• A comfy pair of shoes • DSLR or mirrorless camera capable of manual modes • 18-55mm zoom lens (on crop sensor) or similar prime lenses • 24-70mm zoom lens (on full frame) or similar prime lenses • Tripod (available for rent)
Recommended Gear
• Wide-angle zoom or prime lens (around 20mm to 28mm) • Ultra-wide zoom or prime lens (14mm to 20mm) • Tripod is required (available for rent)
Exploring the gritty rooftops of Osaka during our urbex photography workshop
What’s the Story?
Rise above the streets and enter Osaka’s uncharted frontier: the rooftops. Modern-day urban explorers we climb not mountains, but staircases cast in neon light, shrouded in the unknown. Here we will loot not treasures of gold, but of light—epic scenes of the urban jungle stolen away with our cameras. Stand triumphant on the rooftops with the metropolitan expanse ten stories beneath your feet.
What We’ll Shoot
We will show you a few secret spots overlooking the city, but more importantly, we will also impart on you our experience and advice on how to better shoot cityscapes. We will use tripods to our advantage but also, when required, we will shoot handheld to create an intense vertigo effect. You’ll learn how to get the best results in low light conditions and how to create compelling compositions of the nighttime cityscape.
Where We’ll Explore
We will go to handpicked locations, not known in any guidebooks, that are elevated above the densely populated and colorful streets of Umeda. We will wander the back alleys of Kitashinchi, filled with smoke and colorful neon signs, and then rise above the chaos and photograph the city from the rooftops.
Wow. A tour of fantastic hidden spots around Osaka led by a very knowledgeable photographer. There were a few spots that I could spend hours at. When I got home and looked at the photos I was floored. Great stuff!
Rated 5 out of 5
Rus –
We spent 3 hours exploring Umeda, Osaka, visiting hidden, tall, locations overlooking some of Osaka’s most interesting areas, getting shots I would never have found on my own. Axel was a great communicator, interested in the shots I was taking and making good suggestions on how to improve them as well as pointing out opportunities I’d missed. Really pleased with the results!
Rated 5 out of 5
Henry –
This was a really incredible experience. Axel’s knowledge of the city has clearly been accrued through a huge amount of time / trial and error, and he (quite literally) opens doors into hypnotic and beautiful unseen worlds. This experience absolutely smashed it. It’s worth every penny and (I guess for a lot of us for whom Japan, let alone Osaka, is a long way away) a once in a lifetime chance to take some shots of scenes that will stay with you forever. Its magical, exhilarating stuff. Axel is also great, an excellent guide and cool guy – I learnt a few things about photography along the way, for sure. If you’re wondering whether to take the hit, do it – it’s awesome.
We meet inside JR Osaka station at the "Toki no Hiroba" square in front of the big golden clock. This square is located on the connection bridge above the train tracks. When in doubt, ask the station staff* about "Toki no Hiroba."
If you are in Osaka...
1. Go to JR Osaka station
2. Head towards the "Connecting Bridge"
3. Take the escalators up towards the 5th floor
4. You should see a big Golden clock soon
5. You are at "Toki no Hiroba", the meeting spot
6. When in doubt ask station/information staff for "Toki no Hiroba" square*
If you come from Kyoto...
1. Go to JR Kyoto station
2. Take an express train towards Osaka (20 minutes)
3. DO NOT take the Shinkansen
4. Upon arrival go up the escalator on the platform
5. Alight at the "Bridge Exit"
6. Pass the turnstile head right towards "North Central Exit"
7. Take the escalators up towards the golden clock
8. You are at "Toki no Hiroba", the meeting spot
9. When in doubt ask station/information staff for "Toki no Hiroba" square*
* Osaka station is a maze, when asking for directions don't ask a local looking person: ask station personnel only!
usphotoguy –
Wow. A tour of fantastic hidden spots around Osaka led by a very knowledgeable photographer. There were a few spots that I could spend hours at. When I got home and looked at the photos I was floored. Great stuff!
Rus –
We spent 3 hours exploring Umeda, Osaka, visiting hidden, tall, locations overlooking some of Osaka’s most interesting areas, getting shots I would never have found on my own. Axel was a great communicator, interested in the shots I was taking and making good suggestions on how to improve them as well as pointing out opportunities I’d missed. Really pleased with the results!
Henry –
This was a really incredible experience. Axel’s knowledge of the city has clearly been accrued through a huge amount of time / trial and error, and he (quite literally) opens doors into hypnotic and beautiful unseen worlds. This experience absolutely smashed it. It’s worth every penny and (I guess for a lot of us for whom Japan, let alone Osaka, is a long way away) a once in a lifetime chance to take some shots of scenes that will stay with you forever. Its magical, exhilarating stuff. Axel is also great, an excellent guide and cool guy – I learnt a few things about photography along the way, for sure. If you’re wondering whether to take the hit, do it – it’s awesome.