In November 2021, I went out to shoot Christmas illuminations and city snapshots. The place in this photo is the sidewalk along the commercial building called Grand Front in Umeda, Osaka.

I like this place because I can take a bird’s-eye view from the bridge on the 2nd floor. Also, even on rainy days, I can shoot without getting wet, so it is a place I often go to shoot snapshots of people holding an umbrella. It is also a good place to take pictures of the beautiful trees lined up each season and their shadows falling on the sidewalk.

In this photo, the arched illuminations and the shadows of the trees falling on the sidewalk were very beautiful and romantic. It is the best feature of this photo.

All the people who appear are walking towards the other side, away from the camera. It seems to be something suggestive. Also, the woman in the foreground seems to be in a hurry with her luggage in her hands. She may be running back to where someone is waiting for her. It is also an element that stirs the imagination of the viewer.

I think it is very important to make people who look at the photographs feel the movement of the hearts of the characters who appear in them. We can express the movement of the mind by capturing the movement of the subject’s legs at the optimum timing and moving the characters while stopping the surrounding scenery. I think that is very important for people in landscapes.

And the illumination of the sidewalk seems to express the happy feelings of the characters who appear in this image. The color of the illuminations is important. I did the development work so that the light would be of a gentle warm color. I really like shooting people on such beautiful nights.

What do you think are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!

I think that the ingredients required to make a good photo are “situation” and “story”. In my case, the “situation” is “night”. In the daytime, it becomes a mundane landscape snap, but at night, people imagine various things. I think that a “story” will be born there. In addition, the eye-catching illuminations make you imagine Christmas and wonderful events. And the woman in the foreground is running a little with her luggage. We feel the “story”: she is in a hurry for something.

If you would be able to make this photo once again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?

Take a shot of the woman by positioning her in a more prominent position (center of the screen).

Hiroyuki Mika shared this photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.

Photographer

Hiroyuki Mika, Ashiya-city, Japan

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Equipment and  settings

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III + Olympus M.12-100mm F4.0
at 1/15sec f4.5 ISO1600 at 16mm (32mm/Film equivalent)