TECHNICAL DETAILS
Leica D-Lux typ 109. Handheld. 1/40 at f/2.8. ISO 800. Lens at 24mm equivalent focal length.
TOKYO STREET FOOD
It was a long day at a business event in Shinjuku, and then my multi-day participation was over. My colleagues had departed the city, and I had an evening free to myself before flying out the next day. Time to hit the streets. I walked out of my hotel in Shinjuku and wandered north near the Shinjuku station, where I found a warren of back alleys filled with street food. The pathways were often no more than six feet across, and as I walked through the maze, trying not to become too lost, the smells wafted out enticingly. Hibachi, sushi, ramen, udon; the scents set my stomach longing to sample everything! I sat down in one stand and ordered a beer, followed by a sampling of noodles and a little sushi. It was exquisite and just right.
By the time I finished, it was dark. Perhaps I should have done some shooting first before sundown, I thought. But there was ample light falling out on the alleyways from the shops along them to provide a warm scene, and I didn’t have to boost the ISO beyond 800, which the D-Lux handles well. Sauntering through the turns and stalls, I found this scene. Welcome to the Best Yakitori Restaurant! Maybe I should have waited for the food, as I was hungry all over again. I stood off to the side watching for a few minutes and taking in the scene. Salarymen strolled past, presumably heading home. A few tourists, some clearly western travelers. I heard snippets of conversations in Japanese, German, Scandinavian of some sort, English. The lighting was intriguing, with the fake cherry blossoms hung all along the particular passageway. The matron in charge of the yakitori stand held court, offering suggestions, smiling, encouraging people to come in. As she was talking in to patrons at the counter, the man in the dark suit was walking slowly past, a large portfolio in hand. The scene came together and I shot a couple of frames.
Similar situations happened a few times as I walked through the alleys of food stands, and I shot for an hour before beginning the walk back toward the hotel. I felt pretty certain that I had shot some presentable images, but when I reviewed later in Lightroom, this one immediately jumped out.
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