Tag Archives: japanese

Bon Odori 2013 – Part 2

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Tudung and Yukata. Slow Flash and Grunge Filter.

I like how the Bon Odori Festival takes on a multi-ethnic theme, locally. The trick in photographing the Bon Odori is to dance or glide the camera alongside the circles. Move at the same pace and turn around in between to shoot.

Don’t stay in one spot to photograph, fire on the fly instead. The crowd was really enjoying themselves, it shows on their faces. Enjoy it yourself and the good shots will come naturally.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f4, 1/13 sec with FL-50R flash.

Bon Odori 2013 - Part 2

Bon Odori 2013 – Part 1

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Bon Odori is a Japanese cultural festival celebrated during summer. At the Panasonic Sports Complex tonight, the Japanese community and their Malaysian friends danced together in a circle to honour the spirits of ancestors.

The 37th Bon Odori was organised by The Japan Club of KL, The Japanese School Of Kuala Lumpur and The Embassy Of Japan.

Photography Notes: Because it was twilight, I decided to combine a slow shutter with flash when photographing this dancing mother. The flash lit the foreground faces while the slow shutter preserved the fading blue sky in the background. The shutter speed was also slow enough to blur movement, thereby injecting some dynamism into a frozen scene.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f4, 1/10 sec with FL-50R flash.

Bon Odori 2013 - Part 1

Nadeje

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Many like taking food photos from top down. Some prefer a side view. Which is better? Top or bottom?  Depends on the subject but most of the time it is a matter of personal taste.

As you may have noticed, I usually shoot food from an angle lower than 45 degree to near parallel. That way the dish appears more 3-dimensional and you see its texture better. A diagonal angle will appear more natural since it is closer to a seated diner’s POV.

If the layout or presentation is nice, it is worth exploring from the top. Some dishes, table surface or cutlery (when combined) lend itself to an overhead view.

At Nadeje Melaka Mille Crepe’s, the table top was a nice glossy black. The outdoor seating area also had nice diffused sunlight coming in. That allowed a clean and  minimalist look. I framed the picture with the OM-D’s AMOLED screen tilted up.

Photographed here: Nadeje’s Iced Malacca Coffee Latte, Pineapple Donut and Double Choclate Mille Crepe Cake.

Nadeje’s PJ branch is at B-01-01, Dataran 3 Two Square, Jalan 19/1, 46300 Petaling Jaya.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f5, 1/60 sec.

Nadeje Melaka Mille Crepe