New Year 2010 in Shakuji Park

First off, Happy New Year!  Me and SY have been taking it easy since getting back from a busy four days of onsen and haikyo in Kyushu. We watched a bunch of movies (City Slickers, Scrooged, Edward Scissorhands, When Harry Met Sally) and the K-1 fighting that was on last night, while eating left-over turkey. Basically we stayed indoors for two days. Today we decided to get out, and headed to Shakujii Park in Nerima ward, famous for its two duck ponds.

I’ve been shooting with my Tokina wide angle lens for so long I’d forgotten how good it felt to have a wider ranging lens. SY had a 55-200mm zoom that she lets me use, and it definitely opens up a different world of shooting possibilities. I took wide shots of the ponds but they just look like crummy shots of ponds- I think the details are more interesting.

Mallard.

Koi.

I don’t think he’s eating that bit of fern, though it does look like it.

Pondering life’s imponderables at the beginning of a new year.

Egret/crane? Guys with mega zooms were clustered on the pond bank shooting him.

This guy was very friendly, stepping aside to let us shoot his painting. Of course we wanted him in the shot though, so he happily complied.

Checking to see if the pond is a doorway to a mirror world.