[gallery link="file" columns="1" ids="1851"]I finally managed to take my Hasselblad for a ride on the weekend. 100km and a very sore back later I had finished about 2 rolls. My late start and being not as fit as I would have liked clearly affected the number of shots I could get but despite this round of pain I think the area deserves at least a second look. I'll just have to train for it.
Blog
The photographic blog of Sean Wood (aka motionid)
Avalon
I tend to sit on photos for a long time before I decide if I like them or not. This, for me, is not one of them. I was just unlucky that day. Too much cloud and sun could not get up high enough to throw colour over the rocks as it rose. Every time I go to Australia I never seem to have enough time to really explore an area. Avalon has some great shots hidden away. It's just a shame I had no time to find them or see the potabilities.
Mini Shrine
[gallery link="file" columns="1" ids="1845"]Amazing what you'll find on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere outside Tokyo.
Guarding the void
Multitasking
A skill you acquire here over the years. Takes practice but completely possible.
Frozen
Sometimes in the craziness of a Friday night at Shinjuku station you need to just stop or slow down. The man is caught in the moment where he just needs to stop and take stock of where he is, where he is going...just to think for a minute. If he was closing his eyes to the madness, that would be the shot to get.
No idea
Sometimes you look at a picture and just have no idea as to what's going on. What is the girl on the left holding? What is the girl in the middle looking at and why does the girl on the right look clueless? And what are they all wearing!? Well, I guess I can't talk either. Shot the whole thing using a Hasselblad with film. What a waste! Still, not bad for manual focus and eye metered exposure.
The attempt
Kabukicho bar
Jim O’Connell and Dan Buzzo in THE bar in Kabukicho
This is the legendary Jim O’Connell on the right and my good friend Dan Buzzo on the left who spent the evening speaking about the creative muses (was it three or nine?) in the photographers bar (I never remember the name of the place) in Kabukicho. Recommended if you like beer or whiskey, photography and tight spaces.
Adrian Storey - Photographer
March 2007. I can't believe it's not seen the light of day until now. Shot in the usual Friday night location when thing's were a lot quieter and we were all a little greener. This shot is one of my favorites and one that, in the current light, seems to have more meaning than any of us could have known.
The Chair series
Took the same train to work for two years and started to notice the different thing's people did while seated in a chair that seemed to be quite out of the way of any trains. What I like about the collect is the randomly different thing's most people are doing at any one time. The series has only been edited to keep the basic format the same (seems I shot more using 35mm than asselblad 120).
Hakone
I've visited Hakone several times by train and bus and also several times by bicycle. What I didn't realize was that the actual place extends quite far and that there is such a huge variety of places to visit within the area. I'm going to be coming back fairly soon to explore more.
Two shots from the trip. Always good to go in a typhoon. Makes for better sky's :-)
Team Mask
Most people in this 13 millions person city do thing's in groups. Wearing masks I guess is one of them.
Ginza line
I've been going through a series I've been working on - eventually working my way up to editing it in some way that adds meaning to what I have shot (always nice to figure it out in reverse. Kind of like designing a logo and thinking up the bollocks rational after to go with it). I've decided that revisiting the images after about 2 years starts to give you a nice perspective on them. This is one that could well fit into several themes I could have going with the collection. Who knows!? Better to get a few out into the wild than let them all just rot on my drives. I'll make a second call out to those in the know about the editing assistance. I'm sure at some stage the series will see the light of day. In the mean time I'll likely post the ones that don't make it here and the ones that do over to the soon to be revamped 50mm.jp.
Red night
Another take on the previous version of the image with a different colour pallette. Which do you prefer?
Kanazawa hills
Shot taken about a year ago on a trip to Kanazawa. Colour version of the better original black and white
Blind man
Blind man – Koenji
This is almost the depth of field that I feel can give an image a movie like atmosphere. There is this sweet spot with different lenses used and finding that sweet spot (the distance between the subject, the camera and the f stop) is always that challenge. Especially when you have no control over the subject. In the previous post I speak about colour pallettes. While this shot is lacking what goes a way to helping is the film used to achieve or at least shift the temperature of the shot. Is this shot feeling warm or cool to you?
Scene from a film
The difficult part about these shots is the colour pallette. I don't particularly like the pallette in this shot but you need to start with something and finding a minimal pallette on the street is not an easy task let alone hoping the right subject matter will enter the frame with the right attitude. I'm interested to know if anyone who reads / looks at this blog considers such thing's.
Tunnels
Tiny station just outside of Okutama
There is a interesting little walk to be had around Okutama area. One day last year (or was it the year before?) I took the train out with a load of camera gear to take a few pictures. Ended up walking through someones yard to get to a road and to the above station called Shiromaru which you'll find is the stop just before Okutama. There is quite a lot of walking involved if you are searching for something of interest so I suggest doing a bit of research before you embark to save your legs for the interesting stuff.
Drunken Friday's
Yurakucho on a Friday night. You have to know where to look but there is some entertainment to be had watching the salary men return home at the end of the week.