasons? Clunky editing, restrictive workflows, poor mobile apps,...

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Zug

Around Zug

A weekend digital detox with a visiting friend meant hiking, sightseeing, and minimal screen time—just enough to view and share some photos. Letting the im...

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Yasugi

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

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Buddhist

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

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zen

Kiyomizu Temple, Yasugi

Staying within the serene grounds of Kiyomizu Temple in Yasugi was an experience unlike any other. The paper-thin walls and wooden architecture offered just ...

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tottori

My Tottori, My Dune

Explore the unique Tottori Sand Dunes, a hidden gem just 300km from Hiroshima City. Discover Japan’s least populated prefectural capital, featuring impressiv...

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sand

My Tottori, My Dune

Explore the unique Tottori Sand Dunes, a hidden gem just 300km from Hiroshima City. Discover Japan’s least populated prefectural capital, featuring impressiv...

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dunes

My Tottori, My Dune

Explore the unique Tottori Sand Dunes, a hidden gem just 300km from Hiroshima City. Discover Japan’s least populated prefectural capital, featuring impressiv...

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itsukushima

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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island

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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Buddhism

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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chugoku

Miyajima, Part I

Visiting Miyajima (Itsukushima), the famous “shrine island” near Hiroshima, is like stepping into a piece of Japan’s spiritual and scenic history. Home to th...

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pilatus

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

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macos

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

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macbook

A Pre-Spring Update

As March 2025 rolls in, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially when resurrecting old electronics like my original iPod (miPod) and scrol...

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Nagasaki

Nagasaki & Gunkanjima

Nagasaki, a city steeped in global history and quiet charm, was my first destination in Japan back in 2006. Known as the site of the second atomic bomb, it a...

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Gunkanjima

Nagasaki & Gunkanjima

Nagasaki, a city steeped in global history and quiet charm, was my first destination in Japan back in 2006. Known as the site of the second atomic bomb, it a...

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hashima

Nagasaki & Gunkanjima

Nagasaki, a city steeped in global history and quiet charm, was my first destination in Japan back in 2006. Known as the site of the second atomic bomb, it a...

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haiku

April 2025

Reflecting on April 2025 with haiku poetry — a month of phone-photography, language learning, and quiet creativity. Featuring iPhone 15 Pro captures and plan...

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april

April 2025

Reflecting on April 2025 with haiku poetry — a month of phone-photography, language learning, and quiet creativity. Featuring iPhone 15 Pro captures and plan...

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may

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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slovenia

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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ljubljana

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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lc500

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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lexus

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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bled

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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wildspitz

May 2025

After a month of cross-country drives, rainy hikes, and spring sunshine, I finally sat down to blog again. From high-intensity mountain hikes in Zug (acciden...

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blackandwhite

Longer days

Discover my journey learning Japanese kanji with Anki, aiming to master over 2000 characters to improve my reading abilities. Plus, a quick update on new cam...

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Rigi

July 2025

Escaping some of the heat that kicked off July 2025 with photos from a recent hike up Mt. Rigi. Time may feel steady rather than fleeting, but life is full o...

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Hiking

July 2025

Escaping some of the heat that kicked off July 2025 with photos from a recent hike up Mt. Rigi. Time may feel steady rather than fleeting, but life is full o...

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Furka

Prime Time

Exploring the breathtaking Swiss Alps on motorbikes, we captured stunning landscape photos of mountain passes and vistas. This post shares highlights from ou...

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Grimsel

Prime Time

Exploring the breathtaking Swiss Alps on motorbikes, we captured stunning landscape photos of mountain passes and vistas. This post shares highlights from ou...

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Susten

Prime Time

Exploring the breathtaking Swiss Alps on motorbikes, we captured stunning landscape photos of mountain passes and vistas. This post shares highlights from ou...

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Mountainpass

Prime Time

Exploring the breathtaking Swiss Alps on motorbikes, we captured stunning landscape photos of mountain passes and vistas. This post shares highlights from ou...

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Zoo

August Update

Visited the Zoo. Learned 2300 Kanji in under 6 months.

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kanji

August Update

Visited the Zoo. Learned 2300 Kanji in under 6 months.

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flickr

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internet

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subscription

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community

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monetization

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hakuba

The tide changes

At the end of last year, we were back in Japan for a wedding and some skiing in the alps, but amidst the fun, I’ve been peeling back layers of my online pres...

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test

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