Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi at sunrise, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

In December 1992, I traveled to the popular Fujigoko region, renowned for its five lakes and scenic views of the iconic mountain. Kawaguchiko is one of the most popular lakes, and I ended up staying overnight at a nearby ryokan. The next morning, the sky was clear as I emerged from a warm futon and stepped out into freezing air. Coffee can help you wake up, but a blast of cold air does the job much quicker. Despite the early morning darkness, I wanted to catch the magical light of dawn, so I stumbled out to find a suitable viewpoint. Arriving at an edge of the lake, I noticed the rippled reflection of the mountain and clouds, and decided to set up my tripod. As I looked more carefully, the scene before me really was breath-taking, but it could have been the numbing cold too. The view I was taking in begged for a wide-angle lens, which is the best choice for capturing a scene that stretches out in all directions. With the sky getting brighter, I began shooting just as the first light struck the clouds and the mountain in the distance.

Shooting at dawn means the color and quality of light changes rapidly as the sun comes up. At the time I was shooting film, and I would routinely shoot extra frames, each with a slight variation in exposure. This technique, known as bracketing, helped ensure that the “best” exposure was the one most appealing to the eye, and not necessarily what the camera said. As the sun rose above the horizon, Mt. Fuji became fully illuminated, making it easy to see the grandeur of Japan’s beloved landmark.

Store window display, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

Santa and his furry friends in Japan wish you a joyful Holiday season!

Young girl dressed in kimono visits Kibitsu Shrine during Shichi-Go-San, Okayama, Japan

In 1992, I happened to be at Kibitsu-jinja (shrine) in Okayama during Shichi Go San. With families visiting the shrine that day, there were many young girls dressed in colorful kimono. This spontaneous shot of the girl walking with her mother––who herself was wearing a formal kimono––has become a favorite of mine. I only noticed them as they were walking away, so I crouched down for a lower angle to focus on the child. There was just enough time to compose with my zoom lens and take a couple shots before they disappeared into the crowd.

More candid photographs of children and others can be seen at my online gallery of people in Japan.

There are times when carrying around a big camera and lenses is just not practical. Riding my bike, for instance, makes it a bit tricky to balance the extra weight and bulk. Instead, I use a compact digital camera, which easily fits in my pocket. And that’s what I had the other day when I rolled up to my local supermarket. One of the exterior walls was covered with Boston ivy (at least I think that’s what it was.) The blazing colors of autumn practically shouted out loud, so even I could tell that a picture was waiting to be taken. Pulling out my Canon “point & shoot”, I aimed the camera at the colorful wall, using the zoom feature to fine-tune the composition. With arms outstretched and high above my head, it’s the worst possible way to hold a camera steady. But if you take enough shots, there’s a chance you’ll get one that’s in focus and reasonably interesting. And as luck would have it, that’s the shot you see below. A few more colorful renditions can be seen in my gallery of fall colors.

Boston ivy leaves cover exterior wall in autumn , Beaverton, Oregon

Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka performs with San Francisco Taiko Dojo, Newmark Theatre, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Portland, Oregon

For this concert, I was able to shoot from backstage, which is a great way to get some striking images—provided you pay attention. Though I’ve photographed from stage wings many times before, to my chagrin I’m still quite capable of making mistakes in timing and exposure. Those two elements are pretty critical if you’re aiming to get good pictures, so it’s best not to screw up too often. On the technical side, stage lighting is designed to look great from the audience point of view, not for photographers lurking in the wings. This means that powerful lights are hitting my lens directly across the stage, which is just like shooting into the sun. The effect is kinda interesting, except when the pictures have a huge bright spot where the main subject should be.

I used my telephoto lens to shoot the intense action of the San Francisco drummers, and also focused on Mr. Tanaka as he moved about the stage. At one point, he joined another member to play a large drum and, luckily for me, turned in my direction. With those glaring lights shining in my viewfinder, I cursed them (silently, I hope) but took some shots anyway as he effortlessly pounded away, perfectly in sync with the other drummer.

San Francisco Taiko Dojo performed almost non-stop, and it became obvious why Tanaka sensei is so highly respected in the worldwide taiko community. At the end of the show, I was exhausted—not from photographing, but just from watching this indefatigable group of drummers, along with a truly remarkable Grand Master.

Incense burns in a vessel near the entrance to Sanzen-in (temple) in Ohara city, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

I took this photo of burning incense in late 2000 at Sanzen-in (temple) in Ohara city, near Kyoto. The incense vessel here is much larger than the ones used by individual families because of the vast numbers of temple visitors. In coming upon the incense offering, I was intrigued by the moody atmosphere created from the burning sticks. As the wispy smoke gradually rose into the air, I circled around the vessel until the morning sun was backlighting it. Crouching down with my zoom lens, I focused on the incense sticks topped with ash. By shooting from a lower angle, I could isolate the sticks and smoke against the dark background, giving the scene a quality that’s both smoky and spiritual.

Elderly men sit on bench at Senso-ji (temple), Asakusa district, Tokyo, Japan

In 1988, I was visiting the renowned Senso-ji (Asakusa Kannon temple) in Tokyo when I spied these elderly men resting together. Knowing the scene could change at any moment, I moved in closer and knelt down to shoot at the same level as they were sitting. With my zoom lens, I composed the scene, cropping out distracting elements so the focus would just be on the four men. Temple visitors and others passed by, and whenever the view was momentarily clear, I squeezed off a shot. While direct sun isn’t the most interesting light, candid scenes like this don’t stick around, so you shoot it anyway. I don’t think the men were aware of being photographed, and after a few more shots, I moved on. Twenty-some years later, though, I still wonder whether they were all friends—or complete strangers—sharing a bench.

Hakuho (right) and Tokitenku compete in the semi-final round of Day 2 of Grand Sumo Tournament Los Angeles 2008, Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California

In June 2008, I had the chance to photograph a sumo exhibition tournament in Los Angeles, California. This photo shows the renowned Hakuho (at right) in a semi-final bout against Tokitenku, who holds the rank of maegashira. My shooting position was many rows back from the dohyo, or sumo ring, so I used a long telephoto lens to shoot the action. Though I have no experience photographing sports, it seems sumo is relatively “easy” to shoot, since most of the action occurs within the dohyo, which measures 4.5 meters (15 feet) in diameter. In that confined space, though, a lot can happen. And contrary to what people see, it’s not entirely about brute strength and hulks crashing together. In sumo–as in other sports–there are moments of graceful dance and muscle. More photos of these giants in action can be seen in my sumo picture gallery.

In Japan, cleaning is a type of labor that’s ingrained as an essential cultural trait. At least it seems that way. During the early morning hours in cities across the country, you can witness scenes of cleaning by everyone from housewives to business owners. Watching people as they work, there’s a certain purposefulness to their act of cleaning, which I think reflects both Japanese tradition and cultural heritage.

Workers clean security door of Shizuoka Bank, Marunouchi district, Tokyo, Japan

I was walking near Tokyo’s Ginza district one fall afternoon in 1988, when I came across a cleaning crew in front of a bank that had closed for the day. The warm light came in at an angle, casting some interesting shadows. I shot several frames as the men and women industriously cleaned the metal security door. Switching to a telephoto lens, I then focused on these two men as they scrubbed the door’s upper section. As they worked, the movements and action looked almost choreographed, so when their shadows and gestures created an appealing balance, I pressed the shutter. A few minutes later the sun disappeared behind some buildings and the crew was finished with its work, so my photography of the scene ended as well.

Compressed view of office buildings on Park Avenue, mid-town Manhattan, New York City, New York

On a mild morning in November 2000, I was walking in midtown Manhattan when this group of office buildings caught my eye. Actually, in a concentrated city like this, you’d  have to be studying the sidewalk all the time not to notice the architecture surrounding you. When visiting New York, my head is always tilted back as I gaze at the towers and skyscrapers. It only looks like I’m trying to stop a nosebleed while walking down the street. So when I came across this scene, I took my camera with the trusty zoom and cropped in on the grid-like pattern. A characteristic of telephoto lenses is that they create the effect of compressing distance between objects. In this photo, it adds to the illusion that these buildings are packed close together. In reality, there’s more space between these buildings than what might appear here. But the view is still valid since you can see scenes like this almost everywhere in the city—as long as you’re looking up.