Amazing Early Morning Light in Yurakucho
Finding Early Morning Light, Yurakucho Station.
Early morning is among the best times for light in Tokyo. Its powerful golden hues illuminate the city’s commuters, scurrying to work unaware of the beauty they walk through. Awareness falls to the artist, in this case, the street photographer. The area around Yurakucho Station, which sits on the edge of the Ginza and Tokyo Station neighbourhoods, offers a steady flow of foot traffic, a mix of retail, office and restaurant workers.
The station itself is smaller and older, and has recently undergone some gentrification; despite that, its historic charm still shines through. Large iron beams that hold the elevated tracks are still visible, making pools of gorgeous light even more dramatic. The commuters pulse out of the station in time with the rhythm of Tokyo’s heartbeat.
The predictable behaviour of commuters provides ample opportunity to capture the image I had in mind: the individual commuter, lost in his or her own world, stepping into a moment of beauty on the way to work. I shot this idea for about twenty minutes, working-the-scene along the way. Several images made it through the culling phase, deeming them worth editing. Below are my favourites, but I should make it clear that there could easily be a second set of images on display.
Yurakucho Early Morning Light Images
People in Yurakucho move through the busy streets with focus, blending into the lively flow of this busy Tokyo area.
Keep Shooting After a Keeper
Being that it was early and I had found success straight away, my mind drifted to coffee and a short break. The best thing to do in those situations is to keep shooting. In doing so, you may find yourself in the zone, which I think many of us struggle with. The worst-case scenario is that you come away empty-handed and then enjoy a coffee. The best case is that we find another image to shoot.
Below is the worker, not the commuter; the light is the same. A solid image and well worth editing and publishing, but it could be something more. The second image was an effort to avoid wasting the morning and to challenge the original concept of the individual commuter in gorgeous light. These silhouettes were a good idea and worth exploring. That led to including the security guard in a second round of images.
Although the security guard and the silhouettes can stand on their own as a good image, the combination of both ideas creates a much stronger photo. One idea leads to another, and continuing to work despite initial success provides a strong foundation for a great morning out shooting.
Tokyo Street Photography train of creative thought.
As always, I would love to hear your story in the comments below. If you feel so inclined, share a coffee with me. I am a flat white kind of guy. Happy shooting, everyone.
