マクロで見る花の造形 / Enjoying the details of flowers through a macro lens

公園であれ山の中であれ、自然の中に行くならマクロレンズを持っていくようにしている。花や植物は景色の一部として眺めるよりも、ディテールを観察するのが楽しいからだ。あしかがフラワーパークにも、さまざまな花が咲いていた。

いったいぜんたい、どうしてお前はそんな形をしているのか。

そこには必然の意味があるはずだけれども、僕は植物学者でもなんでもないから、単に答えを想像して楽しむだけ。それにしても、自然が作った形は面白い。

I always carry a macro lens when I go to a park or to the nature near the mountains. I like to observe the details of plants rather than to see them as part of a landscape view. There were lots of plants and flowers in the Ashikaga Flower Park.

What on earth are they in such shapes?

There must be the reasons. Always are, but I'm not a botanist, so I just enjoy imagining the reasons. The shapes created by the nature are full of wonders.

今回の機材

夢の中の白を撮る / Capturing Dreamy White

毎年、この季節いちばんの楽しみが、ユキヤナギの花を見て撮ることだ。

毎年同じことを繰り返しているから、友人の中には、僕のユキヤナギの写真を見て「春が来た」と感じてくれる人もいるらしい。ありがたいことだ。

この花を撮るときに気に入っているスタイルが「ティルト」。花がぎっしりと、それも立体的に咲き誇るユキヤナギを、レンズをティルトさせて（傾けて）撮ると、奥行き感が不思議で、夢の中のような絵が撮れる。これが楽しい。

One of the things I look forward to every spring is to see and take photos of Spiraea thunbergii, which we call Yukiyanagi (It means snowy willow).

I do this every year, so some of my friends know by my spiraea photos that spring has come to Tokyo.

I like to tilt the lens when I take this flower. The bush literally pop up so many tiny flowers. With the tilt technique, I can capture images with dream-like perspective.

Photo Data
Place: 東京・世田谷 / Setagaya, Tokyo
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Lens: Ai AF Nikkor 28mm f/2.8D

Hydrangea

The rainy season and Hydrangea are inseparable in Japan.

Some photos which didn't make it to flickr.

These flower shots are the ones
which didn't made it to flickr.
I love all of them so I uploaded here!

The 21st of March, 2009

The 21st of March, 2009
Originally uploaded by Takahiro Yamamoto

People rush home, but I would rather take time.
Why not enjoy hints of spring?

The 10th of March, 2009

The 10th of March, 2009
Originally uploaded by Takahiro Yamamoto

An interesting thing about this white flower is
that it was just outside of the flowerbed,
which was occupied by panies.

This white flower might have been inside of
the flowerbed last year, and the seeds or roots
were left outside there. I love its vitality!

The 8th of March, 2009

The 8th of March, 2009
Originally uploaded by Takahiro Yamamoto

The Sea of Spring
These flower trees are often seen along the roads in Tokyo.
They produce so many tiny white flowers
on their branches at this time of year.
I recomend that you get closest to the flowers
when you see them and enjoy the sea of spring!

Japanese name: 雪柳（Yuki Yanagi, Snow Willow)
English name: Thuberg Spirea
Floral language: Lovableness

Plum Blossoms Season

It is still cold in Tokyo,
but they have already started to bloom.
The flagrance is so nice!