Tag Archives: Japan

photography, Rail transit marathon

Tokyo Trolley.

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In a city laced with railway lines, perhaps one of the most obscure is the light rail line that I call ‘the Tokyo Trolley’.

So here in the land of Fuji, I exposed this Kodachrome view on April 22, 1997, of the trolley leaving a private right of way and beginning a section of street trackage.

While I only have a few photos of the Tokyo Trolley, I’m quite pleased to have taken the time to seek out this unusual Japanese railway operation.

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Fujichrome on the Minobu Line.

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Working with my Nikon N90S, I exposed this vertical view (portrait orientation) from the back of Minobu Line train looking back toward Fuji, Japan.

Earlier in the day,  I’d made some photos at Fuji on Kodachrome, just to be ironic.

This exposure, however, was made on Fujichrome.

An April 1997 view of Japan’s Minobu Line.

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Photographic incongruities: Saturn of Okayama—General Motors ad on a Streetcar?

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A Saturn advertisement graces a streetcar in Okayama, Japan in April 1997.
A Saturn advertisement graces a streetcar in Okayama, Japan in April 1997.

Here we have General Motors ad on a Streetcar. You have Toyotas in America, so why not a GM car in Japan?

Just to make things interesting, I made this photo on Kodachrome!

Photographic Incongruities three in one!

 

 

 

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Tracking the Light Father’s Day Special-Part 1.

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  • In April 1997, I traveled with my father to Japan for an intensive few days of photography and railway exploration. In that time I managed to expose 85 rolls of film. (Not all of railways).To my shock, it turned out that bringing Fujichrome to Japan, was akin to bringing ‘coal to Newcastle’. Not only was slide film plentiful, but it was substantially cheaper than in the USA. However, just to make my mark, I also brought some Kodachrome.

  • Streetcar in Okayama exposed on Fujichrome with a Nikon N90s. April 1997.
    Streetcar in Okayama exposed on Fujichrome with a Nikon N90s. April 1997.

    Richard J. Solomon with our friend Asao in the mountains southwest of Tokyo, April 1997.
    Richard J. Solomon with our friend Asao in the mountains southwest of Tokyo, April 1997.

    Shinjuku, Tokyo on April 19, 1997, exposed on Fujichrome using a Nikon N90S with 28mm lens fitted on a Bogen tripod.
    Shinjuku, Tokyo on April 19, 1997, exposed on Fujichrome using a Nikon N90S with 28mm lens fitted on a Bogen tripod.

    A Kodachrome 25 slide exposed in Tokyo, Japan. Streetcars are not common in Tokyo, but there is one long line, and I spent a morning documenting this. Buying a ticket wasn't as easy as I hoped!
    A Kodachrome 25 slide exposed in Tokyo, Japan. Streetcars are not common in Tokyo, but there is one long line, and I spent a morning documenting this. Buying a ticket wasn’t as easy as I hoped!

    A Kodachrome 25 slide exposed in Tokyo, Japan. Streetcars are not common in Tokyo, but there is one long line, and I spent a morning documenting this. Buying a ticket wasn't as easy as I hoped!
    Hiroshima.
  • This has been among my father’s favorite railway trips and he’s always asking me to post the Japanese photographs on Tracking the Light.

    Happy Father’s Day Pop!

  • Richard Jay Solomon makes a photograph of a Series 400 Shinkansen train on the platform at Fukushima, Japan on April 19, 1997. Exposed on Fujichrome film.
    Richard Jay Solomon makes a photograph of a Series 400 Shinkansen train on the platform at Fukushima, Japan on April 19, 1997. Exposed on Fujichrome film.

  • One of the 400-Series Shinkansen trains at Fukushima, Japan. Exposed on Fujichrome.
    One of the 400-Series Shinkansen trains at Fukushima, Japan. Exposed on Fujichrome.

  • Quiet morning in Tokyo on April 18, 1997.
    Quiet morning in Tokyo on April 18, 1997.

    JR signal at Osaka, April 1997.
    JR signal at Osaka, April 1997.

    Bozo View at Shinjuku Station, Tokyo on April 23, 1997.
    Bozo View at Shinjuku Station, Tokyo on April 23, 1997.

    JR suburban train in Tokyo on April 18, 1997.
    JR suburban train in Tokyo on April 18, 1997.

    Osaka, Japan on April 24, 1997.
    Osaka, Japan on April 24, 1997.

    Richard J. Solomon with newspaper waiting on a railway platform in Tokyo on April 23, 1997.
    Richard J. Solomon with newspaper waiting on a railway platform in Tokyo on April 23, 1997.

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Tracking the Light Daily Post: Photographing the Shinkansen at Speed

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Capturing Motion.

I prefocused and zoomed the lens to keep pace with the nose of the train. Although it may not be immediately evident, this train is moving away from the camera.
I prefocused and zoomed the lens to keep pace with the nose of the train. Although it may not be immediately evident, this train is moving away from the camera.

Working with a Nikon N90S with 80-200 zoom lens and Fujichrome Provia 100 I made this zoom-pan of a Series 100 train blitzing the station at Shizuoka, Japan.

The trick to making a zoom-pan is use a relatively low shutter speed (1/15 to 1/30th of a second) and use the zoom to keep pace with the train’s motion. This is actually easier to do with a fast moving train. In this case the Series 100 train was traveling at more than 130mph.

This technique takes a bit of practice, so it helps to experiment on a really busy high-speed railway line such as the New Tokaido line. When I made this photo in April 1997, there were about 10-11 trains in each direction every hour over the line.

I made several of these ‘zoom-pans’ on color slide film. I didn’t know how well I’d succeeded until weeks later when I reviewed my slides.

This photo appeared as the title-page spread of my 2001 book Bullet Trains published by MBI. The book took a look at high-speed railway networks around the world.

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