Blog
The photographic blog of Sean Wood (aka motionid)
Still up for it
From the archive
Dazed
Game on.
This really sums up the life of people in Toyko. "I'm living here but would rather be somewhere else".
A dream?
This picture was shot quite a while ago in Shibuya with Jon. This girl happen to be standing in just the right place and I happen to have my Rolleiflex and a Rollinar at the ready. I can't begin to describe the soft yet sharp quality of the Rollei f/2.8 lens. If you have the chance to use one I highly recommend it.
Death by developer
Vending machine death by developer
Don't ask what went wrong. I'm not sure. I've had this in the archive for a while (along with countless other images - Adrian and Jon can attest to this) and I like it a lot. Not so much the blown out huge white bit but the vending machine part. The way the light from the machine is blown out and the developer has stained the neg and run down to where the light is making it spill out. I must be in happy accident mode because everything I'm working on has loads of grain, light leaks and other imperfections that just seem to make the image. This is probably why you see so little of the pin sharp digital stuff I shoot (not very interesting).
Morning coffee
I've become obsessed with this Fuji instant film of late. No development needed. Instant atmosphere, predictable (to an extent) results, I just wish it wasn't so expensive and messy. And the other annoying thing is trying to carry the pictures around with you after you've shot them. I have developed a practical method for this - a plastic hard disk case. Keeps the dust out and prevents the photos from sticking to your bag . The trick is just to ensure you dry the photo long enough before putting it in the case. Scanning these instant photos is a whole other challenge. If you don't like touching out dust, don't think about shooting these because regardless of how careful you are you'll be dust busting for hours. You can always leave the dust in for effect :-)
Behind oxford street
Sydney back alley on a Saturday afternoon
Sydney back alley on a Saturday afternoon. Slightly different to the previous Sydney post but I like both. This one fir the lines and the person in the frame.
Public housing
So around Tokyo you can find these public housing projects. Some of these are new and some are quite old. I've tried to say out of these out of respect to the people who live here but the up the road from me proved too tempting. Seems that most of the people are out growing their spaces.
The old house is no more
An old man around the corner from me used to live in this house. I took this shot right next to his house and this one right outside. Actually while I was taking that shot the old guy came out and at first wondered what the hell I was doing outside his front gate but he soon figured it out, gave me a big smile and road off down the street. A few months back I was walking passed, hoping there were more plants to shoot and discovered his bike missing and some of the plants he once had outside gone. I have no idea if he died or just moved but I knew that the house would vanish quickly. This photo and a few others I took will be all that remain of what once used to be here. It's now an empty lot, waiting for some large corporation to buy it, split it in three and sell each one for a million dollars. Just one of the idiosyncrasies of Tokyo life.
Still life
This is the same leaf I shot using Fuji instant film. Wanted to see the difference between the two. The Instant film has more personality but I life the tones of this shot also. The image was really inspired by this New Order album cover. This is me just managing to waste several hours one hot Saturday afternoon figuring out how to shoot it.
Forgotten
Part of an upcoming series.
Tegamisha
Mini series
Shoes of the future
Road work
In search of an idea I came across the guy above seemingly counting traffic alone on a Saturday night in the middle of nowhere. Why am I not surprised.
20 years of work
My good friend Tanaka san recently had an exhibition of 20 years of work. The collection consisted of every photo, digital and analog, printed on contact sheets. As always his art direction is stunning with the analog on traditional sheets in black and the digital on the opposite wall in white.
The images themselves are very industrial but you can't not be impressed by the consistency in his tones, persistence and variety of images in such a narrow subject focus.
The man and his work are truly and inspiration and if you have a chance to check his art direction work you'll find an attention to detail that will impress.
Spring Ume archive
So I am finding more and more that I need to sit on new images I make for more than a year before they start to grow on me. This shot is from two years ago and I've finally decided I like it so now it get's posted. I tend to like shots that don't like I've taken them or I need to leave then until I have no attachment at all and I can maybe see them in a different light and have a subjective view of the shot. I've not been shooting much. Busy with work. Lot's of new little updates coming in the following months I hope. Stay tuned.
Making of Daguerreotype by Takashi Arai
I've just returned home from work and I've checked Uchujin's tweet of the making of a Daguerreotype. Started watching it and was really impressed by the amount of work, preparation and tools needed to create one. And I thought regular development was a challenge.
The focused traveler
Another shot from the many many yet to be published shots.
Bicycles: a love story
So my mate mark finally kicked me very hard and managed to get this story he wrote in winter out yesterday. I was along for the ride to take the pictures. Was fun at the time. Would have liked to have spent more time shooting a more comprehensive set, but it seems life got in the way. Article is well written so check it out if you are into bikes.