This is my first time writing an article, so please bear with me if there are any mistakes.
Let’s get to the point. This time I went to Osaka, Japan, combining travel with photography. Many friends have said, "I really want to take beautiful photos in Japan, but on a free and easy trip, there are only a few places I know how to go to. Group tours have too many restrictions, sigh~"
So, this time I’m sharing my experience of joining a group tour without losing the joy of photography ( I brought my parents along with me. ~_~)
This trip was a 5-day, 4-night tour, leaving early and returning late. For the tour operator, of course, I chose the well-established... (brand name omitted). The camera, lens, and accessories we brought included one5DSR + 24-70F2.8 + 16-35F4 (I didn’t bring any prime lenses), ND1000, shutter release cable, tripod, straight plug adapter, 2 batteries, and a 64G SD card.
Remember, the camera and lenses must be carried on board with you—if checked in(you’re on your own!!!)
On the first day after landing, since it was already 1:30 PM, we went straight to Shinsaibashi by tour bus. We had three hours there. Friends who enjoy shopping can shop and take photos along the way. If you have no interest in shopping at all, you can choose to do what I did—take photos on your own.
And the highlight isthere’s only one or two good spots at Shinsaibashi, so don’t worry about not getting good shots.
But unfortunately, there were too many people there, and due to my parents’ requests, I couldn’t use a tripod(if I could do long exposure shots, I think the results would’ve been great~)
Day Two
I woke up at 7:30 AM, gathered and got on the bus at 8:30 AM—the time was super early as usual(a common issue with group tours), heading to Osaka Castle.
Since the drop-off point was a nearby parking lot, everyone had to walk there(remember to eat a full breakfast—you’ll be walking with your gear starting at 9 AM!!)
As for the route, there are only two paths—one from the front gate and one from the back gate—very easy to follow. It takes about 20 minutes before you see the sign.
Keep walking forward for about10 minutes,and you’ll already be able to see the main tower (Tenshukaku)! Aren’t you excited? ^_^
Taking a frontal shot might feel unsatisfying for photography enthusiasts,
so I looked at the map as I walked and browsed online for reference angles, but I still didn’t find the feeling I wanted~~After passing by the area with rugged rocks
and walking through a small grove of trees,Suddenly......!
We spotted a bridge, and depending on the camera angle, you can see a park at the bridgehead and the castle tower (Tenshukaku) behind the bridge.
Clever you—any ideas??
Once again, the background is the Tenshukaku, with a bridge in front, which means there’s a river beneath the bridge, and I broughtND1000.......
Since the free time allocated for this spot was only 1.5 hours, we hurried across to the other side, spent one minute setting up the tripod and attaching the camera, then installing the shutter release cable and ND HOLDER, adjusting the settings and framing.
After several attempts, I finally captured the desired effect—the serene atmosphere felt like stepping into a scene without another soul around!
Be mindful that there are railings along the riverbank; take care while shooting to avoid accidentally falling into the river!
(I don’t recommend climbing over the railing, but great photos require some effort...)
If you like my angle, you can mark the location of the bridge in advance.
Then we ran back to the meeting point,
Spotting the big tree meant the main gate was just around the corner.
We continued on to the next attraction.
Nara Deer Park
A place I’d heard about since I was little and had always wanted to visit—today was finally the day!! Travelers going on their own can take the JR line to Nara Station and transfer to a bus, while those on a tour group like me got to comfortably ride the tour bus~
As the park has a parking lot, the first thing we did after getting off the bus was buy crackers (for the deer)! We had about 2 hours of free time.
Soon enough, we spotted the sacred deer. Two elderly people holding crackers were immediately surrounded, and I, of course, had my camera ready.
It was my first time seeing the sacred deer—they’re really adorable!
Remember the deer move around, so I chosea shutter speed of 1/200 second with a telephoto lens.
Turns out the quirky expressions are the most fun!
That’s right~
Happy times fly by, and it was already time to say BYEBYE
Hope you’ll bring me good luck!
In the blink of an eye, it was already 6 PM, the sky started to darken, and we returned to the hotel around 6:30 PM—today’s group tour itinerary was complete!
Seeing that there was still time, we naturally headed to the nearbyUmeda Sky Building Observatory
I chose this spot because it’s close to the JR railway and it’s the only place where you can enjoy a full panoramic view of Osaka Umeda without any glass obstructions!
First, take the JR to Umeda Station/Osaka Station, then follow the map on foot (about 15 minutes)
A quick reminder—if you want to catch the sunset, you’ll need to buy a ticket to enter, and there may be a queue, so you should arrive at least 1.5 hours early!!
The building is 40 stories high, so it gets quite windy. Please bring warm clothing and a tripod securely fastened.
There are no tall buildings in any direction — that’s Japan for you. (Left side)
Right side
Here's a close-up shot — still gives off a great vibe ^_^
Remember, I was with two elderly people, and we took photos for 2 hours without eating. On the way back, I was constantly under attack...
But at least we managed to capture the night view of Japan. Today’s itinerary officially ends here.
Day 3
We got up at 7:30 in the morning, gathered and boarded the bus at 8:30. The time was super early as usual (a common issue with tour groups). We set off forAmanohashidate.....!
If you were traveling independently, the only option would be a taxi. But with the tour group, we had a coach bus.
Once we reached the mountain, I felt like we were on the other side of a river — it also reminded me a bit of China’s Bagua (but I won’t go into that, let’s look at the pictures).
Worth mentioning is that there’s a great nearby spot where you can go out to sea to feed fish.
Ine Bay
A place belonging to the fishermen
While waiting to board the boat, far away, some smoke was rising from the processing of burning something.
Looking back, fishing boats were slowly coming back in.
Already, there were plenty of seagulls and eagles fighting over food. Finally, we got on the boat. I adjusted the shutter speed to 1/2000 second to capture the moment they were diving for food. After my fingers endured quite a beating, I finally managed to get one good shot.
Here’s a shot of an eagle
In this moment, I realized that feeding the birds is a lot like life — you have to keep chasing your dreams, because success is waiting for you just over the horizon.
Come on, go get it yourself.
As time passed, the boat returned to shore. Seeing the other tourists slowly boarding the bus, I took the time to snap one more photo.
Then we continued on to the next attraction.
Ine Bay Observatory
As soon as we got off the bus, we were standing on high ground and spotted large solar panels in the middle of the sea, so I used my ND filter again.
Shutter speed set to 25 seconds, F4, ISO50 (100)
Don’t like vertical shots? Check out horizontal ones.
Japan has that peaceful vibe everywhere.
We got back on the bus afterward, went through some non-photography parts of the itinerary, and then returned to the hotel.
Today’s itinerary is complete.
Day 4
Since I found out last night that my room faced east, I woke up early to shoot the sunrise, but unfortunately, there was only haze—no clear view...
Then, we gathered at 8:30 AM to get on the bus. The time was still super early (a common issue with tour groups), and we set off forTogetsukyo Bridge.....!
It’s worth notingthat Togetsukyo Bridge and Arashiyama Bamboo Groveare very close to each other, and since the site offers two hours of free time, I quickly headed to the bamboo grove.It took about 20 minutesto reach the entrance, and the deepest part required another15 minutes of walking.
Looking up, you see that vast expanse of bamboo forest.
As a solo traveler, I had the chance to meet a few friends from Taiwan during the shoot, so I seized the opportunity and took several portrait shots.
(Unfortunately, I only had a wide-angle lens—the 24-70 was left in the van V_V).
Settings were 1/100 sec, ISO 100, F4.
Here’s one in vertical.
Remember, the bamboo grove gets very crowded. Don’t waste time waiting for a moment when no one’s around—you won’t get it. So, plan to do more post-processing. (The middle section of my photo didn’t turn out great either, please forgive me V_V).
Happy times fly by, and it was time to say BYEBYE again. I wanted to take another shot of Togetsukyo Bridge, but there wasn’t enough time—it was a bit of a pity.
If you want to capture a beautiful shot of Togetsukyo Bridge, you need topay attention to the water flow, use a low angle + slow shutter speedfor a great effect.
After getting back on the bus, we headed to the last scenic spot for photography.
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple)
Don’t ask why we didn’t go to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Because Kiyomizu-dera is under renovation for two years……meaning it won’t reopen until 2019.
Since Kinkaku-jiTripods are not allowed, so I had to shoot handheld.
Settings were 1/400 sec, ISO 50, F4
The moment I pressed the shutter marked the end of my photography journey, since day 5 was shopping day.
Who says you can't take great photos on a group tour? Believe it or not, I do. I hope this article from the editor can be helpful. If you're interested, you can FOLLOW my IG and FB. Hope to see you all again next time.
Thanks.
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