Friday, August 17, 2012

The green of Japan





This was the first year in quite a while that I'd visited Japan in spring and I'd forgotten how stunningly green everything is. In the days of slide film (and I know a few of you are still enjoying them!) there was a film made by Fuji called Velvia. It was ISO 50, which for those of you who are lamenting the fact that your camera doesn't go to ISO 12,800 must seem slower than a tortoise with a broken leg. You usually had to shoot it on a tripod and it was incredibly contrasty - forget about capturing any details in the shadows if you kept your highlights in check.

But the one thing that film did incredibly well was saturated greens. People here in Australia would often complain that they would look unnaturally green. I used to think that in some situations that was true, and then I saw the greens in Japan and understood where the film had come from.

It's one of those colours that just has to be seen to be believed. A brilliant irridescent green that seems to cover the entire world. Here are a couple more shots from that day. I hope you enjoy them.