tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11607212251580260592024-02-08T12:17:06.272-08:00My Private TokyoHikari StudioHikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-85978267482300106402011-11-23T22:03:00.001-08:002011-11-23T22:03:13.328-08:00Off to Kyoto <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>The next day I decided to set out for Kyoto following my return from Nagoya. This was one of the places I really wanted to visit after hearing about the older style buildings and beautiful fall colors the city can be known for. I woke up at 5 am that morning and set out with my friend towards Tokyo around 5:30 am as this is his usual commute time. There's something to be said for the Japanese working life but that will be saved for a later entry. <br> <br>I got to Tokyo not too long after that, grabbed a boxed bento and a beer for the Shinkansen and grab some shots while waiting for the train. One of the things I came to appreciate was waiting for the Shinkansen on the days I arrived early. The rush of people and constant movement of trains can be something to admire endlessly at times. <br> <br>Upon arriving in Tokyo it took some effort to familiarize myself with the subway map there before eventually taking a chance on what I figured was the correct train, luckily it was. A few stations over I got out and decided to walk the rest of the way towards the mountain side temple I had decided on during the Shinkansen ride there. The city core looks quite similar to any other city core around Japan but once you get a few steps out you begin to notice what Kyoto is really known for. The older architecture and buildings begin to peer through and before you know it you're wandering up a tiny road between buildings towards a popular attraction. <br> <br>I quickly was surprised to see the already narrow streets become even narrower before stumbling across the one lane road packed with visitors and students off to see the temple. The road leading up to it is lined with small restaurants, souvenir and sweet shops, every one with their own distinct flavor. A few steps into the crowd and I noticed the elementary level students paying an extra amount of attention to me. A few more steps further I was stopped by a pack of them and asked if I wouldn't mind taking a picture with them. It was a little emberassing to be stopped in a big crowd of people to pose for a picture but funny in the end. I didn't think too much of it beyond a funny story to tell and continued on. Along the way there were a few more glances, a few hellos and even a high five from some of the other students there. <br> <br>Now initially I was starting to become a little surprised but at the same time noticing the subtle differences between Kyoto and Tokyo. Overall the people were incredibly friendly, not just the students either. The atmosphere was very different from the big city where everyone was on a schedule or in a rush to get somewhere. <br> <br>Finally after getting inside the temple I began to revel at the chance of photographing people in such a nice setting and began to wander around getting candid shots of people. Along the way I ended up getting stopped around 6 more times for pictures and questions. There ended up being quite a lot of students there that day from various schools. Some of them had some assignments which included approaching English speakers and asking a few questions. <br> <br>I actually ended up wandering around the temple and side streets for almost the entire day in Kyoto before walking all the way back to the main station towards the setting sun. On my way back I stumbled across another shrine which was closed for the day but one I was intent on seeing. <br> <br>Before I boarded the train back that evening I had already decided to come back the next morning. I mulled over the idea of grabbing a hotel but figured I'd just spend the evening doing photo editing and writing, something I could do on the train ride back. <br> <br>I came back the next day and ironically enough found myself back at the temple, this time around I had set out to shoot candids as much as I could. I really enjoyed Kyoto for my 2 days there. Beautiful city and extremely friendly and kind people. </p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PTN3M2CcfY8/Ts3eHQAK1UI/AAAAAAAAAeM/BovGBrS0828/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-05-C8Q4_Uog/Ts3dw1JaRjI/AAAAAAAAAbc/wrfUjv9dwGc/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gkh1JPgZ3yA/Ts3d41y_gaI/AAAAAAAAAcM/K2Q0IY_Sut4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bvDWWBVXWYA/Ts3dyWH-LTI/AAAAAAAAAbk/LbC0cHB2-U8/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9zMbi3cF9QQ/Ts3d_oBbI_I/AAAAAAAAAdE/LsZuJLM9Ihw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WbBPGsTuL74/Ts3d03iKzXI/AAAAAAAAAb0/IclpsDztUxU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ka968_gwlsI/Ts3d8ddcZCI/AAAAAAAAAck/Efi43Pt6I5Q/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GvZXYHynKn0/Ts3eByNgRxI/AAAAAAAAAdU/qvquWgnRFE8/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RFj17MnSS_E/Ts3dnMoS6CI/AAAAAAAAAaU/PdtmYtkqAHA/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div 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src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-d1rI3meQwtQ/Ts3d-1eNwJI/AAAAAAAAAc8/T9sK7aO8gtk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vWLB3JIytwc/Ts3dqfiJqYI/AAAAAAAAAas/oy-c2Y8T4rQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oTIpJ1wBbzw/Ts3dzdMFwvI/AAAAAAAAAbs/wnC4asFEQ3Y/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wGJLHd5k1uk/Ts3duNh_NTI/AAAAAAAAAbE/poTgxbB-ZtE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vd2JbBHD1YQ/Ts3dv9PviUI/AAAAAAAAAbU/p2enyx6vOCU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jUD02_dBEAg/Ts3d97FyLxI/AAAAAAAAAc0/m3O1an1r0c4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9UKuFskbhZ4/Ts3eG5HVMHI/AAAAAAAAAeE/AjbyGaSPeY0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7WR5Z3m6E0c/Ts3d2FsDQnI/AAAAAAAAAb8/Ft3KJAvbvjU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vaUHdSbCjjk/Ts3eCz5wCVI/AAAAAAAAAdc/B-_sUxMNB5U/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9hexrw6C4EA/Ts3draRodFI/AAAAAAAAAa0/IoXGYHzok5M/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oqoliWYVIb0/Ts3dpGrLRsI/AAAAAAAAAak/SQVNuyLxXmM/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XTMm98cuTWU/Ts3d6z2lv9I/AAAAAAAAAcc/rbWjYxSWp-0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XxXBcSaaH7w/Ts3dvFv1shI/AAAAAAAAAbM/0vpo2Y9LNEU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cPAjOd9rHmw/Ts3doQWDF1I/AAAAAAAAAac/Jdixla0fTe0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CT9ouR_A35E/Ts3eApKbyVI/AAAAAAAAAdM/btEWemyzg1s/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-34287234185046878782011-11-10T15:07:00.001-08:002011-11-10T15:07:18.064-08:00Days in Niigata <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RxXdYjywmUs/TrxYuGUEzGI/AAAAAAAAAYM/AzbEHmOCoXw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TBDQiCXJ-c8/TrxY5wgzpiI/AAAAAAAAAY8/sm6IFvfQ3hg/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eD_XdV71pxk/TrxYj9dPmbI/AAAAAAAAAXk/kN7jNvlTePE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8UFWDHr-h-c/TrxV0diaQmI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/y--qF7ylMRM/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AxoaAI8marc/TrxYyof7WpI/AAAAAAAAAYc/oSxlZ7Ipego/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Cz73o30KqiI/TrxYmTnvEhI/AAAAAAAAAXs/gdkLHezG77I/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TF_Z5Pwz29A/TrxY2CJZ3YI/AAAAAAAAAYs/Nao_murpTAI/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FOWpB1oINdo/TrxYoGmbTgI/AAAAAAAAAX0/bsDoNjVXp6I/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/--5uNK-mUAyQ/TrxWDEobc6I/AAAAAAAAAWg/QxYwFA7A15c/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ttt3m_tJ9gQ/TrxY0qBbNYI/AAAAAAAAAYk/89Jw-3DgN_o/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IVvxx2S-_Ds/TrxY9b5hlnI/AAAAAAAAAZM/7GC_dgktW08/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mrmUFaKFNUM/TrxYH2ZtCJI/AAAAAAAAAXc/-CXUMLOvIXE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div 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class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-udTa3Byb8eY/TrxY4RE-3bI/AAAAAAAAAY0/CltSv5qErTE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eTcidgfQryc/TrxYqGaqnbI/AAAAAAAAAX8/zERGs2WbJGM/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GzaJdcjDwVk/TrxY7vk1UmI/AAAAAAAAAZE/lzECyGeU40I/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-91MXZ0iECM8/TrxYsOO3oUI/AAAAAAAAAYE/4SXl-lGxDdc/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iSBM81_m_tk/TrxZEgDwsfI/AAAAAAAAAZs/XdkDSUEK3Hk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-orlxIjt6mwc/TrxZGt8jW2I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/gWtuRiWEpzw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-tBMZDJnSxmY/TrxZIRJCbyI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/a8zOjK7EY24/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z83nzJF-XK0/TrxWirLHNoI/AAAAAAAAAW4/gIwwrJpvX6Y/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2DsF1aLCs2Q/TrxYwqUgggI/AAAAAAAAAYU/Yycs3S0Lv2Y/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CuK20nQRwYU/TrxV7KZc9-I/AAAAAAAAAWY/wod3e4n05qc/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kb6SsAeFDCA/TrxWKYWOhUI/AAAAAAAAAWo/rueBb9Uopp0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-k94FpoGEdg8/TrxWa3E1AVI/AAAAAAAAAWw/mnslFQInT0E/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0Vy05uMsyDs/TrxZAxOsG9I/AAAAAAAAAZc/3NROFcQ7vNw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>I decided to condense the particular 3 days into a single entry as it was more of a catching up and sight seeing trip with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and the whole experience revolved more about culture and life than it did photography. I also ended up shooting more film than digital while in Niigata so there may not be too many photos to share. <br> <br>I set off pretty early to the west coast of Japan and after a bento breakfast on the train and some mountain tunnels I arrived in Niigata. Right from the bat it started to remind me of Edmonton. It's a sharp contract from Tokyo where it's near impossible to not be surrounded by people anywhere you go. Niigata on the other hand was much quieter, cooler and laid out similarly to Edmonton in some ways. The big difference is that it is a port city and as such has a lot of influence that way. <br> <br>Speaking of which, the friend who was generous enough to give me a tour of the city as well as some of the popular locations happens to be a Port Queen of Niigata and not only has quite a bit of knowledge of the area but is a beautiful person all around.<br> <br>The first day was spent between sake breweries, fish markets, observation towers and one of my Dave locations, the Ito family house. A edo period "mansion" that is incredibly true to the old school Japanese way of life and comes off as something you'd see in an old school Akira Kurusawa flick.<br> <br>The day following I got a chance to see the merchant equivalent of such a home which also turned out to be a incredibly beautiful place. I could sit by the window and just appreciated the garden or listen to the rain there for hours. It really can make you take a step away from being surrounded by technology and fall back to the original elements.<br> <br>Over the course of lunch I got to watch a Geigi performance which itself was a very cool experience but it also brought forward the history that led to the influence of hostess bars across Japan. It's something that would be interesting to discuss further in a future entry. <br> <br>Finally we ended up going to a mountain temple not far from Niigata city as well as making it to the top of the mountain just in time to catch a glorious sunset over the pacific ocean. The country side along that part of Japan is a very interesting and beautiful place. I really got the strong desire to come back one day, rent a scooter and just ride across the countryside with a camera, stopping wherever. <br> <br>The last day was spent making soba noodles from scratch at a cultural center in the city. It's always fun to see people teach their craft and all around it was a wonderful experience to learn some of the food culture and traditions behind a popular dish across the country. I was really glad to experience that. We also got a chance to visit a rice cracker factory. Niigata is well known for its rice, this of course has a strong influence on their sake and rice related dishes. Seeing the behind the scene elements at play, especially in a very different culture than our own is always an interesting contrast to witness. <br> <br>Finally, we spent some time by the ocean, something that I kept wanting to revisit all 3 days. Edmonton doesn't have an ocean front and it's something you can't miss till you experience it. I will truly miss all the smells and sounds as well as the feel of the cool breeze. <br> <br>The 3 days went by really fast, as they always seem too. I hate saying goodbye to friends, it is however a source of joy being able to see how far they've come and grown. It's a bit of a childish notion but at times it feels like being in a movie, seeing friends with such beauty and character. <br> <br> </p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-75353056592292209382011-11-07T14:20:00.001-08:002011-11-07T14:20:35.628-08:00Back to Tokyo <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cN6k2BnFzzY/TrhZi663HLI/AAAAAAAAAVU/mVB03MDvdqQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SEL9AqIRboM/TrhZcbhy4TI/AAAAAAAAAU0/zOt6ZpuZ5k0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9dqJjTWb-5M/TrhZhJsbehI/AAAAAAAAAVM/rvQ_pbyWyhM/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_rwZkRU3Pds/TrhZd7Uyk0I/AAAAAAAAAU8/FW1GFcGX0Gk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YFVYleRwngg/TrhZYE36UpI/AAAAAAAAAUk/CC-o8wWia0U/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KQRdPBkKXc4/TrhZfb-4TnI/AAAAAAAAAVE/gWXGuo4rbHQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RZgrYXCVJZM/TrhZr2C3BtI/AAAAAAAAAWE/eAYUW6nCW9Y/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ii-JwEeiVZ0/TrhZqP6L7lI/AAAAAAAAAV8/ol3HRANwD3s/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5QUHwB_t8-k/TrhZT3O0IBI/AAAAAAAAAUU/PHXWvfnJHb0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mBRCzKecTv0/TrhZo2ojE9I/AAAAAAAAAV0/wt0j71n-uL0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rekPx97o5OI/TrhZklcjPNI/AAAAAAAAAVc/FqyabEPu_x4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IQMrln_RDus/TrhZVuF9eDI/AAAAAAAAAUc/OGj7IZTYiE4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7_s0a6YQB9I/TrhZmX9yl3I/AAAAAAAAAVk/tP8AiOUXY2E/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UnwPARxGjcc/TrhZaJa1Z3I/AAAAAAAAAUs/nEVvyA17Z-8/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3rKxcGhHi_0/TrhZnixmFxI/AAAAAAAAAVs/EnobLvpCRxE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>I was up close to 6 am today after I went to bed early the night before. I ended up grabbing the camera and going out for a walk around the city while Hiro caught up on some beauty sleep. We had to be out of the hotel by 11 so I had some time to kill and an empty stomach bugging me. I was crossing my fingers I'd find a open ramen restaurant on a Sunday morning but after some wandering around and picture taking, mostly on film, I hadn't come across anything. In the end I tried out one of the curry rice restaurants close to the hotel. Off hand it was nothing amazing but still delicious in a bind.<br> <br>One of the things I still have some trouble with is going to restaurants by myself in Tokyo. It's not that I don't know how to order, that's easy enough in Japanese, but finding what I want to order has been a small struggle at times. Between the stylized menus, which are more often out front or on the walls and the heavy kanji use of some places it's made for a sometimes difficult realization as to what I think I'm ordering and what I'm actually ordering. <br> <br>The curry house had a lot of choices between amounts of rice, spicy ness levels and toppings and after a little initial confusion it all worked out. I guess I need to accept having to make some mistakes for the sake of learning. I actually don't mind it, but it's a little more difficulty when you do it infront of a crowd. <br> <br>After catching up with my friend we walked to the Shinkansen station and met up with another friend to have a quick lunch before heading back to Tokyo. Here's the quirky thing about eating at restaurants in Japan. Here the restaurants are often smaller than the standard ones in Canada. They house less customers but the density of people within the areas of where those restaurants are located is much much higher. A quiet day around some streets in Tokyo has more people traffic than a really busy Boxing day sale in West Edmonton Mall. Needless to say this can make for a you time getting into some restaurants. <br> <br>Following lunch and the speedy ride back to Tokyo, I ended up dropping my luggage off at home, spending some time catching up with my girlfriend via FaceTime (I really love technology some days) and then grading my camera bag and making it out to Shibuya and Yebisu Garden Square for a little night photography and some wandering the streets with some good ambient music. <br> <br>Shibuya is well known for the huge intersection where all traffic stops and everyone crosses at the same time. It's a rather big understatement but the amount of people there can be staggering and the hassle and bustle of it all a little disorienting, especially when you're right in the middle. It does however make for a great spot to people watch when you stand yourself at one of the corners. I definitely want to come back here one evening. <br> <br>Yebisu Garden Center on the other hand is much quieter and right now a very romantic place to takes one's significant other. It was the place I had been a few days prior for the lighting ceremony. I had wanted to come back during a quieter time and it was really close to Shibuya station. Right now a lot of Christmas lights are up and on and it really feels like a great place to just sit around and enjoy. <br> <br>I didn't however get a chance to get the shots I wanted. As it turns out I'd have to come back during twilight otherwise the contrast between the lights and the actual surroundings is just too big for a nice shot. <br> <br>I ended up coming home a little earlier than usual as I had to wake up at 6 to set off towards Niigata. My train from Tokyo was set to leave at 9:22 am and it usually takes me about 50 min to get there. </p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-17404720823787246062011-11-05T09:05:00.001-07:002011-11-05T09:05:55.873-07:00No Ground <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Today's events involved running into a friend from a few years back and spending some time around the city. We spent some time doing a little sight seeing at the castle in Nagoya as well as visiting the high school from with both friends graduated from during one of the high school festivals however, that's not where the bulk of today was spent. <br> <br>I'm at a fork in the road right now on the photography end and it's become a rather frustrating experience today. Looking back at a lot of the popular photography I've come across in the past I've come to realize that it's always been very unintrusive and transient. Often, it's gone to capture a great atmosphere that represents the country and way of life well but at the same time it's from a distance. Something I didn't see until now when I started looking back on my shots, realizing how I got them and wanting something more. <br> <br>To be honest, before coming here I still hadn't decided what sort of story I wanted to tell. I knew that it had to involve a people element and couldn't just be for, the side lines. The night in Ebisu is about the only night so far that I feeli got what I was after. Nagoya, in contrast, has been the complete counter opposite and I don't feel I've shot anything here even remotely cohesive or engaging.<br> <br>It's become a struggle that's quite literally kept me from sleeping at night. <br> <br>In a country that's very much homogenous and puts a heavy influence on fitting in it becomes a mental barrier to step outside that circle, especially being sensitive to the smaller details of the passive culture that's at play beneath the surface. <br> <br>I have a lot of shots of the back of people's heads and I'm really not happy about that. The approach I had to shooting within Canada doesn't translate very easily to here for me. I've had no problem gettinng infront of people with a 35mm back in Canada for the sake of a shot of people within their environment that is more than just a candid portrait, but a shot that tells a story. I'm not there yet here, even shooting at 85mm has been a struggle. It's very much a mental barrier that I'm trying to overcome and it's lead me to not think heavily on the subject as well as what story I really want to tell by the end of my trip. </p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-YvSAtpSK9GA/TrVe2htWfFI/AAAAAAAAAUA/_ckW4Np2O5M/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QWLmMSolVWE/TrVeqoZ0rII/AAAAAAAAATI/NGNJk8K-KzY/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-isJNBWkJhvM/TrVeyiZIk-I/AAAAAAAAATw/ta8RoyjsOiQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ftOYtrgbFTM/TrVe4QAnHkI/AAAAAAAAAUI/lmYNHs9G2B4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-K_dq04bRK3I/TrVesp2OjeI/AAAAAAAAATQ/_QcwcFkMhwA/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-15Dwz6CgeGQ/TrVeo5JC9rI/AAAAAAAAATA/dywaZ8n8mJE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jKewCg6NzOI/TrVexNPB15I/AAAAAAAAATo/CfbDplReH6o/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8fCWbzFEZ3g/TrVevqIDN9I/AAAAAAAAATg/rcfZCHHwHpA/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OfI8KZfrZWo/TrVenLBMhqI/AAAAAAAAAS4/WZYVvbfe_7I/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V-aRk6C1bH4/TrVeuSBaX0I/AAAAAAAAATY/NXDIGxXAQgU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tTblhn5A7So/TrVe0aFCtyI/AAAAAAAAAT4/jp72qX-HXPg/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-63764664846374909932011-11-05T03:50:00.001-07:002011-11-05T03:50:08.733-07:00Nagoya <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Today involved a late start to the morning due to the late night and hangover the day before. I had to meet my friend in Tokyo to catch the 2:30 Shinkansen to Nagoya city. I didn't even get out of bed till around 10:30 but did manage to get out of the house around 11:30 and head towards my destination with some time to spare. On the way my friend asked me if I was able to make the 1:30 train and as luck would have it I was just arriving in Tokyo around 1 pm. <br> <br>The Shinkansen was one of the things I was really excited about when coming to Japan. The trains are rather well known outside of the country already but I have held a long interest in trains since childhood times. <br> <br>I ended up boarding and catching up with my friend a few stations down before taking off towards Nagoya. We ended up chatting a good deal of the way but the subtleties of some of the culture as well as the general train experience were not lost on me. The smoothness of it all comes off so passive that you don't even realize you've accelerated to close to 300km/h. You do notice some of the other details though, the cleanliness, the quiet and polite demeanor of the atmosphere on the train as well as the almost excessive leg room. <br> <br>I really enjoyed the trip there and it almost entirely flew by. <br> <br>Nagoya on the other hand knocked me off my footing a little. This is a city where I began to feel a bit out of place. Walking the streets you begin to catch some prejudices that you may not catch in Tokyo. Anywhere you go there are generally people trying to get you to come into restaurants, hostess bars or other establishments. In Tokyo, just like everyone else, I was advertised to, regardless of whether I spoke Japanese or not. In Nagoya I started to catch a lot of those people avoiding me when I walked by. In a sense this was almost nice as I don't much care for getting stopped every few steps but at the same to,e it begins to make you really feel separated from the people around you. If I accidentally crossed paths with someone in Tokyo they would still say excuse me or even acknowledge it. Here in Nagoya it wasn't the case. I was trying to get to an elevator at one point and nobody stopped to hold the door from closing.<br> <br>By all accounts these are very small forms of passive prejudice but as an outsider, you begin to feel even more so like one when you catch them. It's not something I take particularly personally but it's having an effect on me having the courage to get the shots I want and it's something I'm really starting to contend with on a psychological level.<br><br>I spent the rest of the evening meeting up with a friend, having some drinks and going out to try some Korean food. To be honest, following that I did not have too strong of a desire to walk around during the evening for the sake of getting more pictures. </p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fXs3O8JGGEE/TrUUvnD7SFI/AAAAAAAAASM/2mAit5OLgzg/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-H90DDhc0Fq0/TrUUxD86rMI/AAAAAAAAASU/UVi_UsbIjTw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-npfaCcp5uhE/TrUUzHjZkDI/AAAAAAAAASc/cugC_xXdL2s/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AvBO_3OGces/TrUU3ayLDnI/AAAAAAAAASs/RHgK5zUcskE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xnhSFCkpG_I/TrUU18rvjfI/AAAAAAAAASk/edPNS4h7uKc/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-19577140297577535892011-11-04T19:13:00.001-07:002011-11-04T19:13:07.089-07:00Breaking the Ice <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>My second morning involved more exploring as my friend had work that day as well but I finally had the chance to meet up with Ayami, a friend I had not seen for a few years. She had invited me to a local event in Ebisu Garden Center which was basically a lighting ceremony for a gorgeous Chandelier hanging in the center of the park. She was a part of a choir group which was involved with singing at the ceremony with around 1000 other people. <br> <br>I spent the morning exploring Meiji Jingu in Harajuku as well as the Harajuku area as well. Meiji Jingu had a martial arts de,onstration as well as a number of other ceremonies that day which were all rather interesting. I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere in the place, even though it was filled with people. Being surrounded by large beautiful tries on either side of the path and seeing no shortage of parents with their kids dressed up in traditional outfits for the temple made for some wonderful sights and cultural experiences. <br> <br>Harajuku itself was a bit of an odd experience even for me. The cosplay and idol culture in Takeshita st was very....intense, for lack of a better word. It's something you see around Japan quite a bit sometimes. I will likely go back there to spend some actual time there with my camera later next week so I can better document it. To be honest I really felt out of my element shooting there at the time. <br> <br>Speaking of which, day one in Japan, although I shot a lot, I felt really out of place trying to get the right shots. You quickly come to realize the cultural differences about respecting people's spaces, even more so when you're a foreigner in the country and initially it clashes to ones approach about doing what you have to do as a photographer to get the shot you want. I had not yet found my comfort zone but that started to change on day two. <br> <br>Actually, running around Tokyo I really didn't feel too much like an outsider, aside from the fact I wanted to become more comfortable with the subtleties of interacting with some of the people there.<br> <br>It was something that started to change during the actual lighting ceremony mentioned earlier. Ayami introduced me to some of her friends before the ceremony as well as took me to the preparation room before the actual performance to meet the rest of the people. Everyone there was see kind and it made a big impact on my comfort levels. While running around Tokyo, as mentioned earlier, you don't exactly feel too much like a foreigner, at least not to the level I was expecting. More so you don't get regarded much . People sit next to you on the train, they don't really pay any attention to you either though. Infact, strangely enough the only people I actually caught looking at me were the younger generation. <br> <br>I guess what I mean is not that I expected attention but before the trip you'd always hear about being avoided to an extent. Small things like that. I really didn't get that impression at all, if anything it was all very passive. However, at the same time you still kind of feel like you don't belong to a degree. <br> <br>Meeting those individuals started to change that and made me feel like a part. Following the ceremony, which was something a step above anything I've seen locally in Edmonton, everyone went out for drinks together. The evening was spent meeting new friends, speaking Japanese and having lots of drinks and snacks at a rather small Izakaya filled with about 30 people. At a few points in the evening the whole place broke out into a few songs which spilled out into the street around the Izakaya and attracted a few outsiders. The atmosphere of that is hard to put into words. It's an incredibly strong sense of community and it's something that is rarely seen if ever at all back home. It was definitely a strong sample of the level of culture and community here and one of the reasons I find such an interest in it all.<br> <br>Following that it was running a bit late and I ended up leaving to catch one of the last trains home. My route involved taking the JR line from Ebisu to Ueno and then switching to the Keisei line to get back to Keisei Koiwa. The first trip is about 30 min but as soon as I sat down I fell asleep right after leaving Ebisu station. That particular line travels in a circle around the city and is about a 1hr ride all the way around. When I woke up the train conductor was announcing the arrival of the next stop.....Ebisu. I made a complete circle around and then had another 30 min trip to get to Ueno again. When I got off and got to the Keisei line station it was already closed. I had to flag down a taxi and get him to take me back to the Keisei Koiwa station so I could walk backhome from there. <br> <br>It ended up closing about ¥5500. Expensive but funny and good lesson learned. </p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0Ym-ViFdoPs/TrSa4t3YFoI/AAAAAAAAARA/p9Ym81fhKE4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DKZFwf-Vd-E/TrSbf43WWiI/AAAAAAAAARY/LFRjtIxmjsI/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ArnuO2uodMQ/TrSaqiCFNMI/AAAAAAAAAQY/IZKigAxw2jU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-a4x8r8pNH6Y/TrSavynkicI/AAAAAAAAAQg/X6koA6hkkbE/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Bq6AUxk-Uow/TrSazJ6G2_I/AAAAAAAAAQo/uEspI1rHxcs/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CjzNam_6WBM/TrSbl8G7vdI/AAAAAAAAARw/IF39Phoc7t4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-S5GUodiy1Sk/TrSbqI5zh2I/AAAAAAAAAR4/4FmwU5gGTvg/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AbDvdsAkQWQ/TrSa6dqEodI/AAAAAAAAARI/D1vFM6-DoY8/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CLTGOuA7gtA/TrSa8gDzYLI/AAAAAAAAARQ/vhh5IvL3Yi4/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RnL04TT02UI/TrSa28aYh8I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/O6lTuwfrqQw/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-p980LWhjBe0/TrSa1Lrb-PI/AAAAAAAAAQw/YNcYmmboxMk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Hj2UPZ3Law0/TrSbhzxoxRI/AAAAAAAAARg/mG3nzGmkb2k/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eyFkzMncsbs/TrSbj6ILFiI/AAAAAAAAARo/C8bDb90v7BU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sXhN_Laz5l0/TrSbr7XT-kI/AAAAAAAAASA/hygTqpMPreY/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-54382439225673565232011-11-04T00:14:00.001-07:002011-11-04T00:14:16.124-07:00Cultural experiences <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'></p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Day one in Japan was an interesting one. The friend I was staying with had to leave for work pretty early, long before I woke up. My friends mother doesn't speak English so pretty quickly I came to the realization I'd be using a lot of Japanese and didn't really have another language to fall back on. <br> <br>I set off pretty early after taking a shower towards the closest train station which after having to ask the attendant I found my way to Ueno following my friends recommendation. I was initially planning on continuing on towards Tokyo but after exiting the station i found a park directly above it. I spent some time exploring it before heading back towards the other station to make my transfer. I originally planned on stopping at Roppongi but part way down the line decided to go to Ebisu for a bit. As it turns out there's a small fare discrepancy and was stopped on the way out to pay the difference. Quick lesson learned about the train system. <br> <br>Following some exploration of Ebisu I headed back towards Shinjuku to track down a camera store from a friends recommendation. The station is huge! It's a little intimidating at first but I managed to eventually find my way after getting a little lost and finding my way to the park area near there. <br> <br>The evening is when things got interesting. After eventually finding my was back home my friend messages me to meet him at a local station to go for some drinks pretty late in the evening. After I met up with him he informed me he was going to show me some Japanese culture........by making me go to a hostess bar. One slight panic kicked in at that point and after much figurine kicking and screaming against the idea I eventually went along. <br> <br>Here is the thing, from a western perspective the perception of a hostess bar is generally negative and unusual. It's basically paying a hourly fee to drink and talk with women. On the face of it, my initial perception was that it was at times more than that, hence my initial protest. My friend spent some time reassuring me it was very much not that, which is why I finally gave in and took the perspective of seeing what it really is about. He also put in the effort to go too place that allowed some level of picture taking so I could show something on my blog. <br> <br>We ended up going to two different places and I have to admit that overall it was a positive experience on several levels. <br> <br>Every one there was having conversations and nothing more....it was just that. For me, it ended up actually being quite valuable as I was forced to use Japanese. I actually ended up becoming a lot more comfortable with speaking following that evening and it carried onto my next day in Japan. <br> <br>As a foreigner it gave me an opportunity to practice my speech with people who did not know English and who were (even if it may be shallow by some perspectives) being paid to keep up a entertaining conversation. <br> <br>The people there, from what I saw, were having an entertaining evening. They were not individuals who lacked friends or were socially awkward. It can be a little hard to explain but it's something that is very much rooted on some level in the culture here. <br> <br>We ended up going for some late night ramen to end the unusual but informative evening. </p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ixm75CpPTtQ/TrOQjtnxBaI/AAAAAAAAAPs/sStU4B8i1Mc/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xZ5N3PDfnRA/TrOQheLkSBI/AAAAAAAAAPk/-twgnKTfDOs/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-16H1meRiJR4/TrOQmucaH0I/AAAAAAAAAP0/zdPBhjXXDZU/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-YiEv-7In788/TrOQrSPxjzI/AAAAAAAAAQE/RQ_-FTjmgtk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xfNQ7REKnnU/TrOQtrz49OI/AAAAAAAAAQM/hW9BYp8fcSM/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1J2tiW8SPEI/TrOQbY8N6tI/AAAAAAAAAPU/WWFzB5ahZWA/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ffIid7-RGFI/TrOQo4NhQ6I/AAAAAAAAAP8/GWGassfghbs/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-phwANqJqLDc/TrOQfRUnBNI/AAAAAAAAAPc/xMhFxJpIsqs/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-63106336012007218712011-11-01T07:44:00.001-07:002011-11-01T07:48:09.200-07:00着きました <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>We landed.i was caught off guard at how dark it already was when we touched down at 5:30 pm. The sun had already set and the evening had arrived. I met up with a good friend By the name of Hiroyuki. A few years ago he had stayed a little at my family's place before we headed off to the mountains.<br><br>This time around he was meeting me at the airport and him and his family were kind enough to offer me a place to stay during my travels in Japan. We drove back to his residence from Narita airport and then visited a local izakaya for some food and drinks. One of the things that I very quickly have come to love is the quiet streets at night. It is very much like something out of the movies and I will definitely spend a few late nights exploring some of them with my camera. <br><br>More to come soon!</p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EdXhd_BXVVI/TrAFtY8vDRI/AAAAAAAAAOw/qjujhQw3h84/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4lgM1fCaKpE/TrAFreJw84I/AAAAAAAAAOc/vzFP_oF51_Q/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t4HQ7Xbd8Ho/TrAFqrjNgbI/AAAAAAAAAOY/XdR1jU7nhW0/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qPDmy95hvxM/TrAFsUDHhTI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Gux7LG9Ger8/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-el-WeRm-pAc/TrAGpsRLssI/AAAAAAAAAPI/KUnUOGGe_Fk/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-8332627809484743092011-11-01T07:35:00.001-07:002011-11-01T07:35:12.332-07:00Enroute <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Well, the plane is well on its way to Tokyo now. It still hasn't entirely hit that I'm traveling. Then again, maybe I'm just still in a comfort zone at this distance. Landing will certainly change that. There's was a bit of a reminder I'm no longer in Canada when the Customs Declaration forms were passed around on the plane. <br> <br>On the plus side not only did I get a window seat but the seat next to me had no passenger leaving me with a lot of comfort room. I'd likely be an annoying person to sit next to on this trip between all the cameras, iPad, iPhone and cables I keep bouncing between. I guess at this point though there's not too much to do except read or sleep. <br> <br>The interesting thing about this trip is how orderly it's been compared to the flight to Poland. Rather, by that I mean the people on this flight definitely have a different demeanor. It's been much quieter and barely anyone has so much as left their seat. In contrast, during the flight to Poland some of the flight attendants were getting visibly annoyed with a few of the passengers. </p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-62346540052954335072011-10-31T14:00:00.001-07:002011-10-31T14:00:30.918-07:00いってきます <p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>So the day has finally arrived. For those that have known me for sometime, you can likely attest to my fascination with Asian culture, most specifically Japanese. To the surprise of many I know enough Japanese to get by but I have never taken a trip out to Japan. That's finally changing today. <br> <br>This particular trip is a culmination of many different elements and goals. There are many friends that I have come to known who have come here to study English and eventually make their way back home. Some of them I haven't seen in many years and I've been long over due to go visit them. I was originally supposed to go in October but a few twists and turns in life made me offset the trip all the way until Feburary. Half way into the month and after finding the time to edit some of my work from the trip to Poland I got a strong urge to just grab my camera, buy a ticket and set off to somewhere to write a photo story. My original aim was to return to Poland as I was invited to my cousins wedding but after some though I decided it was due time I made this trip happen. <br> <br>So here I am, a camera bag full of gear, a ticket to Tokyo and some great friends a long the way.<br> <br>This is of course a blog that is more regularly dedicated to my opinions on photography but in this case it will serve for a record of my journey, both in writing and in photos. <br> <br>Now I'm sitting in Vancouver International Airport and as it stands the reality that I'm finally going there hasn't set in. Perhaps that I'll quickly change once the wheels leave the ground. </p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qT8I9DKA4s4/Tq8MZPPc6YI/AAAAAAAAAMg/peGCsvpvI_E/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WALDie8Pf58/Tq8MaiC6InI/AAAAAAAAAM4/JukSVZ5v6Vg/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uVt1NtNJyCk/Tq8MZsrNjlI/AAAAAAAAAMo/zH8oNZV5vuQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ewxh6CSGsAw/Tq8MZ3-gZGI/AAAAAAAAAMw/zEEvCzWnUKs/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p><p class='bloggerplus_image_section'><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Pd6gXtWmASI/Tq8MbZmpokI/AAAAAAAAANA/Rk8T8lv-VuI/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-65855712233319902982011-10-25T00:11:00.000-07:002011-10-25T00:15:41.492-07:00Journeys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6265462852_f287428f34_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6265462852_f287428f34_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I have come to learn the importance of putting yourself out of one's comfort zone as of late. I have come to learn how much value there can be in jumping head first into the unknown and letting it guide you. Prior to this year i regretably hadn't so much as left Alberta in close to 14 years. That's a pretty scary number! In the past few months, even if it is a small number by most peoples standards, I have been to Vancouver, The United States and Poland all in the span of two months. Every single one of those trips has had an impact and helped shape the way my photography is heading now. Particularly, the last trip out to Poland has very much pushed me to finally make the trip to Japan happen. Those that do know me will easily attest as to how overdue this trip really is. It has been a long time coming, finally though, it's a dream that will come to fruition and it seems as fitting a time as it could ever be.<br /><br />My original interest in photography sprouted from a photoblog by a street photographer within Japan. The very basics of my photography influences were hatched there. As such, this has very quickly become a journey that i know will have a very large impact on my photography life, much more so than the Poland trip has. It very much feels like several paths finally coalescing into something very important and i intend to take the challenge head on. <br /><br />I am finally on the edge of achieving a long time dream. The thing with dreams though, is that you never quite reach them. As soon as they're within ones grasp the goal posts change and we take a step beyond the original to reach for something even bigger.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-56636401941516000752011-10-12T15:55:00.001-07:002011-10-12T16:42:32.653-07:00Passing on<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dearblue.500px.com/PLfuneral/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 335px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6104/6218862218_5b428238b8_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The album can be viewed by clicking the above image. I decided to link it to a set outside of my blog as it has a much nicer presentation than a plain series of images within this blog.</span><br /><br />I was driving back from the states when I got a phone call from my family saying my grandfather had passed away. My mother had asked her if I would accompany her to Poland for the funeral as my father could not go because of work constraints. I ended up getting back home with enough time to pack, squeeze in a few hours of sleep and head out to catch the flight the very next morning knowing full well that the responsibility to not only attend the funeral but photograph it for the family members that could not attend. <br /><br />A few months prior to this my cousin had sent me an invitation to his wedding which was supposed to happen at the end of October, also in Poland. I began to dream about returning to a country which I had not seen in around 14 years with a familiarization of the culture and people but this time with a camera in my hand. The idea of being able to document life on the other side of the world but with a personal take and almost slight exclusiveness to it all really began to appeal to me.I got the feeling such a trip would change some perspectives I held on what I enjoy about photography and how I use it beyond my own personal projects and work. I've seen such travels affect friends for the better. <br /><br />Needless to say the sudden death in the family and the new responsibility that came with the trip began to feel very daunting but a welcome challenge nonetheless.<br /><br />I had of course never photographed a funeral before. In the past the idea of it seemed very strange to me. The perspective changed when I came across photographers who had done it in the past and their views on why they were in those cases hired to do so. It had often been to not only document a day that some people were not able to attend but to forever capture a series of memories or emotions, regardless of the fact that they tend to be of sadness on such occasions. To some it is one of the last memories they may have with that individual.<br /><br />Having understood that certainly helped however trying to photograph the event proved to be a bit more difficult. It's a fine line to walk to be both subtle in one's actions as a photographer but still try to capture the mood, the atmosphere and the emotion in the process. It's also a bit of a toss up whether to document the day or try to delve deeper and tell a story. Often times I found I was very much the center of attention, even while still trying to be overly subtle and respectful of those attending the funeral. I also seemed to have earned myself a few distasteful looks, not so much for getting in anyone's way but more so based on the fact that I was taking pictures during a funeral. It is a very unusual experience to say the least.<br /><br />On the technical side of things I ended up photographing most of it on a 35mm focal length. There are a few reasons for this. I did not want to capture just "portraits" of individuals within that setting. I wanted to be able to tell a story and a mood and that meant using a wider angle lens. Beyond that more often than not I was working in pretty cramped conditions, with less than ideal lighting, hence the fast lens. I would not dare use a flash in any of those situations as it would have just drawn attention and interfered with the actual event. <br /><br />That being said, photographing people at 35mm is a little daunting at times. You want to fill the frame with your subject(s) and in the case of that particular focal length that means being in the action and getting in close. This isn't so much an issue when you're covering a wedding since they tend to have a lot more of a welcoming and positive atmosphere. A funeral on the other hand definitely created some hesitations within me not to step on peoples toes while still trying to get the shots I was looking for. It's a comfort level that takes some time to get to. It very much reminded me of trying to do street photography with a 35mm lens while still filling the frame. You have nothing to hide behind and you will get the attention of those in front of your camera.<br /><br />In the end the whole event changed a lot of how I look at certain projects now. It has inspired me to pick up my camera and explore other unique perspectives I may have. I will be doing some travelling as soon as November to a much different place and I very much aim to weave a story from my trip.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-77181784476075199882011-08-11T00:23:00.000-07:002011-08-11T00:26:35.962-07:00Two steps forward, one step back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5996783731_dd2ef4f50c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5996783731_dd2ef4f50c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>
<br />It's been a while since the last entry hasn't it! I've certainly noticed! In fact, it's been like a little goblin on my shoulder pestering me to get some content up. I have been meaning to for quite some time. A number of things have come up though. Although it is prime time in regards to wedding photography, combined with summer life and other factors, the main element keeping me from regularly updating the blog has become story telling.
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<br />I have a number of entries planned out but as of late I have been spending more time keeping in mind an arrangement of the various elements that make up a well rounded story. And so, I have been a bit stuck cutting some of the fat or filling out the empty spaces in the entries I have had swirling around in my head for a while now.
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<br />Things will come back into focus (har har!) once wedding season winds down a little. As things stand now there's a lot on the chopping block to work through. I'd rather hold back a little than toss something up that I'm not happy with. With that in mind the next few entries to me on a personal level are very important. All the more reason I aim to do them some justice.
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<br />In any case, I have for the first time in a while spent some good time travelling, spending time with old and new friends and exploring some (personally) new ideas to play around with and I truly look forward to discussing those things on here as soon as I can.
<br />Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-67122427563541788892011-07-12T01:28:00.000-07:002011-07-12T01:58:26.937-07:00Artur I PaulinaAfter much anxiety and anticipation with the sporadic weather Edmonton has been experiencing, some light finally shone through after a dreary forecast that has been placed on the big day Artur and Paulina had set to make one of their most important moments of their lives. What a beautiful day it ended up being, not only for the weather but the people that came together to celebrate the future of these two individuals. <br /><br />This is a small window into what the day had in stock.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5929010222_734d580493_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 340px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5929010222_734d580493_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5928935123_bf9f73d487_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5928935123_bf9f73d487_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5928821958_83d8abf0c5_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5928821958_83d8abf0c5_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5928449833_1a0222e4f2_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5928449833_1a0222e4f2_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5929035967_4400e087b1_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5929035967_4400e087b1_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5929034291_4abd7f134e_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5929034291_4abd7f134e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5929516584_30ec8e67a0_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5929516584_30ec8e67a0_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5928855793_727f7a5a5e_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5928855793_727f7a5a5e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5929416480_eca3ba57fb_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5929416480_eca3ba57fb_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6122/5929032075_fdcae14815_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6122/5929032075_fdcae14815_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5929344916_fb37ee8320_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5929344916_fb37ee8320_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5928620785_c17a0d8d8d_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5928620785_c17a0d8d8d_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/5928261477_ca820fca83_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/5928261477_ca820fca83_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/5928786379_415326a48a_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/5928786379_415326a48a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5929584702_fe62055353_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5929584702_fe62055353_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5927878015_b7018e4eff_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5927878015_b7018e4eff_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5929014214_70623e2ecd_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5929014214_70623e2ecd_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5928600464_13eacda7bf_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 338px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5928600464_13eacda7bf_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5928930247_70442cc850_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 343px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5928930247_70442cc850_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5927967929_e45e42e38c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5927967929_e45e42e38c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5929587126_024c0f305b_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5929587126_024c0f305b_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5929026287_20ba5fd01a_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 340px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5929026287_20ba5fd01a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/5928775874_763082d3fc_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 676px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/5928775874_763082d3fc_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5928861253_b26ee864d1_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5928861253_b26ee864d1_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-31403797298974562692011-06-30T01:16:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:24:10.735-07:00No Two Are Alike<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5876549798_fc187a5a8b_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 240px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5876549798_fc187a5a8b_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>
<br />I had waited on this sunset for several months. It was ironically also one I nearly completely missed. I had stepped out to deliver some memory cards for a friend and noticed there was not a cloud in the sky. On top of that we had a nice smoke haze enveloping the city which I knew would translate to a much redder sky than usual. So I rushed home to grab my camera and head to the location I had in my mind the past few months. I had infact two different locations in my mind, ones that were on different elevations which I figured would give me enough time to get to both on a setting sun and get the images I wanted.
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<br />They were a few shots that had come to mind after I spent a frustrating wait on a model who was a no show, funny enough, due to an ironic level of miscommunication. In the end I got to witness a sunset that was very unique in it's own right.
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<br />As it so happens a few clouds rolled in on the horizon and cut the photo session much shorter than what I had hoped for this particular night. At the end of it I didn't get the particular image I was hoping for but I did get something that was unique to me. It's also an image that is quickly becoming one of my personal favorites.
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<br />I've come to learn that sunsets are never quite the same, no matter how similar they seem. They are not unlike people in that sense. I have made some honest effort into finding the courage to approach those I find interesting or unique, in whatever the case, and ask them If they don't mind having their picture taken. Not unlike sunsets, I may never get a second chance.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-83230936801399906842011-06-15T22:16:00.000-07:002011-06-15T22:31:22.530-07:00Analog Adventures Pt. 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5033/5819867694_81529bf6d0_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 502px; height: 502px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5033/5819867694_81529bf6d0_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5838594306_b37a860db5_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 502px; height: 502px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5838594306_b37a860db5_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/5838593770_572fa7538b_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 501px; height: 512px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/5838593770_572fa7538b_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/5838594034_1c4b1d78d8_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 502px; height: 924px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/5838594034_1c4b1d78d8_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5763457027_59c863ee29_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 381px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5763457027_59c863ee29_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/5835369328_86de53c7ec_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 384px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/5835369328_86de53c7ec_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5735671843_36f607a500_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 377px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5735671843_36f607a500_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/5721559596_718b2f902c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 410px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/5721559596_718b2f902c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />The past few weeks I have spent a bit more time experimenting with film. What originally amounted to a quick and haphazard test on a friends camera has somewhat manifested into a bit of a philosophy change on the general approach of photographing people.<br /><br />Originally, and not to mention unfortunately, my approach to photographing people was rooted in interesting locales and lighting. Although certainly not entirely misguided it left a gaping hole when it came to emotion and personality beyond just mere luck. It was definitely there some days but it was something that lacked any sort of influence. It came naturally, which is all well and good in a lot of scenarios but more often than not it was because I lacked the comfort to push people to be themselves. The natural shots I did get were very typically of close friends and not much beyond that.<br /><br />When it came to working with individuals outside of my personal social circle that quickly changed. My images would have interesting lighting or scenery but I often got the impression they felt rang hollow in regards to accurately capturing a piece of the individual within the frame.<br /><br />This was a problem I really began to notice shortly after doing work at a modeling agency. It is also one I had a great difficulty trying to work past there. Again, my images had great lighting but lacked any real sort of natural personality, at least to me. It became quite difficult to work abound it because of the limited time constraints and working situations. I knew it was something I had to work on from the ground up.<br /><br />I got started on the personal projects I had discussed a while back to take steps in becoming comfortable in building a sort of repertoire with people I was working with. I wanted to explore the photo walk idea which just revolved around grabbing a person and going for a walk and in the process try and capture their (or a ) personality. Originally it was with friends but It pushed me to be more courages and work with individuals who I knew and the onto individuals who I found an interest in and may have just met.<br /><br />Mind you, a year ago this was very much not my personality. The thought of telling someone I just met and found interesting that I'd like to take their picture scared the hell out of me. I knew it was something that needed to change.<br /><br />And so, I did a few shoots while keeping the different elements in mind. They were all steeped in simplicity. No strobes, no reflectors, no assistants, no makeup artists, no stylists. To myself, those were too many barriers between me and actually shooting.<br /><br />Enter film.<br /><br />After a few sessions playing (and I use that word specifically, it was just that) with film and then bouncing back to digital for my actual work I began to notice that film may be a better fit for these sorts of personal projects. It wasn't so much the look or feel of it, although I certainly enjoyed that, it was the fact that it slowed me down. That's my one single biggest take away from dabbling in the medium. Walking into a shoot knowing you're limited to a handful of shots, on very specific settings and conditions makes you pay attention to the details. Instead of hiding behind the camera fiddling with settings and angles I'd stop to interpret a scene. I'd look at the lighting, I'd make sure my settings are what they need to be and then I'd spend the time with my subject in bringing out their personality, all well before pressing the shutter button.<br /><br />The movement ad momentum of the whole process is distinctly different than that of shooting a DSLR loaded with 32 gigs of memory. The freedom of digital is that you can experiment and make mistakes all the while seeing your results right on the spot. It's a beautiful thing but to me at times it is a little too much freedom as silly as it may sound. Film brings back some of the discipline.<br /><br />Simply put however, it is what it is. It's a medium that is fitting for some situations and not others. I highly doubt I'll be shooting these photo walk personal projects in anything outside of film for the time being. I also plan to extend my usage of it to engagement sessions and weddings, some of which I have already done. For now however it is a tool to help guide me in a particular regard, one that I have a difficult time doing the same with in digital.<br /><br />I'm not 'there' yet but I am a lot closer than I was yesterday.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-73108916000607625762011-06-15T21:59:00.000-07:002011-06-15T22:03:23.658-07:00Opinion: Pocket Wizard MiniTT1/FlexTT5Several months ago I had set out to get a hold of a set of the Pocket Wizard in hopes of finding a solution for wireless TTL lighting. Originally I had been invested in the Elinchrom sky ports system. Although it worked rather well as a base wireless trigger for my strobes it was often not a very elegant solution for triggering my speedlites, especially on the go. It worked but I was tempted with the functionality and simplicity of the pocket wizard system, more so after seeing them in action while second shooting for a local wedding photographer.<br /><br />In the long run I ended up getting a miniTT1, 2 flexTT5s, an AC3 controller unit as well as a PowerST4 for my Elinchrom Rx600 strobe over the course of a few months.<br /><br />The flexTT5s were a solution for wirelessly triggering my speedlites as well as giving them wireless TTL capabilities. The PowerST4 unit allowed me to trigger my strobe but also adjust the power of the strobe directly from my camera. Finally the AC3 unit allowed me to adjust the power of up to 3 channels independently, something that becomes a limitation if you're using more than 1 strobe/speedlite as the adjustment without the unit is limited to your FEC settings, which tend to act as one singular compensation.<br /><br />Together it's a nice system. I use speedlites in the studio quite regularly coupled with my strobes. Being able to control all 3 from the camera as well as having the ability to quickly switch wirelessly between TTL, manual or off from a central point is a blessing.<br /><br />It's an elegant system, when it works. That on the other hand is something that I've had difficulties with. Originally my usage was mainly limited to the studio so I did not want to do a write up too hastily. However after spending a handful of months with the system I feel I have a more rounded opinion.<br /><br />To preface, there are a number of very successful photographers who swear by the system, especially that it just plain works. That has certainly not been the case in my regards.<br /><br />In studio I've come to find the triggers tend to misfire more often than my sky ports did. More often than not this isn't a deal breaker. I've come to expect some misses when you spend the amount of time and shots that tend to come wit studio work. It is however a bit of a disappointment to invest in a system known to just work. Beyond that I have also come across a few sessions where the transmitter would seem to miss 6-10 frames in a row completely out of the blue and then go back to working as if nothing happened. This alone has created a lot of frustration for me as it's been very random and not limited to that specific transmitter, nor has it been any sort of battery issue or anything else I've tried to trouble shoot.<br /><br />More often than not this issue arrives when I'm using the miniTT1 with the PowerST4 unit on a single strobe. Normally, for redundancies sake I'd set up optical slaves as well but when working wit a single strobe I don't generally get that option. It's also not something I should have to resort to for that matter. Needless to say when you're running on a tight schedule in a studio and your strobe, which is a meter away from you misfires 8 frames in a row it quickly becomes a rather aggravating experience and kills any sort of momentum.<br /><br />I also got a chance to finally put the flexTT5s coupled with speedlites to some usage at a wedding reception. Inside of the studio they've worked quite well, the reception was another story however. Beyond a certain range (and a rather small one at that) the speedlite refused to trigger. It was something to the tune of 10 meters, which is pretty abysmal. It also rendered going outside on the balcony while using the speedlites to light up the interior undoable.<br /><br />So I'm at a bit of a crossroads. There's still more troubleshooting to be done however I have a number of weddings coming up and this sort of gamble on functionality is just not an option. There are generally no second chances when it comes to weddings. I need a system that is consistent and as it stands it's not.<br /><br />For the record, this was the Nikon version of the units. There have been reports in the past on issues within the canon system but a lot of sources reported the Nikon version to be without issue.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-26615669403926562132011-06-06T23:01:00.001-07:002011-06-08T01:29:55.272-07:00DirectionAs some of you may have noticed there has been somewhat of a lack of proper updates, especially for someone who prided himself on making a lot of steps forward this coming summer.<br /><br />Not to dance around the issue too much, there have definitely been a number of reasons for this. In part a lot of it has been due to just being incredibly busy between work, life and photography, all 3 of which tend to revolve around the latter. Regardless of the lack of content updates I've easily spent more time shooting and being involved in the craft than any time prior to the past few months.<br /><br />With that it's also brought to the forefront a search for direction and goals that have put me on some uneven ground so to speak. The past 2 months have been gradually building, both positives and negatives, towards finding what I truly want to spend my time on, photography wise, and what I have to let go of to certain degrees in order to get ahead in other aspects. <br /><br />I read a story not too long ago of a respected writer for the Edmonton Journal who publicly and respectfully submitted her resignation from the publication, mainly to further pursue personal goals. A line stood out to me and began to really resonate when I read it.<br /><br />To paraphrase: "The things I have to do and the things I want to do not overlap as much anymore."<br /><br />This was something that felt very synonymous with what I had been gradually feeling the past while. It was not that my fire was fading for photography, heck it's never been this strong. The issue however is I found I was spending more and more of my days shooting material that had no soul in it, at least not to me. It was as if i had been chasing some social image rather than pursuing and making a career out of what I had truly wanted to photograph.<br /><br />I've spent the past little while taking a bit of a step back rather than having a knee jerk reaction. Sometimes our moods change with the season, at times it's just that, a short lived transgression that briefly takes us down a side road only to meet back up on the original path with a new perspective. At this point I don't really know if this is the case or more so me coming to realize what originally got me involved in photography. Perhaps it's just the next plateau.<br /><br />To be blunt, I'm having a bit of a falling out with fashion, both the style of photography as well as the industry as a whole. There are countless reasons I could list for it however at the core of it I can't say I've ever enjoyed it or had the drive for it to the degree that I do for beauty/hair/makeup and head shots in general. Whatever it is, that's where my drive had been, at least half of it. The other half lies within working with real people. It's capturing real individuals, with real emotions and real memories. It's not to say fashion is fake but it definitely has it's own flavor, one that is much different than say covering a wedding.<br /><br />It's it's own thing, one is not worse or better than the other. It is a flavor, one that suits some and not others.<br /><br />The more time goes on the more I on a personal level do not find fashion related photography rewarding, certainly not where I am now, certainly not to the degree of capturing a moment for a couple that will never come again or finding the essence of the subject your shooting and translating that indescribable something into the image you create.<br /><br />I guess it all sounds a little out there but at the end of the day we all need some sort of satisfaction and reward for what we shoot. Of course, not everything we shoot, especially when it's a career is for ourselves, more often than not, it's for a client. However, we still have to value what we do. We all have our own definition of what that value is, in this case, for me, it's saving a memory, not making a magazine print.<br /><br />It's been a while to come to begin to understand that for me and in the process I've drowned myself in work and for the most part fallen off the face of the earth when it comes to being more involved in the local photography community as well as a personal social life. That will change in time. For now I will be spending more time refining what I have and narrowing my scope to those elements I really enjoy and wish to grow.<br /><br />I have a trip to Japan coming up in October. I can't really adequately describe the value this has for me. Originally, when I started becoming interested in photography it was majority influenced by general street photography from a foreigner living in Japan as a photographer. The value in these images was that it often showed every day people but it captured their true personalities. Without words it was something that was translated within the image. Thats something that stands out to me. I want to be able to capture that intimacy and human vulnerability of a person. To me that's something special as it's often not something we get to see. I want to be able to extend that of course, beyond just personal projects and be able to bring that forward in a commercial sense. That's a long term goal but it has finally given me some clear direction<br /><br />With that, I hope for this trip to bring me back to some of those roots, to put me out of my comfort zone and push me to the next level, so to speak.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-63997602779391612262011-05-15T22:45:00.000-07:002011-05-15T22:48:54.095-07:00Analog Adventures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5722907973_9849e74cd1_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 364px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5722907973_9849e74cd1_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />After some time seeing a few friends temporarily put down their digital cameras in exchange to exploring the film medium I finally caved, following some friendly pressure of course. It was something I knew I'd get into at some point or another but at the time I was more focused on other aspects of my photography to further divide my time into something else (albeit something that still held a lot of value in my growth as a photographer).<br /><br />So it finally boiled over and I ended up shooting a few rolls over the course of a few weeks. As such, I'm not so much here to showcase my results as to talk about my views and experiences with the format.<br /><br />To begin with, your mentality changes very quickly. There is no LCD, you can't really burn off a few frames to fine tune your composition and lighting. Being put into a position where you don't have that instant feedback a digital camera provides makes you stop and really begin to think about the shot and double check each facet of an image. It's not that I didn't do this on my digital camera but certainly it wasn't to the degree with a film camera that held a roll of film with 10 shots. This ended up carrying over to my digital shooting right away. I spent less time shooting, reviewing and fine tuning and more time planning a shot in front of me before releasing the trigger.<br /><br />That alone held a lot of value for me for overall improving my skills as a photographer.<br /><br />The mechanics of it all also came into play. On the digital side, especially when working with low depth of field shots I tend to fire off 2 or 3 frames at a time, just for the sake of making sure I got proper focus due to camera/subject movement and other variables. With film that sort of freedom doesn't exist. Suddenly proper breathing and hand holding techniques come into play. Again, that ends up being something that carries over to digital after some practice.<br /><br />One of the other aspects I've found was that I engaged my subject a lot more. We were there to shoot but with only 3 rolls of film the urgency to shoot a lot wasn't there, instead the focus shifted to getting the most of what I had available. In the process I got to know my subject a lot better and that's something I feel will translate to the shots with a much better level of comfort and attention to detail.<br /><br />There were a number of other factors to discuss but it's something I want to save for a future entry rather than one huge blog post. The point of this one was not to convince people to pick up a film camera. It's certainly not for everyone and it carries a cost with it that may not be justified to some people due to the gear investment, film and development costs and so on. You also wouldn't exactly use it everywhere. The pacing is quite different as is the performance. <br /><br />That being said I will definitely be picking up a film camera shortly, in part for personal use but I also see the advantages of having one to present another medium when It comes to engagements and weddings. I will liken it to a brush in painting. It is not exactly better or worse than the one you use now, it's different. It's another tool. There are places for it and I want to be able to explore that creatively.<br /><br />Regardless, I think film cameras still have a strong place in a modern day photographers arsenal. We are at our core artists, there's no reason to limit the tools we can use.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-35809682286224026532011-05-05T15:09:00.001-07:002011-05-05T15:22:17.338-07:00Allied Beauty Association - L'Oreal Professional Spring/Summer 2011 Collection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5677960755_dcfa7f3c21_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5677960755_dcfa7f3c21_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5678516310_174fab5338_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5678516310_174fab5338_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5682416019_5467210836_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5682416019_5467210836_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5678513994_89b89b7e66_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5678513994_89b89b7e66_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5682418763_88524bcd86_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5682418763_88524bcd86_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I spent some time over the weekend covering a portion of a local hair and beauty event. One of the salons was Ricci Hair, a name that likely is well known to anyone involved in the hair scene in Canada, let alone Edmonton. Having covered a few of these events and being tied in with the group on certain levels it's still always a very enjoyable experience being there, regardless whether it's with a camera in my hand or not. <br /><br />One of the things I enjoy is the sense of vision and drive the group has as a whole. I do not style hair, i do not cut it but a lot of the things Tony Ricci himself likes to talk about as an artist easily translates to any other artistic endeavor. It has always been an experience I've come out of with directions and ideas to explore and think over, ironically, as a photographer.<br /><br />Artists are Artists, regardless of their line of work. It's a wonderful feeling being around those sorts of visionaries. <br /><br />For those interested, there is a wide range of images from the event which can be found <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fukanzen/collections/72157626519673625/">here</a>.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-45810759109234268462011-05-04T16:17:00.000-07:002011-05-04T16:22:53.072-07:00We Need Your Help: Update Part 10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5671213902_436cf83462_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5671213902_436cf83462_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5688599684_5f3a11a256_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5688599684_5f3a11a256_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5688602878_0a05ee992d_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5688602878_0a05ee992d_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5688604592_0552dce5b9_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5688604592_0552dce5b9_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Today we have a few more entries into the Rise Again project, some good friends and generous people. With that were now over 90 people strong into the project and coming up a milestone. I'll be looking forward to breaking the 100 person mark and continuing on for a while longer. More to come soon!Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-74713925666609632732011-04-26T00:21:00.000-07:002011-04-26T00:36:43.304-07:00The studio approach<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5610847979_616ab675ed.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5610847979_616ab675ed.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5615208458_66944090c9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 334px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5615208458_66944090c9.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5614282361_29a635c7da.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5614282361_29a635c7da.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5614779721_3fc475f062.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 335px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5614779721_3fc475f062.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5617727401_fa210d3e08.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5617727401_fa210d3e08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I've spent quite a bit of time in the studio the past few months. It's become a bit of a love/hate relationship.<br /><br />Most of the work has been for a client, which means there are specifics and guidelines that I've had to adhere to. It's been an interesting beast. A while back i had wanted to take a step away from technicals and focus more on capturing emotion. In the items I've been shooting there definitely exists that element but it swung my overall direction back to the side of technicals. Part of this was the demand for a very specific look within a set of guidelines. That itself isn't bad, it's as i stated in past blogs a way of narrowing your focus and path. At times it limits creativity which again isn't exactly a bad thing either but in my case i began to notice a change, or rather a handicap that started to become a difficult obstacle to overcome.<br /><br />It was becoming too comfortable with where I was. I started to, and still do, have a very studio/ commercial oriented approach to most anything i shot. You can do a lot with it, but you can't cram particular styles or visions within the framework of that approach. This is where the separation of one's work as a craftsman and one's work as an artist needs to exist. Turning off that single minded approach has grown to be difficult at times, especially when shouldering the weight of a tight schedule and heavy workload.<br /><br />Regardless, having the knowledge of one's own weaknesses and shortcomings is generally a great first step in the direction of overcoming the obstacle.<br /><br />I love working in the studio but i need to step outside those guidelines and bring the elements i find there back with me. The images that I've shot that to me have been timeless have almost exclusively been outside the studio, a little ironic considering how much time i spend working on my techniques there. So, there is a barrier there that needs to change. I guess it's just a matter of time at this point.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-81726357962616997392011-04-25T23:38:00.000-07:002011-04-26T00:06:00.252-07:00We Need Your Help: Update Part 9<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5624367707_dd8f22c5c9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5027/5624367707_dd8f22c5c9.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5626353353_80fed12761.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5626353353_80fed12761.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5626352055_368a7c2014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5626352055_368a7c2014.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5639924776_10de2f3be1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5639924776_10de2f3be1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5639352853_16a2ab5953.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5639352853_16a2ab5953.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5639928096_eace141e63.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5639928096_eace141e63.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5639931106_d687e9e625.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5639931106_d687e9e625.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5639929826_d187f94120.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5639929826_d187f94120.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5639359339_1bc3070860.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5639359339_1bc3070860.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5221/5642697500_fe4a081581.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5221/5642697500_fe4a081581.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5654811319_562c1577f1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5654811319_562c1577f1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/5654819249_865386e780.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/5654819249_865386e780.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5655387878_105421f9aa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5655387878_105421f9aa.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5654822773_f356af4f8c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5654822773_f356af4f8c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5654826481_4caf217884.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 386px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5654826481_4caf217884.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />久しぶりね!!<br /><br />It's been a while since the last Rise Again update hasn't it. Life has been busy, real busy but not busy enough to put off the project, just some days too busy to update the blog. Regardless, here are some of the people who have graciously taken their time to pose for a portrait and donate towards the project. A bit of a bigger update this time around. A number of the photos are from my involvement with a fundraiser put together by the EJCA here in town. I got a chance to be a part and help drive donations with the project. When i get a chance I'll also toss up some of the images i grabbed while doing some of the event coverage.<br /><br />As always, there's more to come in the future. <br /><br />So far we are in the high 80's for number of people involved. I am debating winding down the project towards the 100 people end and then compiling it together in one big collage. Either way, it's still up for ideas and even if i do wind down the project, i'll most definitely still meet up with people who want to be involved. <br /><br />In any case, come be a part :)<br /><br />You can view all of the images in one collection <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fukanzen/sets/72157626276802074/with/5654826481/">here</a>Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-66390353014868245862011-04-14T19:40:00.001-07:002011-04-14T19:52:27.255-07:00Comfort or Challenge?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5591561862_421a099ed9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 267px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5098/5591561862_421a099ed9.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Not too long ago a friend pursuing photography of mine asked me for a bit of advice. More specifically, he asked what personal bit of advice he should follow as a photographer in order to improve. <br /><br />To me, one of the greatest assets you can have to help you grow and explore are the people you surround yourself with. Being involved with those that challenge you and continually engage you keeps you moving forward. It makes you look at aspects you may not have thought of or anticipated.<br /><br />We all need some sort of support. Kind words are always nice. If however, you surround yourself only with individuals who speak nothing but positives of your work then you likely become much too complacent with your own work. If you want to surround yourself with people that are below your level, you will find no shortage of such groups. It's not easy being in a position where you're constantly chasing after those ahead of you, but at least you'll grow.<br /><br />Seek out those who will challenge you on a daily basis. Hold yourself up to that sort of standard. Before you know it, you'll look back and see the path you've covered.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1160721225158026059.post-35846400691819607522011-04-14T16:22:00.000-07:002011-04-14T16:32:04.594-07:00We Need Your Help: Update Part 8<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5612050417_5ec6481f5d_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5612050417_5ec6481f5d_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5612051945_05da3458cb_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5612051945_05da3458cb_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5182/5612054407_4cdb7dc531_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5182/5612054407_4cdb7dc531_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5612633792_cb29e5ffae_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5612633792_cb29e5ffae_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5612636234_38f5256a43_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5612636234_38f5256a43_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5612056709_af062dfbc8_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 475px; height: 614px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5612056709_af062dfbc8_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Going strong into another week! It looks like were around the 75 people mark. Looking back how it has been less than a month it still surprises me the amount of support that both exists and how much ground has been covered so far. It's also pretty amazing to run into complete strangers who have heard of the project one way or another. It's times like these you can look at the power social media can carry and the influence it can have on the growth of both one's projects and as a business. <br /><br />These shots were taken at a charity event to help raise funds for the Japan relief effort. There's a few familiar faces and a few new ones. Regardless they're all pretty amazing people. <br /><br />I look forward to meeting some new people this week. Stay tuned and keep up the amazing work.Hikari Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12269714099037287591noreply@blogger.com0