Capturing the 2026 Itabashi & Todabashi Fireworks Festival - 1st Aug 2026

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Held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, the 67th Itabashi Fireworks Festival and the 73rd Todabashi Fireworks Festival are cherished summer traditions jointly hosted on opposite banks of the Arakawa River by Itabashi City, Tokyo, and Toda City, Saitama Prefecture.

Together, the two events launched approximately 15,000 fireworks, brilliantly illuminating the night sky and the river's surface. Spectators were captivated by the overwhelming display, which featured giant "Shaku-gosun-dama" (No. 15 shells)—among the largest in Tokyo—artistic creations by Japan’s top pyrotechnicians, and the grand finale, the famous "Niagara Falls" setup.

I photographed the event from home using a 200–500mm telephoto lens. Although the windy conditions made telephoto photography somewhat challenging, the wind also quickly swept away the fireworks smoke, allowing me to capture clear, beautiful shots even from a distance.

Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/5s / ISO400 / -2.0


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F6.3 / 1/5s / ISO400 / -1.0


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/5s / ISO400 / -1.7


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F6.3 / 1/3s / ISO400 / -1.0


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/5s / ISO400 / -1.7



Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F6.3 / 1/5s / ISO400 / -1.0


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/20s / ISO400 / -1.0


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/20s / ISO400 / -1.7


Nikon D850 / AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR / F5.6 / 1/15s / ISO400 / -1.7


    Camera : Nikon D850 at DPREVIEW
    Lens      : AF-S 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR at DPREVIEW    


   English   Japanese

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Location: 日本、〒174-0041 東京都板橋区舟渡４丁目

Comments

  1. ShiroYuki_Mot2/8/26 22:15

    難しい条件下での果敢な挑戦、そして、しっかりと残された成果！”、流石です。
    質問です。　-1.0 と -1.7 と補正されていますが Auto 撮影ですか？。
    差支え無ければ、Picture Control は Auto でしょうか？。
    綺麗に撮れているので知りたくなりました。

    A bold challenge under difficult conditions, and you achieved solid results—truly impressive work.
    I have a question: the exposure compensations are set to -1.0 and -1.7; were these shots in Auto mode?
    If you don't mind sharing, was the Picture Control set to Auto as well?
    The shots turned out beautifully, so I was curious to know.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dararin Darling3/8/26 08:25

    全てマニュアルで撮っています。Picture ControlでいうとM、ISO400、絞り開放F5.6付近で撮っています。本当はもう少し絞ってシャッタスピードを遅くして枝垂れ柳の様な写真も撮りたかったのですが、風が強く三脚で固定しても500mm（会場までの距離が１０キロごどありました）の望遠ではＶＲがあっても、微細なブレが生じるので短めのシャッタースピードで撮りました。

    I shot everything in manual, specifically, at ISO 400 and an aperture of around f/5.6 wide open. Ideally, I would have liked to stop down a bit more and use a slower shutter speed to capture a "weeping willow" effect, but the wind was strong. Even with the camera secured on a tripod, the 500mm telephoto lens (needed because the subject was about 10 kilometers away) was susceptible to minute vibrations—despite the VR—so I opted for a faster shutter speed instead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShiroYuki_Mot4/8/26 22:19

      ご回答ありがとうございます。
      マニュアル撮影だったのですね。
      花火は機体のブレなのか被写体ブレなのか、判別が難しいですよね、殊にスローでは。

      Thank you for your reply/answer.
      So, you were shooting in manual mode.
      It is difficult to distinguish whether the blur in fireworks shots comes from camera shake or subject motion—especially with slow shutter speeds.　Thanks again.

      Delete

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