Sticking With It For The Shot

Tokyo's Skytree

Onsite Photography Has Its Risks

You made plans for that amazing trip. You scoped out all your shots. You have picked the target locations. And then you are standing there…

Sometimes all the plans in the world can’t make the weather go away.

The Plan For The Shot

A couple of years ago I was in Tokyo with my family. Where we were staying was walking distance to the Arakawa river. In looking at Google maps I could get to a spot pointing towards the direction of Skytree. I had a 70mm - 200mm lens and a 2x teleconverter which would reach out and pull in the subject.. Many locations in Tokyo along the rivers have playfields and various grass lands. Then a slope to protect the surrounding houses, apartments, and condos. My plan was to get close to the river on a clear spot pointing towards Skytree. Then get the night lights of Skytree, the tallest tower in Tokyo, the river, and the matching cityscape. Yeah, things don’t always go as planned.

Plans Get Washed Away

Did I mention it rains in Tokyo during the summer? Quickly, very quickly. While I setup the tripod the slight drips of rain were hitting me. I stayed optimistic and kept setting up. Just when I got everything setup the light rain turned into a soaking festival. I had to grab my setup and run to the nearest shelter which unfortunately was a small bathroom on the field probably built in the 1980s. There I was packing up, trying to wipe off equipment, and in the stink of it all. My Skytree night photography plan were washed away.

Going Back To Get The Shot

Fortunately my family tries to go to Tokyo relatively often. We have relatives there and my next opportunity would come back a couple years later. I picked out a different location where a bridge would act as an accent, another river would add light accent with a slow shutter speed, and Skytree would put on its light show. This time the weather gods liked me and I could spend an hour or so going around and grabbing shots. I was also happier with the bridge as a contrasting subject and the options the location provided me. In this article are some of the example shots of that day.

Take The Opportunity Life Provides

I like going back to locations I have been where the shot did not work out the first time. The sense of concurring the imagined image is a release of “I did it, I completed this quest”. If you're out there and life does not work out at that point and time. Take a bit a regroup. Then come back and get the shot.