Fuji's Shadow
Those of us who love photography make it a labor of love. It has to be to do it year after year despite the variables that make it hard to sustain as a career. I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. But you have to be comfortable laboring on the borders of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Mount Fuji is shy. It's a brat. It doesn't care about your schedule. It doesn't care about the money and time you spend flying across the world to get an audience. It loves to hide behind clouds, even during the months of the year that are supposedly more accommodating. It took 2 attempts to get a clear sunset from this tower. That might not be a big deal if you live in Tokyo. But I don't. My time there was limited; my sunsets even more so. Every evening spent trying to get this shot was an opportunity cost for another. I almost waivered thinking it would be a lost cause. I am glad I am the most stubborn person I know because my persistence gave me a window of clarity with Fuji's silhouette. But that's not where our story ends. You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?
The roof of the tower to get this shot was exposed to the elements..that high up you're fighting with furious winds that don't mix well with the slow shutter speeds needed for this kind of lowlight photography on a medium format camera that doesn't have the best ISO performance or fast telephoto lenses. Oh, but that's what tripods are for....right? Wrong. They're not allowed in this tower. So you make due. You break and bend some rules. I was able to rest my backpack on the window sill since it's technically "not a tripod" and pulled out some notebooks to balance it and keep the horizon level. Rested my camera on top of the Macgyvered platform and set it to timelapse mode, so I wouldn't have to touch the shutter. Then took off my heavy jacket and endured the frigid cold as I spread my body over the camera to protect it from the winds and used my jacket as a Lens skirt to block out reflections from the glass. I stood this way for two hours until I finally got the right mix of city lights, orange skies, and a clear view of Fujisan.
Worth it? F*** Yea
Now you too can enjoy this majestic twilight view of Tokyo's skyline from the comfort of your home or office. The city lights blend with the warm hues of the setting sun, creating a stunning contrast between urban life and the serene, ancient presence of Mount Fuji. Perfect for lovers of cityscapes, Japanese landscapes, and iconic views, this art print brings another world into your space.
Those of us who love photography make it a labor of love. It has to be to do it year after year despite the variables that make it hard to sustain as a career. I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. But you have to be comfortable laboring on the borders of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Mount Fuji is shy. It's a brat. It doesn't care about your schedule. It doesn't care about the money and time you spend flying across the world to get an audience. It loves to hide behind clouds, even during the months of the year that are supposedly more accommodating. It took 2 attempts to get a clear sunset from this tower. That might not be a big deal if you live in Tokyo. But I don't. My time there was limited; my sunsets even more so. Every evening spent trying to get this shot was an opportunity cost for another. I almost waivered thinking it would be a lost cause. I am glad I am the most stubborn person I know because my persistence gave me a window of clarity with Fuji's silhouette. But that's not where our story ends. You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?
The roof of the tower to get this shot was exposed to the elements..that high up you're fighting with furious winds that don't mix well with the slow shutter speeds needed for this kind of lowlight photography on a medium format camera that doesn't have the best ISO performance or fast telephoto lenses. Oh, but that's what tripods are for....right? Wrong. They're not allowed in this tower. So you make due. You break and bend some rules. I was able to rest my backpack on the window sill since it's technically "not a tripod" and pulled out some notebooks to balance it and keep the horizon level. Rested my camera on top of the Macgyvered platform and set it to timelapse mode, so I wouldn't have to touch the shutter. Then took off my heavy jacket and endured the frigid cold as I spread my body over the camera to protect it from the winds and used my jacket as a Lens skirt to block out reflections from the glass. I stood this way for two hours until I finally got the right mix of city lights, orange skies, and a clear view of Fujisan.
Worth it? F*** Yea
Now you too can enjoy this majestic twilight view of Tokyo's skyline from the comfort of your home or office. The city lights blend with the warm hues of the setting sun, creating a stunning contrast between urban life and the serene, ancient presence of Mount Fuji. Perfect for lovers of cityscapes, Japanese landscapes, and iconic views, this art print brings another world into your space.
Those of us who love photography make it a labor of love. It has to be to do it year after year despite the variables that make it hard to sustain as a career. I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. But you have to be comfortable laboring on the borders of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Mount Fuji is shy. It's a brat. It doesn't care about your schedule. It doesn't care about the money and time you spend flying across the world to get an audience. It loves to hide behind clouds, even during the months of the year that are supposedly more accommodating. It took 2 attempts to get a clear sunset from this tower. That might not be a big deal if you live in Tokyo. But I don't. My time there was limited; my sunsets even more so. Every evening spent trying to get this shot was an opportunity cost for another. I almost waivered thinking it would be a lost cause. I am glad I am the most stubborn person I know because my persistence gave me a window of clarity with Fuji's silhouette. But that's not where our story ends. You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?
The roof of the tower to get this shot was exposed to the elements..that high up you're fighting with furious winds that don't mix well with the slow shutter speeds needed for this kind of lowlight photography on a medium format camera that doesn't have the best ISO performance or fast telephoto lenses. Oh, but that's what tripods are for....right? Wrong. They're not allowed in this tower. So you make due. You break and bend some rules. I was able to rest my backpack on the window sill since it's technically "not a tripod" and pulled out some notebooks to balance it and keep the horizon level. Rested my camera on top of the Macgyvered platform and set it to timelapse mode, so I wouldn't have to touch the shutter. Then took off my heavy jacket and endured the frigid cold as I spread my body over the camera to protect it from the winds and used my jacket as a Lens skirt to block out reflections from the glass. I stood this way for two hours until I finally got the right mix of city lights, orange skies, and a clear view of Fujisan.
Worth it? F*** Yea
Now you too can enjoy this majestic twilight view of Tokyo's skyline from the comfort of your home or office. The city lights blend with the warm hues of the setting sun, creating a stunning contrast between urban life and the serene, ancient presence of Mount Fuji. Perfect for lovers of cityscapes, Japanese landscapes, and iconic views, this art print brings another world into your space.
