Maple Close-ups

Taken in Shinjuku Gyoen now that the leaves have finally started to change colour.
There were some low-hanging branches, so I just set up my tripod and stuck on my 50mm.
Aperture varied from 1.4 - 4
Quite a lot of photographers were gathered and some of the best spots were taken up with tripods.
Lots of shuffling around looking for another viewpoint.
Settled in under the trees as the sun shone down.
More shuffling around as the sun changed through the course of the afternoon.
I spent about an hour, perhaps more, at this spot alone.
Not many trees, only about a dozen or so at this spot, but it seemed as good as any in the park and was a sun trap.
Still, the maples are not at their peak yet...

It hasn't been a cold November in Tokyo. The coldest it went down to was about 8 degrees.
Now, by my standards, that's not cold, especially when it only lasted a day or two.
The rest of November has hovered around the 16 degrees mark.
Reason why the leaves are late changing colour.
The wind hasnt been strong.
Maples have quite delicate leaves, and the wind hasn't scorched them too much, if at all on some parts of the trees.


Need a bit more tidying up and some cropping on one or two, but these are a few pics of what was on offer in the park.
I took about 250 pics in total all over the park.
About 50 or more in the spot I described above.

Pollution on a Quiet Street

Tokyo Tower seems to be a popular spot for people to go to.
Must admit, that all my years in Tokyo, I've never seen the fascination with such an eyesore as that.
Until today.
Well, tell a lie, I wasn't there to see that. I actually popped down to see Shiba Koen (park).
Now, I've been patiently waiting for the maples of Tokyo to turn their familiar red, but they're intent to keep me waiting.
I read on the internet that the maples in Shiba Koen were changing colour, so off I went.
A long train/subway ride.
Leaves are still green.
Park was tiny and, to be honest, unimpressive.
Still, it was a nice day.
There was a chance to shoot Tokyo Tower...I pondered it for about 5 seconds, and no.

I did, however, see some mighty fine air pollution as the sun beamed from in-between some trees and on to the road. You could literally cut the haze with a katana.
It was either that street shot or Tokyo Tower...
I stand by my decision.

The year-long wait

Changing colour and floating to the ground.
Awaiting their turn.
The maples are still changing colour in Tokyo, some are still green, whilst others just turning a browny-orange colour.
So, while I wait for the maples, I took time to shoot this tree, whose leaves have already began the ol' Autumn process.
It was a warm, sunny day with a cloudless blue sky.
A nice contrast with the browns and yellows.

Shinjuku Gyoen Spring 2009

Shinjuku Gyoen was the first park that I went to in Shinjuku way back in 2002.
Along with Koishikawa Korakeun, it's my favourite park in Tokyo.
I visit both of these parks several times a year, especially during the spring and autumn seasons.

Shinjuku Gyoen has some estimated 20,000 trees.
The main attractions for me being the cherry trees in the Spring and the red maples in the Autumn.

The 8 photos on here labelled "Shinjuku Gyoen Spring 2009" are from about 250 that I took this year.
I was planning to post a lot more to try and give some kind of photo walk, but seeing that the park itself sits in 144 acres, it was no easy task.
Instead, I just uploaded some of my favourites.
In the spring, there are lots of cherry trees blooming.
Tokyo usually has a very warm spring, so the park is busy from late March-early/mid April.
The fallen blossoms form a pink carpet on the ground.

In these 144 acres, there is a Fench garden, English ladscape, traditional Japanese garden, Taiwanese pavillion, several large ponds, and lots in between.

Shinjuku Gyoen Spring 2009 (8)

Shinjuku Gyoen Spring 2009 (7)

Shinjuku Gyoen Spring 2009 (6)