Since autumn has finally arrived, I’d love to capture a scene somewhere with cosmos in bloom. When I asked Prof. AI for recommended cosmos photography spots in Tokyo, alongside major locations I already knew like Showa Memorial Park and Hamarikyu Gardens, it suggested some unexpected places.
“There are beautiful cosmos blooming along the Katsushima Canal in Shinagawa Ward,” it said. “A local initiative where residents hand-plant seasonal flowers has recently gained attention as the ‘Shinagawa Hanaido’.”
Ah, that’s the canal near the Samezu Driver’s License Examination Center. I’d photographed the spring rapeseed flowers there before, but I hadn’t realized it was also a place to enjoy autumn—my bad for not knowing. I just had to go check it out, so despite the unfortunate cloudy sky, I grabbed my LUMIX G9PROII and headed out.
A view of the seawall with cosmos blooming, shot at the telephoto end of the wide-angle zoom Leica DG 8-18mm F2.8-4.
The overcast sky had a somewhat melancholy feel, so I wanted to give this photo a “scene from memory” vibe. I finished it using the LUT “Film Nostalgie” distributed by LUMIX official.
Yellow cosmos stood out, but this is an urban waterside scene where cosmos of various colors and shapes also bloom. Even at full aperture with the Leica DG 25mm F1.4, the background blurs nicely on the MFT mount.
The next photo was taken using the Leica DG 45mm F2.8 MACRO, crawling around to get the composition just right. I stopped down to F16, but even then, it’s still hard to tell what’s in the background, isn’t it?
The farthest reaches of Katsushima Canal served as a mooring area for houseboats, fishing boats, and fishing vessels. Colorful banners, likely celebrating newly built ships, fluttered in the wind.
At the foot of the blooming cosmos, a flower of an unfamiliar shape was blooming. Perhaps seeds had flown over from a nearby flowerbed. The Leica DG 45mm MACRO lens, perfect for getting close in moments like this, is a joy to use.
I keep swapping lenses and shooting this composition over and over—the canal viewed through the shadows of flowers. This one was taken with the Leica DG 25mm, slightly stopped down to F2.8. I really love this spot.
Sorry for the long post. Finishing with the classic cosmos shot looking up from below.
If it were a clear blue sky, I wouldn’t complain, but if the goal is to “shoot nostalgically,” then overcast skies aren’t so bad either, I thought. “Film Nostalgie” might be a pretty useful LUT.
That’s all from the scene.
