Mar 1, 2025

Tips and Tricks for City-Cost images

Are you like me, relying on a mobile device for your photography? I shoot with an iPad Mini 4, now a vintage item! I can't update it to the latest version of iPadOS, but I still get a lot of use out of it. How do you shoot your photos? What photo apps or processing do you use? Have you got tips or tricks on how to shoot or edit the photos you use in blogs?

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TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

5 Answers

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genkidesu

on Mar 1

The issue I often have is the size -- I find that sometimes my image files from my phone are too big to upload, so I have to crop or resize them. For that, I use https://imageresizer.com/ which is quick, easy, and free. A lot of the photos I use on my blogs (especially ones that need more generic images) are ones of scenery/favorite destinations here that I have already uploaded to my social media accounts, and those are already compressed in size a bit from the originals. After the changes to the site and not being able to use CC images anymore, sometimes I make my own header images via Canva when I don't have an image that fits the theme well (e.g. sometimes I like to share interesting expat news articles, and I don't always have an image that fits what I want to write about).

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TonetoEdo

on Mar 2

@genkidesu I'm running into the same issue as you and also resorting to Canva to create original images. Some of the images I use are original photos edited with Lunapic, transforming them into illustrations. Did you notice one of my reviews has a photo of the product with no background? Background removers or blurs have improved a lot. The product really stands out.

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helloalissa

on Mar 2

I'm still using my laptop to add any content here, so when I need to edit photos, I usually use my phone's editor or the Windows Photos app. It also has the option to compress image sizes, remove backgrounds, markup, etc.

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genkidesu

on Mar 4

@TonetoEdo I like the idea of taking out the background, you're right, it really does make the product stand out a lot. I'll have to look into that!

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BigfamJapan

on Mar 25

Following with interest! Even on Instagram, I don't really edit photos anymore. I just don't have time. But sometimes I will edit when absolutely necessary. I use Google Photos which automatically reduces the file sizes, so photos that I take with my phone most often don't need to be resized for City-cost, they're normally around 2mb only. If I have to resize them, I just use Google photos.

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2 Answers

Japan's biggest oversells?

I mentioned in a Q&A recently that I went to a place several years ago called Minetopia Besshi in Ehime, which branded itself as Japan's Machu Picchu. It was a big oversell! BigFamJapan also mentioned that there's a place in Saitama branded as Japan's Cappadocia, which also might be a bit underwhelming for some! It doesn't have to be somewhere necessarily compared to another world famous spot, but have you found many places here that oversell themselves? I'm not often disappointed when I visit places here, so when I am it's probably all the more noticeable.

genkidesu

on Feb 25

2 Answers

Your favorite pottery type in Japan?

I have really gotten into all things pottery since living here, and I have a soft spot for both Kutani ware (the first pottery type I discovered here, and it's so vibrantly colored!) and Arita ware. ToneToEdo mentioned Tobe-yaki in recent Q&A about things we associate with Ehime, and it's a pottery type I didn't know much about beforehand. If you're into pottery here, do you have a favorite type?

genkidesu

on Feb 23

13 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

5 Answers

What's your favourite seasonal scent?

Japan's got so many scents of seasons. Which one do you like best? Are there any that turn you off? The photo is ロウバイ robai, wintersweet, spotted, and inhaled in suburban Chiba Prefecture.

TonetoEdo

on Feb 18

4 Answers

What do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

It is "Hometown Day" in Fukui Prefecture today. Whether you have been there or not, what do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 7

6 Answers

Living on Japanese time?

Do you eat with your family at a particular hour? My interactions with neighbours and friends suggest their dinner time is much later than mine. I tend to aim for 7 p.m. Tell us about your dinner hour and the constraints of your work hours, family schedule. Gratuitous pic of summer soba prepared by my Japanese ojisan neighbour.

TonetoEdo

on Feb 5

6 Answers

February joys

February is just around the corner. January brought New Year festivities, wintersweet, tulips, snow, dondoyaki and so much more. What are you looking forward to in February? Be it weather related, traditions, festivals, flowers, seasonal food etc.- what you are looking forward to this February.

BigfamJapan

on Jan 27

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

8 Answers

Who is your hero!?

Today, January 16th, is Hero Day. Who is your favorite hero, fictional or otherwise? The first one who comes to my mind for me is a real life person; Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland (moreover, the first female president), and a former United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, among other impressive roles. I had the great pleasure of meeting her in December, a dream come true. I was trying to think about who my favorite fictional hero is. I have not come to conclusion yet! There is such a choice. Do you have one?

BigfamJapan

on Jan 16

4 Answers

Recommendations for next Christmas?

While its somewhat fresh in your mind, what gifts came into your house this Christmas and / or New Year, that you thought were really nice things to receive and / or really good buys, that you think might make a good present for someone else in the future? As you might see in the product reviews, I am going through some of the things I bought for the kids this year and thinking of what I was really happy with. And already thinking of next year!

BigfamJapan

on Jan 11

4 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

on Dec 29

2 Answers

Japanese Christmas songs

Do you like any Japanese Christmas songs? If so, what is your favorite Japanese Christmas song? Or maybe you like the Japanese version of a traditional Christmas carol?

BigfamJapan

on Dec 19

Tips and Tricks for City-Cost images

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