Friday, December 30, 2016

Yokohama December Leftovers

I've got a bunch of pictures taken around Yokohama in the month of December that I just can't bear to delete. These were taken when I was out walking around with various cameras and lenses. So, lets checkout the leftovers!

A beautiful day at the Ookagawa river.

I see you, you see me, it's all good.

If you look at the expressions on their faces you could write so many stories.

Food! Okonomiyaki is so delicious.

Batter dipped and ready to eat.

Yes, I'll take some of these and some of those. OK?

Yes, OK!

The ice skating rink. This little girl was having a great time.

After a short pep talk from her mother it's back to skating.

Skating is a great father, daughter activity.


Friends on ice.

And, now for the birds!

They walk hand-in-hand without any fear of the birds.

Maybe they should fear them.

Alfred  Hitchcock would be pleased with this.

This is why they say "Don't feed the birds".

But, they don't listen.

Runners

This is how it was done before selfies were invented.

Happy to be alive.

The Yokohama Marine Tower pointing skyward.

Waterfront activity.

Children at play - the laws of gravity do not apply to them.

Pushing the buggy with the power of prayer.

The Landmark tower looms large on the skyline.

Workhorse tugboat.

Sometimes the grass is greener on this side of the fence.

A December rose.

The Landmark tower looming even larger!

Reflections on the Ookagawa river.

Two red lanterns.

The circle walk bridge.

It looks like a hit and run in the making. Not to worry, no one was hurt in the making of this image.

The streets are long; cold too!

Here comes my baby!

Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy New Year!
Mike













Wednesday, December 21, 2016

"New" Voigtlander 50mm f3.5 Heliar Lens

I was on a mission to find the Stardust bar at Yokohama North Dock. This was also a good opportunity for me to try out my new Voigtlander 50mm f3.5 Heliar Vintage Line lens.

Link to youtube video about the making of the TV show that sparked my interest in visiting the North Dock area.

Link to youtube video on the history of the North Dock.

So, to start my adventure I took the train to Higashi Kanagawa area and started walking toward the North Dock. Not far from the station I started to see waterways everywhere.

This canal was running along side a driving range.

I also noticed a lot of train tracks for cargo trains.

This fence is constructed from old wood railroad ties.

Current railroad ties are made from reinforced cement. This seems like a good use for old ties.

This unused train trestle or maybe I should say train bridge runs parallel to the bridge that leads into the U.S. Army facility at North Dock.

So far I'm quite impressed with this lens.

Gazing through the bridge girders at the U.S. Army facility.

Playing with the depth of field on the lens.

Interesting scenery out here.

This is a great day for this walk-about.

The only traffic on the road out here is big trucks.


I have the Stardust bar in my sights. The bar has a nice patio with tables for outdoor eating/drinking. And, there's also a well maintained boat landing.

There's actually two bars here side-by-side. This area is isolated; seems like an unlikely place for a bar.

Both places were closed but I peeked in the window and it was like being transported back in time.

I think I'll need to come back here on another day when they're open for business.

The view from the bar Polestar.

Moving on with my walk-about and passing by the old warehouse area.

That's a serious looking barge moored in front of the building.

More train tracks. This North Dock area is quite different than the places I normally kick about in. This is fun!

The back side of the driving range.

Instead of returning to the train station I've decided to walk the waterfront back to Yokohama city. As long as I keep the waterfront on my left side I won't get lost.

This is interesting, the Yokohama Market is on the way back to the city.

This ramen shop looks like it's been around a long time.

Coffee and cigars! I'm starting to think I'm visiting another country.
Getting close to Rinko Park in Yokohama. I've got the Sea Bass tour boat in my rear view.

I have arrived in Rinko Park.

Safety is always a key concern.

Still playing with the lens. Shallow depth of field is fun.

The Voigtlander 50mm f3.5 Heliar lens is manual focus. Fast moving objects can be a challenge.

I've been walking all day, it's 2:00 pm, I'm tired and I'm hungry; time for a late lunch.

An underground restaurant near Sakuragicho train station is perfect.

This place was perfect. I had some curry soba; great meal and it was only 650 yen. I think I'll be coming back here in the future.

After lunch it was time to cut through the Noge entertainment district to get to Hinodecho train station.

Last shot of the day: Still in the Noge district.

More images taken with the Voigtlander 50mm f3.5 Heliar lens will be in a future post.

Thanks for stopping by!
Mike