Gion, the Geisha neighborhood, under the rain. Kyoto, Japan.
Another stop during our trip in Japan, Kyoto and all its temples… More than 1600! But Kyoto is also Gion, the Geisha neighbourhood. Those who have seen Memoirs of a Geisha may remember it. It’s a typical, old neighbourhood with woody homes, small restaurants, and a particular atmosphere. It seems empty, but it feels like there is a lot happening behind those closed doors…
Shot with a Canon 6D then process in black and white with Adobe Lightroom.
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EXIFs:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Lens: Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
- Aperture: ƒ/3.2
- Focale: 38mm
- Shutter speed: 1/200s
- ISO: 400
- Copyright: Pierre Pichot 2015, all rights reserved
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan. License it.
While in Tokyo, Shibuya and its well known crosswalk was a mandatory stop for me. As everyone travelling in Japan I think 🙂 It’s is such an incredible atmosphere: while everything and everyone is very, VERY quiet, you find yourself in a place where tens of ads broadcasted on tens of huge screens shout at you at an incredibly high volume. It’s pretty dazzling at first! Then you get used to it and enjoy an incredible place with a moving crowd and, in my case, a sunset like I’ve rarely seen before.
I had to use my tripod for this kind of longer exposure shot, so that I can get the people’s movement. Thanks to everyone that managed to avoid me, this damn gaijin blocking the way! It really reflects the respect oriented mentality of Japanese people, I’m pretty sure I would have not been able to do the same shot here in Europe.
I used Macphun Tonality CK for turning this photo in Black and White. That’s an amazing software that I will write more about further on.
Do you like this photo? Click here and get an original, signed print in limited edition!
EXIFs:
- Camera: Canon 6D
- Lens: Samyang 14mm ƒ/2.8
- Aperture: ƒ/8
- Focale: 14mm
- Shutter speed: 1,6s
- ISO: 50
- Copyright: Pierre Pichot 2015, all rights reserved
Keep on accessorising
Once I got a better grip on my Fujifilm X100T, I thought it may be a good idea to try a neck strap. I’ve been avoiding it since I’ve had DSLR because of their weight and the stress it gives to my poor and delicate neck 😉 I wanted something comfortable but also easy to fold and put in my pocket with the camera.
Enter the Sailor Strap LT. neck strap
While browsing the same interwebs for a solution I came across those silk rope neck straps and immediately felt in love with it: I needed one. There I found Sailor Strap which produces those handmade straps in Poland, at a correct price with free shipping! There is a bunch of different finishes so there is lots to choose from. Ordered, delivered a few days later, let’s put it on the camera right now!
Each side of the strap has an O ring which is a bit too larger for the X100T mounting rings. Place the thinner part of the O ring in the mounting rings and it will be OK but a bit too rigid. A thinner O ring, or an intermediary one, may be welcomed. The build quality is second to none, the polyester silk rope feels solid and soft at the same time, the thick leather has sturdy stitches, I immediately became confident I did the right choice going the handmade strap road. The black color matches quite well the camera’s color.
In action
The soft touch of the polyester silk is a pleasure on the neck. Even kept a few hours during a hot day, no irritation, no sweat, not even a bit of pain. The rope deforms a bit to absorb the weight on the neck, reducing the feeling of the (not very heavy though) camera hanging and bouncing. It’s also quite easy to make a knot for using it as a larger wrist strap if needed. It folds very well around the camera’s lens and therefore doesn’t really add bulk when the camera is in my pocket.
It’s been already 3 months since I have this strap, it is constantly thrown in a backpack or compressed in a pocket, and it still look as good as new. As Sailor Strap uses sailing rope – which must be resistant, you’re not kidding in the middle of the ocean! – this is not a surprise. That was also a motive for my buying this strap, I want durability for my gear, I don’t nurture it at all.
Note that those straps are designed for mirrorless and small DSLRs in mind. Don’t expect them to bear the weight of your pro DSLR with a 70-200 on it!
As an unexpected side effect, I can now shoot at chest level in a more stealthy way than before: having my hand on the camera, which itself hangs on my neck, I stabilised it horizontally by keeping the strap tense enough, and I shoot what or who is coming at me. It looks like I’m just holding my camera, no one sees me.
Conclusion
I’m very glad I got the Sailor Strap LT. It was a long shot as I’ve never like neck straps, but I am more than pleased that I went this way. Sturdy but with a pleasant finish, good looking, comfortable, what to ask more? Check out Sailor Strap’s website to find the finish you want!
