New Japan video
 

Sorry, no funny vending machines this time.
Only a look at a little glen about 40 km from our house.

Shot with a Sony Z1
Tripod used thoughout! Clambering over rocks carrying a camera and a tripod beats any image stabilising in post.
Also better for your health!

Final editing was with Avid Media Composer.
Sound from the Smartsound library.

Choose the "L" for Large file or "S" for Small file at the bottom right of the entry page - "Kikuchi Glen"

http://www.gaijin-eyes.com

Regards,
Douglas

Corrected link

http://www.gaijin-eyes.com

from above.

Replace the "," with a "." after "www" in your link. Looked like a great location and very photogenic. Nice to see stable tripod shots. There were a few scenes where I thought the zoom out was a little fast but otherwise very pleasant to watch.

Oops, you beat me to it on the link correction.

Thanks Mark,
I had a look at your site.
Compared to me you are obviously a specialist in pleasant relaxing videos.

Regards,
Douglas

Douglas,

Excellent video. Masterful use of composition and lighting. It was worth the effort for the tripod because it allowed the viewer to focus on the content, not your camera work. I liked the music and was ready for a nap after watching it : )

Marks right though, the zoom speed is too fast. After watching it I think that the speed itself isn't the problem, but rather the zoom feels fast when the camera goes from a static shot into a pull. There's no tappering of the zoom speed to ease in the movement. The times that you faded into a zoom that was already in progress, it felt fine. When you started static and made the zoom, it felt too fast. So either fade in all zoom movements, or keep them static.

What do you do with a video like that? Were you hired by the prefecture to produce that, or is it just for enjoyment? I have in-laws live in Amakusa and lower Kumamoto but I haven't really seen much of the area around Kumamoto itself. It was nice to watch your video. It made me want to head back to Japan!

Ben

Mmm…that was really pretty, Douglas. Thank you.

My grandparents (dad’s side) came to the States from Japan back in the 20’s. I’ve never been there, but the videos I’ve watched from your site – especially this one – make me want to go. Three months ago I got an invitation from a gentleman who lives near Tokyo, but Kumamoto looks like it’s quite a long distance from there (?). I would really want to see the rural areas and beauty like what you showed rather than the cities.

Thanks Ben and Lorinda,

The tip about the static to zoom and the fade to a zoom in progress is something I will be thinking about next time I do a similar project.

I feel sorry for all the tourists who come to Japan and only see central Tokyo!
But you don't have to travel to Kumamoto to see rural Japan. However, as a tourist, it is nigh on impossible to get into the reality of what you see in a short fleeting trip.
When you actually live in rural Japan you have more time to gather images and to appreciate the magic that is all around.

Regards,
Douglas