Mar 03 2007
Kabukicho HDR Photos
Kabukicho HDR photoset
HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a process of taking a set of underexposed, properly exposed, and overexposed images and blending them together into one incredibly detailed photo.
I took these last night, and frankly, I'm not as wowed as I expected to be. One thing for sure though is they show Kabukicho exactly as I picture it in my mind. My self-assignment was to take ordinary scenes and compose them in a way that makes people want to stop and look at them like artwork in a gallery, but at the same time make them feel as though they're experiencing the location itself, not just a photo of it. I haven't found what I was looking for yet, but I'm still going through the shots, and I intend to go back there and try again and again until I'm satisfied. I also want to do the same thing in Ginza.
Come to think of it, I should really go to Yoshiwara. Only thing is, I wonder if I'd be as left alone as I was in Kabukicho. Yoshiwara seems like a more close-knit place, and they might not appreciate an outsider who doesn't follow the rules. The clientele there expects privacy and anonymity, not some foreigner with a camera and tripod tromping around like he owns the place.
If you like the photos in the set, keep checking back. I'll be posting more. My new header image is also HDR. I like it!
To learn more about HDR photography, this tutorial is a good place to start.
Last Friday night on the way home I came across a duo playing outside Shinjuku Station. They've got the typical J-Pop sound that makes all the OL's (office ladies) swoon. Well, in theory at least. No CD yet, but their home page is 
