When I opened the taxi window a little, a warm, humid breeze blew in.
It’s been 10 years since I last visited Macau SAR – I can’t believe it’s been that long.
What I remember is being taken aback by the massive casino complex, not having the courage to go into a restaurant and instead just nibbling on takeout egg tarts, and sprinting down the cobblestone streets because I almost missed the ferry home.
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In the old alleyway fading into twilight, a few subdued orange lights began to flicker on. As I ran, out of breath , I regretted , “I should have looked at this street scene instead of the casino……!”.
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What spurred me to visit Macau SAR for the first time in 10 years was a movie I’d recently seen. My heart leaps at the sight of Macau SAR’s back alleys, which appear again and again. The light and colors I saw on the screen stayed with me for quite a while. I’d like to see the real thing. I’d like to go for a walk. This time, I really want to take photos of scenery that captures my heart.
I thought the scenery in Macau SAR would surely suit ASTIA as well. While ASTIA is well-known among Film Simulations for its accurate reproduction of skin tones, what really drew me in was its elegant color rendering. It preserves the colors right before my eyes vividly, yet softly. I tried creating a preset where I lowered the highlights, reduced the sharpness slightly, and added just a touch of grain. Just like the landscapes in my memories -with soft outlines and a certain warmth- I want to capture photos like that.
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Although Macau SAR is geographically close to Hong Kong SAR, it has a charm all its own that sets it apart from the energetic city of Hong Kong SAR, with its rows of skyscrapers. Traces of Portugal can be seen here and there, and the pastel-colored buildings have a gentle, soothing feel to them.
If you head out into the city early in the morning, there aren’t many tourists yet, so you can have even the famous tourist spots all to yourself. I can feel the contours of my body, which had been huddled up during the Tokyo winter, gradually relaxing. Even though I’m walking through an unfamiliar city, I feel strangely at ease.
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The sunlight in Macau SAR is gentle, even in winter. When light hits the pastel-colored walls, which resemble candy, they appear to glow faintly. The colors displayed by ASTIA complemented the soft, bright lighting perfectly. It captures every bit of that exhilarating feeling I get while walking through a town I haven’t visited in a long time.
5
I became fascinated with Cantonese after watching a movie, so I started studying it a little bit last year. It’s hard to distinguish the tones, so when I actually try to speak, I can only manage a simple greeting. But my ears are definitely getting used to it, and it makes me happy to be able to tell for sure that the language I hear while walking around town is Cantonese. When I’m in the mood, I naturally end up taking more photos.
ASTIA, which complements colorful scenery, is perfect for taking photos while having fun.
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I took a trip to visit a town that was once a small fishing village. Famous churches and cafes coexist side by side with everyday life.
As I was walking with no particular destination in mind, I saw a cat at the end of the alley. Not only does it not run away when I approach, but it actually comes toward me. When I pointed the camera at him, he looked right into the lens. When I take a photo of a cat while traveling, it makes me happy because it feels like a sign that I’ve somehow started to feel at home there.
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I suddenly stopped in my tracks when I spotted a small red shrine at the base of a banyan tree. ASTIA is also perfect for landscapes with striking colors. Even if a view isn’t the kind of breathtaking scenery you’d find in a guidebook, there are moments that capture your heart, or times when you come across a scene that, for reasons you can’t quite explain, makes it hard to walk away. It captures those fleeting moments in a striking way.
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As the sun began to set, the streets of Macau SAR took on a different look. In the blink of an eye, the undulating cityscape is bathed in orange, and then the whole scene quickly turns dark blue.
The twilight scenes depicted by ASTIA have a certain elegance about them. Rather than the loneliness of the sun setting, it captures the warmth of the sunset and the lights. In bright scenes, it’s soft and vibrant; as the light fades, it becomes quiet and warm. That’s how ASTIA’s rendering really brings out the essence of each scene.
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Even though it was the same city, this trip allowed me to discover so many things I hadn’t noticed 10 years ago. The photos I took prove that it wasn’t just my imagination. The next time I visit, I’m sure I’ll see a different view. That’s exactly why I can’t stop traveling with my camera.
1
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO
DYNAMIC RANGE:200%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H 0, S -2
COLOR:+1
SHARPNESS:-1
HIGH ISO NR:-1
CLARITY:-1
2
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO
DYNAMIC RANGE:200%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H -2, S -2
COLOR:+1
SHARPNESS:-1
HIGH ISO NR:-1
CLARITY:-1
3・4・5・6・11
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO WHITE PRIORITY
DYNAMIC RANGE:100%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H -2, S -2
COLOR:+1
SHARPNESS:-1
HIGH ISO NR:0
CLARITY:-1
7
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:STRONG
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:WEAK
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO WHITE PRIORITY
DYNAMIC RANGE:100%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H -1, S -2
COLOR:-1
SHARPNESS:+2
HIGH ISO NR:0
CLARITY:0
8・10
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO WHITE PRIORITY
DYNAMIC RANGE:200%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H -2, S -2
COLOR:+1
SHARPNESS:-1
HIGH ISO NR:0
CLARITY:-1
9
FILM SIMULATION:ASTIA
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR:N/A
GRAIN EFFECT:WEAK
COLOR CHROME EFFECT:OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE:OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT:OFF
WHITE BALANCE:AUTO WHITE PRIORITY
DYNAMIC RANGE:200%
D RANGE PRIORITY:OFF
TONE CURVE:H -2, S -2
COLOR:0
SHARPNESS:-1
HIGH ISO NR:0
CLARITY:-1
