Mariko Yamamoto (Markins Ball Head)

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Theme

Flowers, Nature, Animals, Architecture

Photographer

Mariko Yamamoto

Date

February-April 2020

Location

Kanagawa, Hokkaido (Douton)

Device

Review

My first Markins head

First, I was quite unsure which color to choose. There were many color options such as red, blue, and black, which are not available elsewhere, so I was happy and distracted, but in the end I selected my favorite color, red. Then, I wanted something that was easy to carry, so I chose the small and light Q3iTR-RD Knob Shoe.
Then the Markins arrived. The red color was very beautiful as expected. Appearance is also important for photography equipment. Because if you feel good by using beautiful equipment, shooting will be even more fun.

Self-introduction

Well, let me introduce myself a little here. I continue to take photographs based on the concept of the word "airy," which means wind passing through. If possible, I want to capture the wind, humidity, and even smells of the place in my photographs, and that's what I want to do when I press the shutter. While taking airy photographs of flowers and nature, I recently discovered the joy of taking photographs of animals. I absolutely love traveling around Japan and the world to see animals. The reason I became a photographer is because I wanted to make a living by traveling the world and taking photographs. I'm grateful that I'm living this way.

Head to the frigid Douton to see wild animals

Now, my first destination with Markins is Eastern Hokkaido. I'm going to see animals living in the extreme cold. Even though it's a warm winter with little snow, there is a breathtakingly beautiful silver world there. The mountains, forests, lakes, and fields are all white. Hokkaido is beautiful in summer, but winter is just as beautiful. That day, I went to the forest at dusk to see flying squirrels. As the sun goes down, the temperature drops rapidly. Of course, below freezing. I took the tripod out of the car and set it up in the snow. The red of Markins stands out beautifully against the white. And, as expected, it was very cold.
As I was setting it up, I remembered that I had heard, "Even if you loosen the knob on Markins' tripod head, the camera won't fall off." "If you set a small limit dial, the knob's rotation is limited and it won't loosen beyond a certain position." In other words, the limit dial prevents the knob from loosening too much when you want to change the composition, causing a sudden jerk. As I adjusted the knobs and moved the lens, I finally understood what it was all about. It was my first experience, and a new sensation.
As the sun went down and the sky darkened, I waited patiently, and suddenly a flying squirrel popped out. It was the one I had always wanted to photograph. Its eyes were bigger than I thought. And it was smaller and cuter than I thought. If it moved even a little, it would stop moving for a few seconds, so I could take lots of pictures during that time. The camera and lens were both set on a tripod, so all I had to do was loosen the knobs, decide on the position, and focus on pressing the shutter button. Ah, how cute. As I pressed the shutter, I was filled with gratitude that I was able to take a picture of the subject I wanted to take a picture of. In the end, three flying squirrels came out of the nest and flew off into the darkness. I also managed to take a picture of one flying squirrel using another flying squirrel as a stepping stone, which made me laugh a little.

SONY α7RⅣ / FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
1/40 s　F2.8　ISO1600

Staying at home these days, I enjoy taking photos in my garden and at home.

Spring in Kanagawa Prefecture. At home. Three and a half years ago, I moved from Setagaya, Tokyo to a small sea town in Kanagawa. I live in an 80-year-old traditional house surrounded by a small forest of tall trees on the side and a small hill behind me. In April, in the spring garden, plum trees are ripe, dogwood flowers are quietly blooming, and the asparagus, coriander, and carrots I'm growing are growing rapidly.
One day, during the days of refraining from going out, I went to the garden to take pictures of dogwood flowers. The sky was bright blue, and a pleasant spring breeze was blowing.
I love dogwood flowers. Am I the only one who always feels protected when I see their modest appearance? I pressed the shutter, hoping to capture the beauty of the dogwood and the pleasantness of the spring breeze in the photo. I used a slightly slower shutter speed to capture some of the dogwood flowers swaying.

SONY α7RⅣ / Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
1/10 s　F16　ISO100

SONY α7RⅣ / FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
1/6 s　F16　ISO100

And then I went to my favorite part of the garden, a place where the trees are lush like a forest. Every day many wild birds come here. Great tits, varied tits, Japanese bush warblers, Japanese buntings, brown-eared bulbuls, Chinese humpbacked thrush, and more. Just listening to the birds while the wind blows makes me feel gentle, as if my whole body is refreshed. In a place as close as the garden is to me, the energy of nature helps and invigorates me every day. I took a photo of the sun.

SONY α7RⅣ / Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
1/20 s　F2.5　ISO100

Actually, this is after the white petals of the Spiraea thunbergii have fallen. When the flowers are in full bloom, they are often seen on social media timelines, but once the petals have fallen, no one pays any attention to them. The Spiraea thunbergii is no exception. I took this photo because I wanted to tell someone that beautiful flowers are still beautiful even after their petals have fallen.

About Markins Ballhead

Markins heads are loved by many famous photographers. If they are so good, I thought there must be a clear reason, but after using it, I understood.
Not only does it look cool, but above all, it is light and easy to use. This is why photographers, who are a profession with a few quirks, love it so much. I am not yet at the point where my hand moves naturally, including the limit dial, but I'm sure my hand will get used to it as I continue to use it. I would like to use it to the fullest so that I can get that feeling.
I think that those who know the photographer Mariko Yamamoto have the impression that soft, airy photos are. However, while taking soft, airy photos, I also do a lot of work photographing architectural completions. At that time, I often use a large tripod. Next time, I would like to use the Markins head for architectural photography as well.
First of all, enjoy the look, and then enjoy the tempo of the shoot when taking pictures. The Markins ball head has come to me, and I have one more thing to enjoy.

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