7.30.2008

name card


I made name cards a coulpe weeks ago.
They're small, less than half the size of normal name card.



My name and some info. are on one surface, and my photograph is printed on the other side of each card!!!
They were much better printed than expected when i ordered on internet.
(needed to trim original photos for making them, but it's ok.)
I really like them. 
The problem is i might feel like keeping some of them for myself...!?

7.29.2008

show hopping memo

July 27, 2008
*shinjuku nikon salon
"sayonara nippon"
great!
so powerful!
i like the way the photographer exhibit!

*konika minolta plaza
"tourist atraction" and more

7.18.2008

a call

It started with a call two days ago.
The call was from an unkowing number, so i hesitated to answer the call for a moment.
But it ringed a bell suddenly.
My intuition was collect.
That was from a friend i really trusted and prouded of.
It's first time to talk directly with him since last October.

This spring he just changed his job in US, and now work for ......Lucasfilm!!!
Then, he, my ex-coworker has stayed Japan on job from this week as i was told in advance.
So, "STAR WARS CELEBRATION JAPAN" will be held in Makuhari from this Saturday to Monday.

On the call, I was asked to be a photographer in that event.

I was disappointed at the moment when i heard of the day he needed me to work because i had a plan to go on a trip to Nagasaki on the very same day......
I was mixed up very much with thinking of any way i could have for going both Makuhari and Nagasaki, but had to choose one.
Then I thought if i didn't accept his offer the chance to work with him in JP and of course US might never come again and i would regret.

And nextday, yesterday, finally i decided to accept the offer and cancell my reservation of trip...
(i was very very sorry for a friend who were going to trip with me...i couldn't find any words except for i'm sorry...)

Because I've been helped mentally by him many times, i really want to help this time when he needs me.
So I'm so glad to work with him again like before than the work itself and anything.
During limited 2 days, I'm gonna work with a responsibility as an official photographer of lucas film...!!
Yay!

( To tell the truth, i've not watched all the series of SW, i'm not so hot on the series, i generally love movie though...
While some of my friends really love SW!!
One of the girls is a totally mania, she even decolates the figures in her place and collects many goods! Of course she's going to Makuhari tomorrow and very excited already.
I have to tell her of this shooting work, and i'm gonna give her photos if i take nice shots!
Now i'm thinking if i should watch the movies completely...! :b )

By the way, i encountered an interesting scene when i walked around in SF downtown during my stay last October.
I thought that was kind of good sign of his later change of job to the company and this opportunity of my shooting... :)


7.14.2008

"Hanahaneni" by Kisei Kobayashi


Yesterday afternoon I got off in Nakano-Sakaue station, it's a forth stop from my sta. to Shinjuku.

I went to Tokyo Polytechnic University to see the show "Hanahaneni" by Kisei Kobayashi.

It's exciting a bit to visit a university campas after i became a worker in society.
The campas on Sunday was really quiet with no students.

The show consists of color and b&w photos, which of his family and landscape in his hometown, Nagano(maybe).
The photographer firstly got famous for his Asian photo on his trip.
But as written in his text, I felt some changes from his recent fotos, focusing on closest things in his life.
I think they're getting something gentle and soft.
It's also interesting to watch the transition/process of his/her works of a photographer.

Soon after i left the gallery, when i looked up from the stairs, a familiar face suddenly came into my sight.
Oh... she's a friend of john, mami.
It's second time to see her, but i noticed soon.
what a coincidence...
small world...!

I really really encounter an unexpected person in unexpected place.
Such a thing happens to me once a month...maybe...recently.
It's something mystery.
I think it's because i often move around many places...

7.10.2008

new print


printed last night

destressing

"chocottocheki in nakamura yesterday "
Shooting with cheki is a great relief for stress...!

*not expensive as 600 film
*no pressure as 135 film
and
*warmer than digital photos

7.07.2008

hot weekend like it's at the height of summer

*new item
I bought a new choco-colored cheki i was looking forward to having.
It looks yummy.
I love chocolate...
I think i have to quit REAL chocolate for a while, to lose my weight i gained too much, so... it's good for me to spend with the camera.
I'll be satisfied...!!

*"Jichansama"
Yesterday, on a very hot sweaty day, I went to Little More to see the show of Kayo Ume, is of an age with me.
The show is of portraits of her grandpa, is now 92 years old.
Her grandpa was really cute...!
I got a warm feeling from the show...

My grandpa passed away when i was twelve, a long time ago...
But i remember the time i photographed him with an instant camera of FUJIFILM when i was 11.
He was sitting on the corridor and smiling nicely in a dark-blue jacket.
The photo has been put on the buddhist altar by my parents in their house.
I like the photo.

*earth garden
And I went to yoyogi park to see friends, Mami and Miyuki.
Last time i met Mami and her angel was more than a year ago, on her wedding last may.
They are both small and so pretty.
The angel said with satisfaction, "pretty...", when she looked the cheki photo of herself i photographed and gave her.
wow...amazing...
The two-year old girl was no longer a baby...












7.03.2008

a surprise


I got a surprise from LA last night!

On opening the container,



a nice cheki photo was attached with a pack of 600 film!!!

wow..
Thank you so much JJ...

I was so glad because sadly the 600 films will be disappeared very soon as i wrote before... next month....
Besides they're expensive in japan now...
I wanna shoot with sx-70 in many scenes this summer!!
(I also like cheki recently so i might buy a new brown one!)

far away



I got a postcard from Nebraska last week.
Thanks a lot to John.

I wondered how big Nebraska is...
I've just been to CA, never to the middle of US.

One of my dreams is driving a car on a wide road in US..., of course, with cameras.
(i'm a sunday driver and below though....)

i think sometimes i just wanna shoot with mind in neutral, in a strange land, getting away from the routine here...

7.02.2008

direction

I bought a used book "Asian generation" written by Kisei Kobayashi, a photographer, in a used bookstore more than a year ago, but I've not read for a while and just kept in my shelf.
There was no reason , i just forgot... :((
I suddenly remembered that last month and read through in a oner.
I'd never read his books until then, and never watched photographs, I knew he's a photograoher though...
In the book, he mainly wrote about his turning point when he left the newspaper company and went on a trip around Asia, and many people he met on his way.
I like such kind of story.
There're b&w photos of the trip in the book.

Now many young Japanese, especially college students tend to go to Asia as Thailand, India, China etc.
One of my friends, even on his thirty, kept traveling around the world as a backpacker for more than 2 years and came back last summer, and left again for Africa this spring...
He's almost haunted by Zimbabwe. (I never mean it badly.)
I think sometimes it's hard for people once left their home countries for a long time to come back and settle down again.
I'm haunted by San Francisco...

7.01.2008

encounter×encounter


Time does fly fast, indeed.
Now we are halfway through this year...
In this year, until today, many unexpected things already happened to me ... but,
the most surprising thing was I encountered an incredible person last month...
How could i expect that!?

What a small world...

A wonderful encounter led to another astonishing encounnter.
Life is something like a journey, unexpected.