“The survivors who rebuilt Hiroshima after the atomic bombing envisioned their new city arising as a center of peace and culture. That vision shaped the city we see today.”
Client: Rurubu Travel, a travel company focused on helping both domestic and international tourists get the most out of their vacation time in Japan.
Project Description: Provide text and photographs for travel guide pages to Hiroshima and Miyajima, as well as an advertorial for Orizuru Tower.
A Quote
“The survivors who rebuilt Hiroshima after the atomic bombing envisioned their new city arising as a center of peace and culture. That vision shaped the city we see today.”
The Inside Scoop
I had the good fortune of being asked to produce the guidebook pages for Hiroshima and Miyajima, and to put together an advertorial for Orizuru Tower.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this online portfolio, I always jump at the opportunity to write about Hiroshima. Miajima is also famous and beautiful, and offers fantastic photography opportunities. The chic and modern Orizuru Tower likewise presented no shortage of lens candy, especially with that stunning aerial view of Hiroshima City.
Hiroshima and Miyajima we’re just straightforward photography and write up operations. I got to propose which attractions to feature, and Rurubu was great to work with in that regard. For example, when I suggested the idea of getting a short quote from an A-bomb survivor about why it’s important to visit the Peace Park, they supported it immediately.
As for Orizuru Tower, being an advertorial, I decided to include models to help sell the spot. But unfortunately, the time of year meant the weather was a bit touch go, and in the end I wasn’t able to work with the models we had originally scheduled. The couple in the photograph was actually just a lovely pair of kindhearted travelers whom I bribed with food. They did a great job, and definitely looked at the part of authentic tourists.
Many of the photos involved exposure blending, especially the larger pics. Without this technique, the main Orizuru Tower pic — with its fully visible bright sky and relatively darker interior — would have been impossible. You can also see the benefits of this approach in the Miyajima shrine photo, and the Daishoin Temple pic.
Rurubu also asked me to provide sample layouts. The designs they ultimately settled on are based heavily on the samples I provided, but do differ in several significant ways. I any case, their team did a great job.
My Favorite Part
Inserting a quote from an A-bomb survivor into a one of the most popular free travel guides in Japan. Epic win.
See the results:
Note: these are scans, not original files, so the quality isn’t 100%.
