Fall flowers are pretty too!

I grew up in a the almost season-less sub-tropical climate of Southern Florida. It was hot, humid & wet in the summer and cool (almost never cold) and dry in the winter, which resulted in a practically endless growing season. There was very little variation in the flowers and plants that grew, and flowers for the most part would bloom year round.

This is not the situation in Tokyo and most of Japan. Seasons seem to be very distinct with certain flowers only appearing briefly during certain seasons. The Higanbana (red spider lily), white spider lily and toad lily appear in early fall. I'm still not sure what the purple and white bloom is.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 400, 1/125 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/200 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/125 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 400, 1/50 sec.

Yoyogi Koen Onion Family

One the way to the Okinawa Matsuri 2017 in Yoyogi Park, I spotted these unusual purple flowers and stopped to take a photo. Believe it or not, these flowers are in the onion family! Not sure if I got the exact type, but based on a quick google search they look like Allium 'Globus'.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.8, ISO 100, 1/500 sec.

Two More Autumn Higanbana, Photography Insecurities about White Balance

Here are two more higanbana that were blooming along a residential back alley in my Yoyogi neighborhood. Although in Japan these flowers may be associated with death and the dead, I've always enjoyed these flowers and look forward to their autumn arrival.

On a separate note, I have many insecurities about my photography, and am always looking to improve my in-camera and post-processing technique and workflow. Looking at my higanbana posts, white (and color balance) varies a little more than usual although some of these shots were taken at approximately the same time (this post). The slightly different angle of light result in a slightly different "color" balance due to the clouds, shade and nearby reflective surfaces. The camera and post-processing software may try to auto-balance but usually fail without human assistance and result in unnaturally warm or cool colors, and sometimes unusual color casts (perhaps due to a nearby green wall or ceiling). Although I generally like neutral to slightly warm images, I try to limit my post-processing and strive to reproduce a natural color palette that that reflects the actual conditions.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f8.0, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f5.6, ISO 100, 1/60 sec.

Last Autumn's Higanbana

As summer fades, green stems break the soil and by late-September, Red Spider Lilies or Higanbana are blooming in my quiet Yoyogi neighborhood.

Back in the present, there's beautiful light and a sunny winter day waiting outside in Tokyo; however, I'm still hobbled for another 3-weeks due to my fractured ankle. Perhaps, I'll make my way outside later on crutches even for a short hop, but until then I'll spend some time editing and re-processing my backlog and posting. Just don't get used to it. My bloggin productivity will probably taper off again once I'm on my feet and the sakura are in bloom.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.8, ISO 100, 1/160 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f4.0, ISO 100, 1/320 sec.

On the Highline

After a delicious and farm fresh breakfast at the Chelsea Creamline, we took a short walk and met friends on The Highline. Although it was crowded, it lived up to all the hype. What a magnificent use of urban space! The gardens were in full summer bloom and the art installations were whimsical, fun and modern. It was an amazing beautiful space.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f8, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f8, ISO 100, 1/160 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f8, ISO 100, 1/250 sec.

Yoyogi Park Hydrangea Paniculata

Been very busy the last few months, and have neglected my blog. Summer is almost over and I haven't posted since mid-June. So I've got plenty of catching up to do. I'll start with something from earlier in June and will work my way through photos in July and August. This beautiful ajisai or hydrangea paniculata was spotted during one of my many walks through Yoyogi Park.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 24mm f/2.0 Nikkor AI @ f4.0, ISO 100,1/80 sec.

Tulips Again, Purple and Pink Spring Flowers, Rinshi No Mori Park

Spring is coming to an end and summer is around the corner, and my home server is full of photos taken from earlier this year. In late March, the family joined friends at Rinshi No Mori Park for a birthday picnic. The sakura were just coming into bloom, but the other flowers in the park were the ones putting on a show. I couldn't confidently identify these flowers, but I think that the purple ones are hesperis matronalis (or Dame's Rocket) and the bright pink ones may be vervain (or verbena or Holy Herb).

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f5.6, ISO 100, 1/60 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/80 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.

Spring Tulips in Yoyogi-Koen (Part 2)

I wasn't the only one enjoying the tulip garden on last Sunday's blustery weekend. A trio of longhair dachshunds were enjoying the afternoon sunshine while having their photo taken by their owers.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 24mm f/2.0 Nikkor AI @ f5.6, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f8.0, ISO 100, 1/125 sec.