The Mission: To take good shots of the Yabusame (Japanese ritual horse archery). You know, the guys shooting at targets while going at a great speed on their horse. Cool stuff indeed. You got the camera ready, the batteries, and the telephoto lens is ready for the hunt.
How it should look like: Like most revivals of the Heian or Edo times… awe-so-me.
(except for the fact that many of the guys dressed up forget to take things off that give them away in our modern times, such as: their digital watches, their reading glasses, and their iPhones)
A shot to the third target
Archer aiming at the second target
What it really looks like:
A standard yabusame crowd
Yep. It is a photographer’s nightmare.
Crowd level: 3 = Lots of people (oh you had it coming, you knew it and still you jumped right into it, didn’t you?). And then of course the camera-loving dust everywhere, the heat… and you didn’t know you had to wake up at 5am to get a good spot to shoot did you?
But worry not. Unless you belong to whatever elite Japanese club that provides first row ticket for their members in exchange for their millions in donations… here it is…
The Opportunistic Photographer’s guide to Yabusame
- Show up late. Really. The thing will start late anyway since Yabusame = opportunity to entertain VIP/CEO/politician/important foreigner, etc. and THEY will always show up late! So for example, the Yabusame exhibition in this case was part the Aoi Matsuri/Kamo no Matsuri Festival and the great personality delaying the event (for almost an hour) was probably one of the members of the entourage coming with the CEO of Kyocera (if not the Kaicho himself). And the best part is that all the people will fight for a good spot, but usually after the run of the first or second horse they will start to shuffle and walk around. To your surprise, some other people (the ones who got there early for a good spot… and just had enough of it) will start to go away and you could eventually make your way to a decent spot.
- Best spot. There are 3 targets and usually the run goes from left to right (people are always on only one side of the track). And best spots would be right in between board 1 and 2 or also in between 2 and 3. This way you will be getting a front and rear shot of the horses and archers. Being close to a target usually means more people to deal with. And they will all be raising their cameras on top of their heads. The same goes for the middle of the track since that is where the important people will be seating.
- If you really, really, really want good photos. Take the plunge and bring one of those light/portable/foldable “steps” or small ladders (like the ones you see at supermarkets or bookstores to help customers reach the top shelves). Now, this is up to you and to the organizers depending on whether they are ok or not with it. Take in mind the crowd level, you becoming a nuisance for the people around and behind you and having to carry the thing around. It will definitely give you and advantage if you can pull it off. Your tripod won’t work, neither your monopod. Too many people for a tripod and yes, you could raise the monopod above the crowd, but how will you be sure it is focusing where you want it to?
Event: Yabusame Exhibition at the Shimogamo Shrine
Part of: the Aoi Matsuri / Kamo no Matsuri
Held: Every 3rd of May (during “Golden Week”)
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