Kobe’s Sannomiya Train Station

I find the Sannomiya Train Station and its environs very interesting for photography.  From photos of the station and its trains to various entertainment venues and other attractions in the area, it makes for a variety of subjects worthy of a photo or two.  As you know if you follow my blog, I like taking photos of trains.

In these particular shots, I liked the contrast between the burgundy exterior of the trains to the calm green of the interior upholstery.

The photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Walking around Kobe in May with Nikon D700

Lat month I spent a few days in Kobe, Japan.  Kobe has recovered from the disastrous 1995 earthquake and in fact the quake area has been rebuilt.  Kobe does not have the dynamism of Tokyo or nearby Osaka but is interesting in its own right.  There is a certain intimacy that is endearing.

Photos taken with D700 and either the 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens or the 80-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens – bokeh in Japan

Kobe graffiti corner

Several weeks ago I picked up the highly acclaimed Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.  On a full frame camera like the Nikon D700, the wide angle junkie can attain Nirvana for its field of view (fov) in a non-fisheye lens.  Now sometimes, amateur photographers think of ultra wide angles (UWA) and landscapes in the same breath.  However, UWAs are very useful in shooting photographs where the subject is closer, such as in this series of photographs recently shot in Kobe, Japan.

This lens is considered the reference standard for wide angle zooms.  And for good reason.  The resolution is phenomenal with a sharpness in image that almost unmatched.  Edge to edge image quality at a f-stop of 11 is quite sharp.  However, at wide open or near wide open, the lens yields bokeh that is pleasing.  These photos were shot at focal lengths from 14 to 24mm.

Downside?  The lens is huge, with a bulbous front element, for which there is no filter.

Photos shown are uncropped and  taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Closer can be interesting

What to eat

Looking from the outside

Flowers with bokeh

An evening stroll in Kobe. With the Leica M8 and Noctilux 50mm f/2 lens

One of the advantages of the Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1 is its ability to gather the last bit of light in less than ideal conditions.  Of course it’s also known for being one of the world’s fastest lens with an ability to create an image similar to a painting, and, of course,  its “bokeh”.  In these particular photos, I’m relying on its low light capability.  Not so much in the first photo but definitely in the last two where the conditions were very dark with some background light to isolate the beautiful girl.

The Noctilux has some deficits.  It can have a problem with back focus,  the lens is not needle sharp at wide open and it can be  difficult to focus.   However the results can be worthwhile.

Nightscenes from Kobe to Osaka with the Leica M8