Text by Alex
The phrase “the weather is not as expected” is usually used in a negative sense, but it can also be interpreted positively as a pleasant surprise. Photographer Yokoichi Yokota (@yokoichi777) was on a flight passing over the Tokyo Skytree when he looked out the window and was amazed to see Mount Fuji rising up more than 100 kilometers away. The clear, cloudless skies made for an “unexpected” sight.
THE TOKYO SKY pic.twitter.com/zeQ2sFqSPm
— Yokoichi Yokota / Photographer (@yokoichi777) December 1, 2020
As a photographer, he naturally captured this beautiful scene right away. Even though the photo was taken through two layers of glass, it still has remarkable sharpness—not only revealing the texture of the Tokyo Skytree, but many netizens were even able to spot their own homes or workplaces. Through his lens, this small photo showcases not only the urban beauty of Tokyo, but also carries a subtle message that “the world is vast, and we are small.”
This is TOKYO.
— Yokoichi Yokota / Photographer (@yokoichi777) December 1, 2020
Edited by @Lightroom Classic
4K Available#teampixel #GooglePixel5 pic.twitter.com/uqW1aeiHZd
Many netizens were curious about how Yokota managed to take these photos. Perhaps surprisingly, his answer was: “I just used a Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 5, shot through the glass window, and then did some minor editing in Lightroom Classic.”
▲An airplane flies past the Tokyo Skytree with Mount Fuji visible in the distance. (photo by yokoichi777 @Twitter)
▲Netizens could spot their homes or workplaces in the photos. (photo by yokoichi777 @Twitter)
Some netizens got creative, using the flight simulator game Microsoft Flight Simulator to “recreate” Yokota’s photo by taking screenshots from the same location—with fairly impressive results. Even more coincidentally, another netizen shared a photo with a very similar composition, also featuring Mount Fuji. They guessed that both might have been on the same flight route.
▲Other photos taken by Yokota on that flight. (photo by yokoichi777 @Twitter)
▲(photo by yokoichi777 @Twitter)
▲A screenshot from the flight simulator game recreating Yokota’s photo. (photo by Psyhodelikus @Twitter)
▲Another netizen also captured a similarly composed photo. (photo by fushimimea @Twitter)
Source: Yokoichi Yokota