Chapter 23 - This is How I Got Started with Travel Photography
Photo Essay: My photos of Japan will make you want to travel
These are some of my pictures of Japan from a trip I took many moons ago.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been abroad, or the first time I’d picked up a camera, but it’s how I got started with travel photography.
It was the first country where words failed me and I absolutely had to take photos.
It’s also the first time my travel photos were picked up by bloggers and travel and photography websites.
I took hundreds of photos when I was in Japan with a camera that I’d procured the night before.
I didn’t steal it so much as borrow it at gunpoint.
I taught myself how to use it on the plane and I’ve been breaking the rules of composition ever since.
Don’t worry — I gave the camera back upon my return and have since bought one of my own!
Entrance to Sensō-Ji
This was taken outside of Sensō-Ji, an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, on my first day in Japan.
Sensō-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo.
Shinkansen
This was taken from a speeding Shinkansen.
Probably about to stop in Akihabara — I can’t remember.
I love it precisely because it’s such a random image and I couldn’t have possibly taken it if I’d deliberately ‘tried to.’
I only got it by taking shots at random as we whizzed passed different stations and my camera’s batteries kept running out or falling out of the camera.
Tokyo city life
This is my absolute favourite shot of Japan. I took it whilst wandering the streets in one of the wards of Tokyo.
Whenever I look at it, I’m right back there.
It’s not about tourist attractions or national monuments; it’s about real life and real people.
I didn’t know the beautiful woman, she was just there when I turned round and put her bags down for an instant before crossing the road.
I wanted to know her story.
Nara Deer Park
This is my best picture from the beautiful Nara Kōen (Nara Park) in Nara, often called the Deer Park for obvious reasons.
There are over 1,200 wild deer in the park and they’ve complete run of the place.
Some regard the deer as sacred and they’re protected as National Treasures.
You can buy little pancake shaped biscuits called Shika-Senbei (Deer Crackers) from street vendors to feed the deer in the park.
This is great fun for everyone involved but it turns out that deer also like to eat tourist maps.
As I found out in Miyajima when a deer mugged me for mine as soon as I stepped off of the ferry!
Miyajima
Look, my camera batteries died as I took this shot.
Then the batteries fell out of my camera.
I had to recover it from the SD card in the camera when I got home.
I never said I was organised.
Hiroshima
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, once Hiroshima’s Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly known as the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.
The colours are weird because my camera wasn’t really up to taking photos at night — and not because I was trying to be arty.
Kamakura
I spent hours trying to photograph the famous Buddha statue in Kamakura.
Eventually, I gave up trying to do it justice.
This is one of my favourite failed attempts.
Senso-Ji
This one was taken somewhere on the grounds of Senso-Ji.
There’s a number of temples and shrines in the same location, and off to one side near one of the gates, I stumbled upon a little cat shrine.
Outside, not too far from there, I found this stray cat trying to talk to a statue.
A friend of mine told me it’s the spitting image of her wayward cat — we’re convinced that it somehow found a hole in time under the bed and has secretly been teleporting to Japan on a regular basis.
Shinjuku
This is my favourite shot of Shinjuku taken from high up inside one of the government buildings.
I was allowed to be there — I promise!
Tokyo
I have a habit of wandering round with my camera at night.
I love to take street shots and candids.
Children’s Peace Monument
This is a picture of the Children’s Peace Monument taken on the grounds of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
When I was younger I folded paper cranes that were sent here and displayed as a symbol of world peace.
Years later it was very moving to pay my respects in person and to see with my own eyes the overflowing glass cases where cranes from children all around the world are on display.
Great photos. I love the Buddha statue in Kamakura because I'm a Buddhist, like the rest of them because I just do. Also, can see shy you would give up your map, that deer looks vicious and evil.
Beautiful 💕