Lumphini Park X One Piece

Introduction

Arittake no yume wo kaki atsume. Sagashi mono sagashi ni yuku no sa. One Piece – We Are, One Piece Opening Theme

One Piece has been part of my life for years. Long series with little to none redundancy. When the collaboration event was announced, I immediately saw the opportunity – not just to attend, but to create.

The event runs from 8th to 15th of March 2026 at Lumphini Park. There are multiple activities that could be done.

As a landscape photographer and a One Piece fan, I want to combine two worlds. The iconic landscape scenery of Lumphini Park and the One Piece vibes. The goal was to capture familiar landscapes, but with a new story layered on top.

In this post, I’ll share the photos I took and break down the thinking process behind each shot—from composition to editing. I’ll also walk through how I captured the opening image.

Background

To promote the upcoming One Piece Season 2 live-action series, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Netflix form a three way partnership to host this collaboration event by turning Lumphini Park into the One Piece Grand Line. Each party had different purposes.

Netflix aim to generate global attention by creating a large-scale event, they encourage fans to visit, experience and share it across social media.

TAT wants to implement Pop Culture Tourism by bringing a global franchise like One Piece to Bangkok. Attracting international tourists and hoping to strengthen Thailand’s economy in the long run.

BMA has been working on Bangkok, City of Events projects. This project is about using parks for more than just jogging. This One Piece collaborative event supports it.

Camera Gear

• Camera – Sony A7CII
• Camera Lens
  • FE-PZ 16-35mm F4 G
  • FE 28-70mm F2 GM
  • FE 70-200 Macro F4 G OSS II
• Camera Tripods
  • K&F Concept K254A3
• ND/CPL Filters
  • H&Y Revo Ring Series Magnetic Filter Set VND 3 – 1000 +CPL – A higher quality ND-Filter with less X-Crossing would be preferable.

Getting There

Getting to Lumphini Park is easy. The most convenient option is the MRT direct line to Silom or Lumphini Station. The park is just outside.

Driving is also an option. There are plenty of parking spaces at the park. If those are full, paid parking at One Bangkok is an alternative. From there, it’s less than a five minute walk away.

If you’re planning to shoot during peak hours, MRT is more reliable due to traffic.

Lumphini Park Landscape View

The main view is around the center of Lumphini Park, about 5-10 minute walk from the parking area.

What makes this scene stand out is the combination of Bangkok buildings framed by trees and open grass. The city feels present but softened. It creates a balance between urban density and calmness.

There is another area perspective facing One Bangkok. I’ll cover that separately once I explored it in detail.

Photography Tips

The best time to capture this view is from the afternoon to evening. Afternoon lights adds warmth and softness. Artificial lights in the evening give out strong city atmosphere.

Frame the buildings with trees and grasses. This reinforces the contrast between nature and city.

Wide angle lens is necessary to capture the trees above. You will need to tilt the camera upwards to include the trees.

Use tripods to take long exposure shots. This smoothen the water surface while removing anyone walking past the frame. ND-Filter is also required here to control exposure, especially during brighter conditions.

Photo Editing Tips

Start by correcting perspective. Since the camera is tilted, you’ll need to straighten the buildings. This will take time. Using a wider angle lens of with no distortion will help you save time.

For afternoon shots, increase the temperature to enhance warm light. Darken the overall image to control the mood.

Make the grass area darker to direct attention towards the city. Increase the brightness of the trees above to strengthen the frame.

Refine the image through reducing clarity. Increase contrast and saturation to emphasize the sunlight. Remove the branch on the right hand side. Disconnected trees are distracting elements.

For night shots, increase the brightness of the trees so they remain visible. Increase saturation carefully, to enhance city light without making the image look artificial. Adjust the green color to keep the image natural.

One Piece Photo Shoots

From a photographic perspective, Laboon is the main subject of this event. Its massive scale and placement in the pond naturally draw attention.

By moving around Lumphini Park, you are able to get different perspectives of Laboon.

My initial idea was to include Laboon within the main landscape view point. However, this does not work. A wide angle lens is required to capture the entire view, making Laboon too small to stand out. Its size and placement would only add noise to the image.

All photos are taken in the afternoon. Unlike traditional landscape where golden hour enhances the scene, this setups benefits from stronger daylight.

Shooting areas are easily accessible. No queuing required. However, do be aware of water monitor lizards. There are many swimming in the pond.

Laboon and the Pirates’ Ship

From the center of the park, follow the question towards the boat area. This leads to a position near the lake. Here, you get a scene of Laboon alongside docked ships – recreating the scene from the anime.

Photography Tips

Although long exposure shots would be ideal method to smoothen the water surface, it is difficult to maintain due to constant boat movement. A single shot works best here.

Position Laboon at the top right of the frame. Aim for the moment Going Merry is docked at the pier. Ideally, without any other ships nearby. These will just create distractions.

Aim for the moment Laboon is free of ships so that the attention is completely focused on the subject. With correct timing, a single shot should be sufficient. Waiting patiently is the real challenge here.

Photo Editing Tips

Increase exposure to brighten the photo. Reduce highlight to recover details. Add warmth to match the afternoon light.

The main issue is Laboon itself. The colors do not stand out, especially when surrounded by brighter elements such as ship flags.

To fix this, apply a shade of light on Laboon to make it stand out. Increase saturation on Laboon to enhance its color. Darken surrounding areas to reduce distractions.

Finally, use Lightroom and Photoshop tools to remove any ships sailing around Laboon. This gives a cleaner composition.

Watching Laboon Calmly under a Tree

This scene is captured near the Pavilion area. From a small open seating space, follow the path towards the pond. Here, you can frame Laboon beneath a giant tree.

This setup creates a quieter mood. The tree acts as a natural frame, while the city remains subtle in the background.

Photography Tips

Place the camera low to the ground. Use the grass as a foreground leading toward the pond. Let the tree frame the subject. This strengthens depth and isolates Laboon within the scene.

A single shot is best at this location. Long exposure shots would create a dense water spray around Laboon, reducing clarity. Adjust white balance settings to shade for warm tone.

As before, wait for a clean aim without nearby boats. This maintain focus on the subject.

Photo Editing Tips

Adjust exposure and highlights so that the shot is bright enough while retaining details. Reduce clarity to keep the image clean.

Apply a warm tone to unify the scene and create contrast between Laboon and its surroundings. Laboon’s color is undersaturated. Make Laboon more vibrant so that it stands out more.

Add a shade of light to Laboon to make it stand out. Darken the tree and grass to emphasize the subject.

The blue building on the right is very distractive. Desaturated it as much as possible so that they don’t draw your attention away from Laboon.

Finally, remove the One Piece sign near Laboon using Lightroom or Photoshop. Its position in the frame disrupt the natural feel of the scene.

Other One Piece Events in Lumphini Park

Although my focus was photography, the event offers several activities for visitors.

Statues of Luffy and Chopper are displayed there for selfies purposes. Luffy’s extended arm allows visitors to place their phone in his hand—creating a unique “wefie” shot.

One Piece boats are also available for sailing. From Going Merry to Marine Ship to Baroque Works Ship. Each ride last around ten minutes, offering different perspectives.

For a more relaxed experience, One Piece–themed mats are provided for picnicking. These are free to use for up to one hour and are a good way to enjoy the atmosphere of the event.

Entry to the park and all activities is free. However, if you plan to participate, it’s best to arrive early in the morning. Queues can become long and time-consuming later in the day.

Conclusion

Lumphini Park is a place I’ve visited many times. But during this event, it felt different.

The addition of Laboon changed how the space could be seen and photographed. Familiar views became something new. Instead of capturing the city surrounded by nature, the focus shifted toward a single subject placed within it.

Composing these shots brought back memories of the anime. This time through my own lens – gave the experience more meaning

There are still areas where this collaboration could improve. More iconic scenes could strengthen the connection for fans. Moments like the crew placing their feet on a barrel, declaring their goals, would bring a stronger sense of identity to the event.

If the intention is to transform the entire park, the experience could be more visible and spread out. I had to search for where the event was taking place, which reduced its overall presence.

In the end, this event wasn’t just about One Piece. It was about seeing a familiar place differently, and finding new ways to tell a story within it.