jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
From same town, something I find very interesting: "Seibu Professional Training Center". Right here people were raising their carpentry skills but the whole place was huge and other "classes" were available. I've seen lots of road signs when going thru towns and villages for community centers, elderly people houses etc. like really there is a huge attention to take care and improve social life, make people useful for the local community.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
last two from Tsurugi, Tokushima Pref.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
It was my last evening on Shikoku, in a small town of Kan-Onji. I tried to make some pictures of huge flock of birds on the seaside but they won't cooperate, and it was windy as hell. Cold and hungry I decided to try to find some food (only to find a supermarket, whole city was like abandoned). But I found this gem, or maybe local kami guided me there. While I'm not religious at all I tried to pray and leave spare change in every Shinto shrine I found and really believe in what I'm doing, asking for help every local deity. Maybe it was only my attitude but I never had before such luck, so whatever works.
Kan'onji, Kagawa Pref.
Kan'onji, Kagawa Pref.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
And again, two similar frames I can't decide between.
Kan'onji, Kagawa Pref.
Kan'onji, Kagawa Pref.
bcostin
Well-known
These are wonderful. I sometimes find Widelux-style panoramas a little disorienting. Yours, however, have a very natural and immersive feel to them. Beautiful compositions. Thank you for sharing these.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
thank you! I think shooting rotating panoramas is more about feeling the space and finding the right spot to stand for a natural POV rather than traditional composing the picture in 2D space. It's just a matter of trial and error but what helped me with guessing the frame was practice with a pinhole camera.
Shosan-ji Temple, Kamiyama, Tokushima Pref.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
#43. Many good points here, well stated.
#44. Both are equally good. Slightly different perspectives, well illustrated.
This thread is so inspiring. I've been to Japan two times, but while I found some parts of it to be spiritual for me (especially the region around Kyoto), sadly while there I failed to find the inspiration you seem to have found in yourself, so well presented in your images. All serene and calm.
I now feel much more motivated to return to Japan (not so much Tokyo which I found soul-wearying, but rather back to Kyoto and points west thereof) with a minimum of equipment, go slowly, and look again, this time more carefully.
#44. Both are equally good. Slightly different perspectives, well illustrated.
This thread is so inspiring. I've been to Japan two times, but while I found some parts of it to be spiritual for me (especially the region around Kyoto), sadly while there I failed to find the inspiration you seem to have found in yourself, so well presented in your images. All serene and calm.
I now feel much more motivated to return to Japan (not so much Tokyo which I found soul-wearying, but rather back to Kyoto and points west thereof) with a minimum of equipment, go slowly, and look again, this time more carefully.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
after some unexpected life events I'm back to uploading, with this frame marking 60 pictures in this thread, and many more to come.
Kaiyō, Tokushima Pref.
Kaiyō, Tokushima Pref.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
All these truly wonderful images make me want to return to film...
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
one person converted back to film would be a bigger deal for me than ten thousand likes
with recent price drop on Tri-X it's the perfect time for it. 
Tahara, Aichi Pref.
this was my first parkup of the trip, arrived late at night on the small peninsula near Nagoya to catch a ferry next morning to Kii Peninsula. First time seeing Pacific Ocean and sleeping right next to it. I had a last frame of the first roll in Widelux, and while still sleepy I tear it apart forcing to advance to frame 22. But I managed to get it out under heavy blanket and was a happy camper. Only to develop it at home and discover the blanket was not that light tight and whole roll is totally wasted. So those are my "first" pictures from the trip.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Again it's time for your feedback Dear RFFers! I have a "bonus" roll of Ektachrome slides from this trip, and at first I posted some in w/nw color lovers thread but, maybe just use them here as interlude from time to time? Or I can first close the Widelux material and then go full color. My initial thought was that thread just for BW Panoramas would be more consistent and interesting as coherent whole but damn I'm not sure anymore. Let's try with one and it's in your hands.
Kaiyō, Tokushima Pref.
Kaiyō, Tokushima Pref.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Oishifudoin, Matsusaka, Mie Pref. (Kii Peninsula)
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Oishifudoin, Matsusaka, Mie Pref. (Kii Peninsula)
It was late, it was raining for whole day, GPS was acting up, I had to change my plans and skip Wakayama Pref. so I can make it to Shikoku next day. This temple was a godsend (pun intended), gave me hope and motivation for rest of the day.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Some techo questions for you.
We know the camera - the Widelux. A marvelous instrument. The image format allows for such natural framing. Many panoramas often stretch the eye to take in, but yours seem to just, well, flow naturally. Well done.
The mid-tones in all your images are outstanding. I try and try to do these with my digital Nikons, but haven't yet made it to quite what you did. Yes, I'm envious. As well, the sharpness in your images to be outstanding. Not too sharp, just enough.
Is that (the latter) from the camera/film, or did you play around with sharpening when you scanned and post-processed?
Gear-centered questions, I know. But many here will be interested in your technical 'secrets'...
We know the camera - the Widelux. A marvelous instrument. The image format allows for such natural framing. Many panoramas often stretch the eye to take in, but yours seem to just, well, flow naturally. Well done.
The mid-tones in all your images are outstanding. I try and try to do these with my digital Nikons, but haven't yet made it to quite what you did. Yes, I'm envious. As well, the sharpness in your images to be outstanding. Not too sharp, just enough.
Is that (the latter) from the camera/film, or did you play around with sharpening when you scanned and post-processed?
Gear-centered questions, I know. But many here will be interested in your technical 'secrets'...
lynnb
Mentor
Wonderful pictures and thread Jan. Thanks so much.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Some techo questions for you.
We know the camera - the Widelux. A marvelous instrument. The image format allows for such natural framing. Many panoramas often stretch the eye to take in, but yours seem to just, well, flow naturally. Well done.
The mid-tones in all your images are outstanding. I try and try to do these with my digital Nikons, but haven't yet made it to quite what you did. Yes, I'm envious. As well, the sharpness in your images to be outstanding. Not too sharp, just enough.
Is that (the latter) from the camera/film, or did you play around with sharpening when you scanned and post-processed?
Gear-centered questions, I know. But many here will be interested in your technical 'secrets'...
We all love technical questions
Framing with Widelux is just a matter of practise, you can learn the FOV and then finding "right place to stand" is very intuitive. Virtually all of my pictures I shot with camera held waist/chest level and looking on 1. arrows on top 2. bubble level.
As for the post-processing I do have quite a heavy hand, but I always try to meet the look I get when darkroom printing. Also Ilford HP5 developed in FX39 and scanned "flat" on Epson V850 give plenty of room for the processing. Here is a small before and after comparision:
I learned to get similar results from digital files using SilverEfex, key to success was exporting from Camera RAW a very flat color picture (using LOG-like profile) and then reducing contrast in SE by 20-30%. With a dull, grey input file you can make beautiful tones with just curves, highlights/shadows and dodge/burn.
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jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
somewhere between Nara and Mie Prefectures. (Kii Peninsula)
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DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Thank you again for posting all these wonderful images.
I believe there is a supremely good book here for you to publish. Images and commentary. Please consider.
I believe there is a supremely good book here for you to publish. Images and commentary. Please consider.
Dogman
Mentor
Excellent work! Really enjoyed it.
Your method of scanning with flat images is the way I work with B&W files in Silver Efex and Lightroom. It was also the first step when I printed in the darkroom--process for a flat negative and start with a #3 printing paper, then go from there. This seemed to produced very rich, detailed photos with a wide tonal range. With files, I reduce contrast in Lightroom, go through Silver Efex to get the "film look" and then back to LR to finish processing.
Agree with DU above--these would contribute to a nice book.
Your method of scanning with flat images is the way I work with B&W files in Silver Efex and Lightroom. It was also the first step when I printed in the darkroom--process for a flat negative and start with a #3 printing paper, then go from there. This seemed to produced very rich, detailed photos with a wide tonal range. With files, I reduce contrast in Lightroom, go through Silver Efex to get the "film look" and then back to LR to finish processing.
Agree with DU above--these would contribute to a nice book.
jbielikowski
Jan Bielikowski
Thank you Gentlemen for your support, indeed my goal from the very beggining was to make at least something worthy putting a pdf together. Dunno how about a printed version, I may be to cheap for this
Right now I'm somewhere halfway thru with processing the raw scans, then there is a long journey with selection and editing... 
Tokushima Pref.