📸 Capturing Moerenuma Park: A Creative Photoshoot in 2024
In 2024, I had the privilege of conducting a commercial photography shoot at one of Japan's most celebrated public spaces — Moerenuma Park in Sapporo. This park, designed by the legendary artist Isamu Noguchi, seamlessly integrates nature with sculptural design, making it the ideal location for a photoshoot that would challenge and expand my skills as a real estate photographer and creative visual artist.
As a Japanese real estate photographer now based in Western Australia, this shoot allowed me to return to my roots and push my creative boundaries, experimenting with HDR bracketing, composition, and cropping to capture the essence of Noguchi’s vision. Through this project, I was able to bridge the gap between real estate photography and artistic commercial photography, demonstrating how these two worlds intersect and enrich each other.
🌍 Bringing the Artist’s Vision to Life
Moerenuma Park is more than just a public park — it’s a space that invites visitors to experience art, architecture, and nature in a harmonious setting. The sculptures, geometric shapes, and carefully curated landscapes all communicate a deeper message about balance and the relationship between human-made structures and the natural world.
In approaching this project, my goal was to capture these elements visually, translating Noguchi’s message through my lens. As in real estate photography, where the objective is to highlight the unique features and beauty of a property, I sought to bring the park’s design to life in a way that would allow the viewer to feel the same awe and reverence that one experiences when walking through the park itself.
🖼️ HDR Bracketing: Bringing Out the Full Dynamic Range
One of the key techniques I used during this shoot was HDR (High Dynamic Range) bracketing. This method involves capturing multiple exposures of the same scene — typically three to five — each with different exposure settings. These images are then combined to create a final image with balanced lighting and enhanced detail in both the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows.
In the context of commercial photography, HDR bracketing is essential, particularly when shooting spaces with complex lighting. Whether it's the bright sky, a reflective surface, or an intricate shadow, HDR ensures that no detail is lost. It allows me to showcase the full beauty of a scene, something I also use in real estate photography to highlight the finest details of a property, whether interior or exterior.
🎯 Cropping and Composition: Creating Balance in Every Frame
Effective composition and thoughtful cropping were also central to this photoshoot. In real estate photography, composition is crucial for showing the spatial relationships between rooms, architectural elements, and the surrounding environment. Similarly, in this creative project, I paid close attention to framing and perspective to maintain a sense of balance while capturing both the vast open spaces and the sculptural details.
Each shot was carefully cropped to highlight the most meaningful elements, ensuring the story of the park’s design was told in every frame. Composition isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about directing the viewer’s eye and creating a sense of flow that mirrors the experience of walking through the space itself.
🏠Real Estate Photography Meets Creative Commercial Photography
Though the project at Moerenuma Park was an artistic, creative endeavour, the same principles that guide real estate photography were integral to this process. Both fields require careful attention to detail, a keen eye for balance, and a focus on composition. Whether shooting a commercial property in Perth, a residential home in Mandurah, or a landscape like Moerenuma Park, my goal is to tell a story through images that connect the viewer to the space, evoke emotion, and communicate the uniqueness of the subject.
In the world of real estate photography, these techniques allow me to capture homes and properties in their best light, while in commercial photography, they help to create visuals that are not only visually appealing but also carry an underlying message. Both types of photography share the common goal of communicating the beauty, structure, and atmosphere of a space, whether it’s a home, a hotel, or an art installation like Moerenuma Park.
đź“… Capture Your Vision with Umi Real Estate Photography
My work in real estate and commercial photography is driven by the same passion for visual storytelling that fueled this project in Moerenuma Park. Whether you need striking images for a real estate listing, a commercial property shoot, or an artistic endeavor that tells a powerful story, I bring the same creative energy and attention to detail to every project.
