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Geisha in Gion
I was in Kyoto exploring the historic Gion district. Gion in Kyoto is one of the last places in Japan that still has an active Geisha District. Geisha have worked in Gion for more than 300 years. There is something beautiful and mysterious about a geisha. They are a moving, living, breathing works of art. Graceful, elegant and playful all at the same time.
If you are lucky, you can catch a Geiko (Kyoto Japanese dialect for Geisha) and Maiko (apprentice Geikos) moving from Tea House to Tea House in the evening.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/geisha-gion/
Reflections of Central Park West
I was lucky enough to attend a workshop run by the legendary photographer Jay Maisel in NYC. Jay continually pounded his views on photography into our heads. He kept saying ‘take the shot that no one else is taking’. The day after the workshop I was invited to my friends apartment on the top of Trump International Tower. The views of Central Park were breathtaking. I kept looking for the shot that others weren't seeing. I finally saw and captured this.
My friend said he had never seen that view in more than 10 years living there…it felt like ‘graduation’.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/jay-maisel-workshop/
The Man at Yanaka
I am never shy about approaching people to take a photo. I find if you stand back and are 'secretly' trying to take someone photo you will get a bad reaction. When you step up to someone with confidence and a bit of friendly smile you will have a lot more success.
I stepped out of Yanaka Station and saw this older man squatting down smoking and reading him phone and confidence walked over squatted down in front of him and snapped this...
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/shooting-film-tmax-400/
The Transamerica Pyramid
On a long business trip I caught up with some friends in San Francisco for a photowalk. It turned out I captured one of my favorite shots of 2013 that day. We were all walking back to our hotels and transportation and came upon the Transamerica Pyramid just as the sun was hitting the aluminum panels on the very tip. The combination of the light and clouds made for a fantastic scene.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/a-month-of-travel/
Viewing Mt Fuji
I had the pleasure of working for a year with this being the view out of my office window. The view was breathtaking and as the winter would begin and the sky would clear the daily views of Mt Fuji were even better with each passing day.
I miss this view but glad I took the time to capture it.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/viewing-mt-fuji/
The Shinjuku Eye
The west exit of Shinjuku Station has been the home to the famous Shinjuku Eye (新宿の目) created by the artist Miyashita Yoshiko. It is an amazing piece that makes for a fantastic scene to photograph. I walked past it daily my first few years in Tokyo.
Read about Shinjuku on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/category/tokyo-shinjuku/
Alone
On a trip to Dalat Vietnam a few years ago I went to this lake to photograph the sunset and as I waited for the slowly setting sun I watched this man slow crossing the lake. He looked so alone in that massive lake by himself.
It took me a few minutes to realize he was rowing the boat with his feet.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/dalat-vietnam/
Good Morning Vietnam
I was visiting Dalat Vietnam a few years ago and wake up very early to watch the sunrise on the South Central highlands of Vietnam. It was a beautiful scene to watch unfold in front of me. Beautiful photography usually don't happen at convenient times.
Read about my adventures on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/category/tokyo-shinjuku/
The Noodle Maker
One evening as I cut through the edge of Korean Town and Kabuki-cho after shooting in Golden Gai I stopped to watch a chinese noodle maker. I watched as he pulled, tossed and stretched noodles to the perfect length and thickness. It was fascinating watching him.
Korean Town, the Korean-orientated commercial district around Shin-Okubo Station in Shinjuku, is dominated by recent immigrants from South Korea who have retained their ethic and cultural identity. There are currently about 80,000 Koreans living in Tokyo. If you didn’t know you were in Tokyo, you could easily be fooled that you are in South Korea.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/noodle-maker/
Dark Shibuya
On March 11th 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan that sparked a tsunami and a nuclear crisis. In the days and weeks that followed much to Tokyo was without the bright lights and neon that it is so well known for. As I was heading to board a train in Shibuya one evening I stopped and was amazed by how dark it was.
You can get know a place and it can be very surprising when it is no longer as it should be. Dark Shibuya was surreal.
Read about that day and the ones that followed on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/category/tokyo-2011-earthquake/
The Gathering
The days, weeks and months following the earthquake that rocked Japan in 2011 much of the business districts of Tokyo were darkened. Exploring the area in the evening made for viewing a very different Tokyo than what I had come to know.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/35mm-wednesday/
Resilent
On March 11th 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan that sparked a tsunami and a nuclear crisis. In the days and weeks that followed much to Tokyo was without the bright lights and neon that it is so well known for. The Japanese people just continued on with their lives in a manner which gain Japan much praise.
It was amazing to see the resiliency of the Japanese people.
Read about that day and the ones that followed on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/category/tokyo-2011-earthquake/
Storm is coming
Tokyo is one of those cities that look fantastic as storms approach. The city is so massive when when big dark clouds are approaching it gives a very futuristic look to the city.
I was sitting in my office and noticed it was getting dark but when I turned around I saw this.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/rainy-tuesday-2/
Dogs in an Irish Pub
I am always amazed as the people and scenes I encounter in Tokyo. I stopped by my local Irish pub for dinner one evening and this was the scene I found.
I had to take a photo of it.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/saturday-night-jiyugaoka/
Cherry Blossoms on Meguro River
For my first 8 years in Tokyo I lived in Nakameguro and right near Meguro River which is famous for Cherry Blossoms. April is one of the best time of the year in Tokyo as the city turn pink with Cherry Blossoms everywhere you look. It is a break taking scene.
For me it becomes a week of lots of photography.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/shooting-the-cherry-blossoms/
Good Morning Singapore
I can't count how many mornings I have woken up early in Singapore to capture a photograph of the sunrise. I wanted the perfect blend of few clouds, a colorful sky, wet ground to give me the exact scene I wanted. Finally after a lot of persistence I was able to get what I wanted. As a photographer you need to be keep pushing to get what you want. You can't settle. It is a results orientated practice not an effort one.
The reward for my hard work: I sold a print of this the day I took this photo!
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/working-a-shot/
The Hotel
There is a time of day called 'magic hour' where the quality and balance of light is just perfect for photography. When you hit that exact moment you will take some amazing photos.
I was walking to dinner with a colleague and we passed this alley at exactly that moment. Thankfully I had my camera with me to capture it.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/2-weeks-san-francisco/
The ants of Shibuya
Shibuya is famous for its young vibrate visitors, the statue of Hachiko and the scramble crossing. As many as 2,500 people cross at one time. It can be quite an experience to be in the middle of all of this movement of people.
Shibuya is one of the most exciting places in Tokyo and has been featured in many famous movies such as Lost in Translation, The Fast and the Furious, and Resident Evil.
Read about Shibuya on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/category/shibuya-2/
Contrast
One of the most charming things about Japan is the constant contrasts. You can see 1,000 years of tradition visible in the most modern of technology. It is one of the parts of Tokyo that is really appealing to people and difficult for other countries to replicate. I walked past this car and bike combination and just had to stop and smile.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/on-mission/
The Pan Pacific Singapore
I always hear from people that they have no time to shoot or nothing to shoot. I used to believe that is true but I have learned to always find something to shoot. On a trip to Singapore a few years ago I felt like shooting but didn’t feel like going out so and fighting the heat and humidity so decided to explore my hotel to see what I could find.
I think I found the scene for the opening of the next James Bond movie.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/3-days-singapore/
Tokyo Skyline
One shot I have been wanting to take for so long is the Tokyo Skyline. I finally headed out to Odaiba and got the shot I wanted.
Read more about this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/tokyo-skyline/
The Guitar Man
I was exploring Yanaka with some friends. Yanaka is an extremely cool part of Tokyo. We wondered over to Uneo Park for some shooting when I saw this man with his guitar case and girlfriend trying to keep up in her kimono...
Read about the rest of the day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/shooting-film-kodak-ektar-100/From The Portfolio
Gion
This is Gion. Gion is Kyoto’s most famous Geisha District, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine and Kamo River. It is filled with shops, restaurants and teahouses, where Geiko (Kyoto dialect for Geisha) and Maiko (Geiko apprentices) entertain. You may remember it as the scene of Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha about Mineko Iwasaki growing up in Gion first as a Maiko and then a Geiko. It is a fantastic book that was adapted into a movie. As always the book is better.
Walking through Gion you are quickly recognize key scenes from the book and movie.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/gion/From The Portfolio
Who me?
I always have a camera around my neck as I am out and about in Tokyo. One of of things I have become fascinated with photographing is open train doors. Inside the train it is a world onto itself. It is fascinating to observe from outside the train.
As I raised my camera up to photograph this scene this buy proudly stood up at attention.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/out-and-about/From The Portfolio
Shinjuku
I had the pleasure of this being the view out of my window of my office in Shinjuku. Leica loaded me an M8 one day when my M9 was being repaired and I was able to capture this.
Read about that day and the ones that followed on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/controlled-arrows/From The Portfolio
Reflections of Central Park West
I was lucky enough to attend a workshop run by the legendary photographer Jay Maisel in NYC. Jay continually pounded his views on photography into our heads. He kept saying ‘take the shot that no one else is taking’. The day after the workshop I was invited to my friends apartment on the top of Trump International Tower. The views of Central Park were breathtaking. I kept looking for the shot that others weren't seeing. I finally saw and captured this.
My friend said he had never seen that view in more than 10 years living there…it felt like ‘graduation’.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/jay-maisel-workshop/From The Portfolio
Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho
Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, or ‘Memory Lane as it is known, with it’s cramped bars and restaurants gives you a view into post war Japan. The alley was rebuilt in 1999 after a fire burned everything to the ground but they managed to bring it back the grease, grime and feel of old world Tokyo.
A lot of foreigners refer to this place as Yakitori Alley due to the vast number of Yakitori restaurants that line the narrow alleys. It's fantastic for an evening of photography and a great meal.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/yakitori-shinjuku/From The Portfolio
Friendship in Shinjuku
Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho is a great way to observe daily life in Japan and the friendship of business associates that is formed in the evening over a meal or a few drinks.
The place is so full of life and culture. It is one of my favorite places to visit.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/yakitori-shinjuku/From The Portfolio
The Lamp
Restaurants in Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho have been there for years. Some of them are so famous they have lines to wait for a seat. There is never an empty seat in this one.
I'm sure the food is fantastic but it is the lamp that caught my attention.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/yakitori-shinjuku/From The Portfolio
Tokyo Commute
It is hard to understand the massive movement of people that happens during a daily commute in Tokyo until you are in the middle of. Often it can feel like there are people coming from every direction. Over time the flow just becomes natural and something you are used to.
Read about the rest of this day on ShootTokyo:
http://shoottokyo.com/wide-angle-wednesday/
