On my last trip I found my iPhone to be a fantastic companion. Although it did struggle to  make phone calls (possibly due to the fact that it uses the Softbank network) it was filled with many other great features. Of course I could listen to music, watch videos and check emails, but there are several applications out there that are particularly useful for photographers. The first one comes as standard on the phone: the compass. While walking around at night scouting locations, I could check where the sun would be the next day. Also it  stopped me walking a couple of kilometers in the wrong direction when confused by Japanese street signs. The Simple Depth of Field Calculator is a useful learning tool and field tool that allows you to calculate which parts of your photograph will be in focus for a given film/sensor size, lens length, f-stop, and focus point.  Use it to check you will have front to back sharpness when shooting landscapes or calculate just how shallow your depth of field …

Just started scanning the images from my trip. Here’s a couple of shots from the sand baths of Beppu. I tried the sand baths myself, and although it was  an interesting experience, the sensation of the heavy sand pressing down on your chest while your arms are pinned to your sides was more unnerving than relaxing. One great part of the day was that I met a few fellow sand bathers who didn’t mind me taking a few photos of them while they were buried alive.

From my iPhone 🙂 Happy man

After 5 days in Beppu I am now on the ferry to Shikoku. Beppu was better than I had expected as guidebook descriptions such as “the Las Vegas of onsen towns” conjured up a somewhat tacky image. The Eight Hells with their bubbling sulfurus pools are by far the most comercialized aspect of the town. Gift shops were sometimes larger than the actual attractions, and some Hells had made the dubious decision to include a mini zoo. The main focus of Beppu, however, is relaxing in the many onsen. The hotels and ryokan usually have their own baths, but I headed down to the oldest, Takegawara Onsen, for a soak on the first night. The next day I hiked for an hour up to one of the natural mud onsen on the hillside above the town, and to complete the set I was burried up to my neck in a sand bath by the beach. Last night was the Mount Ogi Fire festival where they set the hillside ablaze. Here’s a pic from my iPhone