Hyakuri March 2019 - now with added sunshine!

[Wes_Howes]

I've finally gotten around to editing some pictures from Mike and I's trip to Hyakuri last year. I've looked at these pictures so many times but just been a bit daunted about where to begin so here's the first batch from the first day (although technically the second...) and as you can see the weather was not the best but it did mean that we had the peace towers to ourselves.

1.
IMG_0978 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

2.
IMG_1033 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

3.
IMG_1085 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

4.
IMG_1149 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

5.
IMG_1310 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

6.
IMG_1344 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

7.
IMG_1497 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

8.
IMG_1670 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

9. A nice visitor arrived at lunch time.
IMG_1763 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

10. 301sqn came out to play
IMG_1850 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

11.
IMG_2091 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

12.
IMG_2137 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

13.
IMG_2279 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

14.
IMG_2636 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

15.
IMG_2739 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

16.
IMG_2956 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

17.
IMG_2992 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

18.
IMG_3003 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

19.
IMG_3035 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

I'll sort through photos from day 2 and update the thread soon but needless to say the weather was greatly improved from day 1!

Thanks for looking, comments and criticism welcome as always.

Cheers

Wes

[Reaper02]

Nice Wes, thanks for sharing! To bad about the weather at Hyakuri, but curious about what's to come!

Regards, Edwin
www.final-approach.nl

[harkins]

Great photos Wes. I know bright sunshine and blue skies is what many consider the most important aspect of an aircraft photo, but personally, I think that your photos are great and have an atmosphere that I haven't seen in many of the very many other Hyakuri posts (and no heat haze). And besides, I've also learnt while standing on that scaffold tower that good weather and good movements do not go hand in hand either. Staring at closed hangar doors for 10 hours in sunshine is not a great experience

1, 4, 11, 13 and 17 are particular favourites of mine.

[Blackbird]

A really good set I completely agree with Harkins' comments about the weather creating atmosphere.

Andy

[Wes_Howes]

Thank you for your kind words gents, it's given me fresh imputus to go through the rain-soaked images and process a few more before going onto the fairer weather.

In hindsight, I'm rather pleased we got to see the Phantoms in less than ideal conditions too.

[TonyB]

Bei Sonne kann jeder. It´s a saying in German which when translated roughly means that when the Sun shines, anyone can take a photo.

Your photos are an excellent example of how much can be made out of less than perfect conditions. Love to see more.

[Wes_Howes]

Thanks again chaps, I've been going back through the photos from day 1 (2...) and playing about with what works and what doesn't. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish what's "atmospheric" and what's just plain crap I guess that's why photography is such a subjective art form. Anyway, here are the results of my efforts.

20.
IMG_1105 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

21.
IMG_1178 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

22.
IMG_1248 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

23.
IMG_1368 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

24.
IMG_1511 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

25.
IMG_2031 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

26.
IMG_2102 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

27.
IMG_2400 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

28. We were a little worried that this is all we'd see of the blue scheme.
IMG_2725 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

29.
IMG_2943 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

30.
IMG_2961 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

31.
IMG_2967 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

32. This is one of the ones where I couldn't make my mind up
IMG_2979 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

33.
IMG_3009 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

34.
IMG_3023 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

35.
IMG_3039 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

Thanks once again for looking, I'm going to leave out the poor weather shots in the next update and show you how contrasting day 2 (3) was.

Comments and criticism welcome

Cheers

Wes

[Wes_Howes]

So onto flying day 2 and what a difference a day makes, greeted with wall to wall sunshine when we arrived but a bitterly cold wind. It did cloud over through the morning but cleared away again after lunch. We saw all three 501sqn paint schemes, the two 302sqn specials and a couple of normal grey birds from 301sqn.

What a day, one of the best, dōmo arigatō Hyakuri.

20. A great start to the day
IMG_3170 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

21.
IMG_3177 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

22.
IMG_3193 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

23.
IMG_3225 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

24.
IMG_3263 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

25.
IMG_3288 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

26.
IMG_3326 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

27.
IMG_3466 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

28.
IMG_3496 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

29.
IMG_3516 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

30.
IMG_3644 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

31.
IMG_3687 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

32.
IMG_3727 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

33.
IMG_3839 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

34.
IMG_3867 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

35.
IMG_3966 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

36.
IMG_4111 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

37.
IMG_4153 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

38.
IMG_4278 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

39.
IMG_4314 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

40.
IMG_4332 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

41.
IMG_4378 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

42.
IMG_4395 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

43.
IMG_4407 by Wes Howes, on Flickr

And with that, we had to head back to Tokyo to drop off the hire car.

Thank you for taking the time to look through, please feel free to make comment, criticise or just look. I am so glad we made the effort to get out to Japan and I can only emplore anyone who is thinking about it to just do it!

Cheers

Wes

[Blackbird]

Cracking set - tfs.

Andy

[D90Man]

You deserve the plaudits not just for the quality and subject matter but for standing out on the peace towers in awful weather!!!

Leon

[GeorgeP]

An excellent set of images, Wes. I bet you still have a smile on your face.

[Wes_Howes]

Thanks everyone

You deserve the plaudits not just for the quality and subject matter but for standing out on the peace towers in awful weather!!!

Leon

Thanks Leon, yeah, the first day was definitely a test, I couldn't sit anywhere in my hotel room that night for kit that was drying out!

An excellent set of images, Wes. I bet you still have a smile on your face.

Thanks George, yeah I do, we were so lucky to see what we did. We were fearful after we turned up on the Wednesday only to find there was no flying owing to school entry exams!