Post Title: Where I'm at
Excerpt: I thought I'd quickly squeeze in a visual diary of what I've been up to before my next shoot starts in about an hour...
May 3, 2008 2:03 PM | Where I'm at | Comments (2)
Post Title: Hiwatari Festival
Excerpt: A little while back - somewhere before the big night out with old buddies Billy and Sean, and another big night out with the J-ster, and another big night out for the walkers at their itterashai party, somewhere before I started archiving all my stuff to photoshelter (nothing visible to the public yet) and somewhere in amongst an excessive schedule of private lessons over a 6 day period, I had a lovely day out at Takao with Mountaingoat. This is a pretty pic I shot of him at the end of the day. He looks so pretty and huggable,...
March 18, 2008 3:59 PM | Hiwatari Festival | Comments (0)
Post Title: The March Asoboo photo meetup
Excerpt: Last weekend was spent wandering the streets of Sendagi - Nezu - Yanaka - Ueno (Tokyo Shitamachi) with some of the lovely photographers from the asoboo photography group. Once again, an inspirational day full of laughs, good conversation and great photography. We have set up an asoboo meetup pool at flickr. My photos from the day can be found here. The other attendee's Flickr pages: Alfie in Japan, Minimalized, *tk, Koji's Ethic and Nyan_da45, Mime_Monkey, Severinka, Naobashicon. In other news.... Life is good. Albeit way busier than I envisaged March to be.... My good buddy Billy (James) arrives this...
March 6, 2008 11:10 PM | The March Asoboo photo meetup | Comments (3)
Post Title: Dr Sketchy's...
Excerpt: Last week was stupidly busy day and night. It's no wonder that I'm a little sick now. It was my final week of classes at the high school (which was a wee bit more emotional than I expected it to be); had a truckload of private classes day and night; and did a coupla photo-shoots in amongst all that... These photos are from one of those shoots - definitely the most fun one! Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Tokyo, meets the last Wednesday of every month at The Pink Cow in Shibuya. I've been asked to be the official photographer...
March 3, 2008 10:00 PM | Dr Sketchy's... | Comments (1)
Post Title: Jakub
Excerpt: I had a lot of photography fun last weekend. On Saturday I had a real model to play with, with a real make-up artist and a real hairdresser! The results aren't half bad, I reckon. What do you think? There are more here. We all had so much fun that the same team plan to meet again in March to do some more....
February 15, 2008 12:23 AM | Jakub | Comments (1)
Post Title: Asoboo photographers meet-up in Sugamo
Excerpt: On Sunday I went to Sugamo (aka: Granny Harajuku) for a meet up with a bunch of photographers from Asoboo (an internet "creative social network" that started up in Tokyo but aims at the international community) for a bit of a walk and a chat. It was a lovely day, and extremely inspirational. Wanna do lots more of these kinds of activities! Please go take a look at the Flickr album....
February 13, 2008 1:39 AM | Asoboo photographers meet-up in Sugamo | Comments (1)
Post Title: Snowy Sunday! A week-end in pics...
Excerpt: Dinner with Christian and Yuiko in the Spiral Building basement Before heading off to Velours for Deanne's first ever hooping gig She hooped like a champ Saturday lunch with Sigsy at VeggIe Delight, yum! Then off to teach lessons and shiver quietly at home... Woke up this morning to a fresh snow fall and a fresh episode of LOST on my putey. Heaven. My landlady, Eiko come downstairs for Greg's famous Sunday pancake breakfast! And I watched the snow fall behind the daffodils that Sigsy gave me yesterday. Lovely! I have finally finished editing the pics from my Australia...
February 3, 2008 5:33 PM | Snowy Sunday! A week-end in pics... | Comments (4)
Post Title: Summer colours in North Queensland
Excerpt: The weather since I landed in Cairns has been nothing but perfect. There is a water-hole just down the road from Dave and Elissa's place, we spent the afternoon there on my first day (and a few days since then, actually) and I took a bunch of pics making use of the lovely afternoon light. We also spent a beautiful day at the reef on a friends boat, Calypso. They don't call it the *Great* Barrier Reef for nothing, ya know. So many fish, so much brightly coloured coral. We had a ball. I've been reminded that Far North...
December 15, 2007 12:39 PM | Summer colours in North Queensland | Comments (3)
Post Title: Autumn colours in Japan
Excerpt: Most of the last week in Tokyo (before my holiday) was spent catching up with assorted friends who had missed the birthday extravaganza, Christmas shopping and winding up my work schedule for the year. It was busy, but a week before a month long holiday, anyone can handle being busy (do you think?). These pics were all taken in Inokashira Koen in the first week of December, and you can find more of them at the Autumn 2007 Flickr album. The weather was magnificent, and it seemed like everyone was outside all day every day trying to make the...
December 15, 2007 12:24 PM | Autumn colours in Japan | Comments (1)
Post Title: Okutama. Simply beautiful.
Excerpt: Yesterday I got out of the metropolis for an extraordinary day in the beautiful mountains of Okutama. There are more pictures to come but hey, I want to share them slowly so you can all soak up the beauty. I started an Okutama flickr set, go check it out over the coming days. I'll put a few up every day....
November 12, 2007 7:56 PM | Okutama. Simply beautiful. | Comments (5)
Post Title: One's: The Exhibition!
Excerpt: I'm very happy to be able to invite you all to another exhibition! One's: a random collection of colour and B&W portraits, street and band photography from Japan, India, Indonesia and Australia. From November 10th, Araku (a very cool little Australian-run bar in Golden Gai, Shinjuku) will be hosting a selection of my favourite images. It'll be an ongoing exhibition, running for a few months. ****** I'm having a party on Friday the 16th of November to celebrate - if you'd like to come along to that, please let me know so I can warn the bar! The cover...
November 1, 2007 12:50 AM | One's: The Exhibition! | Comments (3)
Post Title: Flickr Action
Excerpt: More pic's up at flickr....
August 7, 2007 5:08 PM | Flickr Action | Comments (0)
Post Title: Mishaal and miscellania
Excerpt: Mishaal is a Tokyo based belly dancer.
July 3, 2007 2:34 AM | Mishaal and miscellania | Comments (10)
Post Title: Crack and almighty mundanity.
Excerpt: In other news, I am on crack and its name is facebook.
June 27, 2007 8:04 PM | Crack and almighty mundanity. | Comments (5)
Post Title: M Thomas Gammarino
Excerpt: Thomas Gammarino is a US writer currently based in Hawaii, but formerly from NY and immediately staying in Tokyo with his wife's family for an extended holiday. He contacted me after googling “headshots Tokyo” and inquired about doing some headshots.
June 20, 2007 5:49 PM | M Thomas Gammarino | Comments (4)
Post Title: Life is good
Excerpt: When the sun is out....
May 28, 2007 11:04 AM | Life is good | Comments (7)
Post Title: Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 Macro
Excerpt: I bought another new lens. This is the last one and my kit is now as complete as it can be with my limited skills and time.
May 1, 2007 8:35 AM | Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 Macro | Comments (1)
Post Title: The Mint Shoot
Excerpt: Some shots from my photo shoot with Mint Salon on Sunday. I'll be posting some of the better ones on my Flickr page over the next few days.
April 11, 2007 12:59 PM | The Mint Shoot | Comments (1)
Post Title: Impermanence....
Excerpt: The rains of the past 2 days have blanketed the streets and parks in cherry blossoms. Hanami season is almost gone already. A lovely spring night suddenly vanished while we viewed cherry blossoms - Haiku from the master, Basho. Now it's time to get back to work.
April 4, 2007 1:15 AM | Impermanence.... | Comments (3)
Post Title: The Canon EF 50 mm f/1.4 USM
Excerpt: ...is rather nice.
March 29, 2007 1:11 AM | The Canon EF 50 mm f/1.4 USM | Comments (6)
Post Title: An afternoon at Roppongi Hills
Excerpt: Had a free afternoon so wandered into Roppongi Hills to check out the “prelude to ashes and snow” show at the Mori Art Museum. Took in the All about Laughter exhibition too.
March 29, 2007 12:51 AM | An afternoon at Roppongi Hills | Comments (1)
Post Title: Ashes and Snow
Excerpt: Can't wait to see Gregory Colberts' Ashes and Snow out at the custom made Nomadic Museum in Odaiba soon.
March 26, 2007 3:58 PM | Ashes and Snow | Comments (7)
Post Title: Shibuya
Excerpt: Wandered around Shibuya and Ebisu yesterday.....
March 26, 2007 3:44 PM | Shibuya | Comments (2)
Post Title: Extended
Excerpt: My exhibition has been extended for another week or so, so if you haven't made it in to mikorin's yet, you still have a chance to catch the show.
March 2, 2007 5:19 PM | Extended | Comments (5)
Post Title: 4 days left
Excerpt: Only 4 nights left to the exhibition... It's been a great experience. I've sold photos, learned a lot, made some great contacts and, better still, friends. If you haven't made it yet, get your asses into gear and come on down.
.
February 25, 2007 12:00 AM | 4 days left | Comments (7)
Post Title: Aureole
Excerpt: Back in December, while she was visiting me on her way back to Australia, Aureole agreed to pose for me while I experimented with all 3 of my cameras to see how they all performed.
February 19, 2007 12:07 AM | Aureole | Comments (2)
Post Title: Jeremy's Gypsies
Excerpt: My mate Jeremy's show is up and open.
February 15, 2007 12:35 AM | Jeremy's Gypsies | Comments (0)
Post Title: The flap and fluster of putting on your own show
Excerpt: Oh shite, whose bright idea was it to have an exhibition?
February 8, 2007 1:02 AM | The flap and fluster of putting on your own show | Comments (12)
Post Title: Exhibition preparation progress report...
Excerpt: It's been an interesting time trying to juggle my work commitments with preparing for the exhibition and trying to get some down time in as well....
February 5, 2007 4:41 PM | Exhibition preparation progress report... | Comments (2)
Post Title: mOnOchrOmic: an exhibition of B&W photography
Excerpt: I'm pleased to announce that I have finally gotten around to organising an exhibition of my photos....
mOnOchrOmic
an exhibition of
B&W photography
by Martine Cotton
2007/2/10 - 28 @ mikorin
1-25-2 Kichijoji-Honcho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-0004
February 1, 2007 12:45 AM | mOnOchrOmic: an exhibition of B&W photography | Comments (12)
Post Title: New Years Day 2007
Excerpt: After a leisurely New Years Day breakfast and coffee, we made the trek out to Asakusa to join the other million or so temple-goers to visit Sensoji. I've always avoided such activities out of fear of crowds, but you know what?!
January 4, 2007 12:51 AM | New Years Day 2007 | Comments (3)
Post Title: The Silly Season
Excerpt: Einstein is alive and well and hiding out in the little bars in Kichijoji's red light district....These hilarious JR (Japan Rail) posters warn salary men about getting too drunk and falling off the platform in this crazy silly party season.....
December 12, 2006 11:19 AM | The Silly Season | Comments (2)
Post Title: しあわせ (Shiawase): A fortunate life.
Excerpt: 4 years in Japan. I was thinking of calling this post “the girl who stopped running” but that seemed kinda naff and I figured “a fortunate life” was more adult and appropriate.
December 11, 2006 11:16 PM | しあわせ (Shiawase): A fortunate life. | Comments (7)
Post Title: A beautiful part of the world
Excerpt: It's been indescribably beautiful in my part of the world recently. The Autumn colours have really kicked in and the weather has been magnificent with blue sky days and relatively warm days.
December 3, 2006 11:46 PM | A beautiful part of the world | Comments (3)
Post Title: This week in pic's
Excerpt: Really gotta settle down on the burning-the-candle-at-both-ends-thing. Ha!
November 18, 2006 11:47 AM | This week in pic's | Comments (2)
Post Title: Rain, coffee, coding...
Excerpt: frangipani might get a bit gnarly over the weekend as I attempt the upgrade to MT 3.3...
November 11, 2006 3:59 PM | Rain, coffee, coding... | Comments (5)
Post Title: Finished the Mitake photos
Excerpt: Finished the Mitake-san photoset at Flickr.... better still, just go and visit Mitake-san when you get a chance!
Goddamn, I just can't get enough of Band of Horses at the moment.
November 10, 2006 11:24 PM | Finished the Mitake photos | Comments (5)
Post Title: Another fabulous weekend in Tokyo
Excerpt: It's been a great weekend. Actually, after a week of illness I wasn't sure I'd be leaving the house at all over the weekend but I was determined to just soldier on. Saturday saw Charlene, Kazuma and I head out to Western Tokyo to the Okutama region, to go hiking on Mt Mitake.
November 6, 2006 1:06 PM | Another fabulous weekend in Tokyo | Comments (4)
Post Title: A different life part 2
Excerpt: In keeping with the Australian bush theme, here are some pics my brother sent me of their recent holiday on a cattle farm near Cooktown, in Far North Queensland - complete with authentic Aboriginal cave art. Enjoy.
October 31, 2006 1:18 AM | A different life part 2 | Comments (3)
Post Title: A different life
Excerpt: On my fathers side of the family there is a long history of “bush” Australia.
October 30, 2006 5:35 PM | A different life | Comments (3)
Post Title: W.I.G. out. Part One
Excerpt: Today was the inaugural W.I.G. out event. I haven't mentioned W.I.G. here yet and I really should have written about it when I got home last night and posted this entry but I was a wee bit tipsy and forgot.
October 29, 2006 10:38 PM | W.I.G. out. Part One | Comments (1)
Post Title: Yamanakako
Excerpt: please slip on over to my Flickr photostream to see some photos from my fabulous trip out to Yamanakako on Sunday to Tuesday.... It was totally overcast and cold and windswept and Fuji-san was nowhere to be seen.
October 26, 2006 7:00 PM | Yamanakako | Comments (4)
Post Title: honouring the ancestors
Excerpt: Memorial days and anniversaries and birthdays and other such sundry annual signpost events are a singularly strange phenomenon. Why do we bother? What does it signify other than the fact that time marches on and we're collecting more lines on our faces and scars on our souls (hopefully getting a little wiser as a result)...
October 22, 2006 1:56 AM | honouring the ancestors | Comments (9)
Post Title: March 2007 is looking mighty gooooooood
Excerpt: one of my photos is being used for a real-life glossy calendar. go buy it folks.
October 20, 2006 2:34 AM | March 2007 is looking mighty gooooooood | Comments (4)
Post Title: Cat Alley
Excerpt: UPDATED POST.... phone contacts please.
Along Cat Alley, in Harajuku, there is an old, abandoned wooden house. Seems every couple of months some local artists provide new art to brighten up the gloom there. This is the latest piece. Gorgeous, isn't it.
October 9, 2006 1:12 PM | Cat Alley | Comments (4)
Post Title: Komichii Festival
Excerpt: Spent the day at the annual school festival today and had a blast.
October 1, 2006 11:28 PM | Komichii Festival | Comments (2)
Post Title: Going global
Excerpt: Recently I've been spending a lot of time with Japanese friends, honing my Japanese skills and drinking way too much. Ta-ching, Yamachan and Minoru all work at the local Thai restaurant-bar I frequent.
September 29, 2006 6:57 PM | Going global | Comments (2)
Post Title: JuggsVSJapan: front back and sides...
Excerpt: On documentaries, Pride fights, politics and oh, so much more.
September 19, 2006 3:32 AM | JuggsVSJapan: front back and sides... | Comments (3)
Post Title: Bubbles in the last days of summer
Excerpt: Last days of summer....?
September 11, 2006 9:37 AM | Bubbles in the last days of summer | Comments (6)
Post Title: A smooth transition
Excerpt: My last evening in Phuket was spent at Nikita's Bar in Rawai, with the teaching team from the course: Pete, Greg, Clare, Simon, Mark and their respective partners. This was the view at sunset....
September 6, 2006 11:11 PM | A smooth transition | Comments (7)
Post Title: Phuket: present perfect continuous
Excerpt: On tests and beaches and a wee bit more....
August 30, 2006 4:03 PM | Phuket: present perfect continuous | Comments (12)
Post Title: Episode 721, in which the protagonist makes the river crossing across the Thai-Myanmar border....
Excerpt: With some huge percentage of Thailand's income coming from tourism, they turn quite the blind eye to the big business of “VISA RUNS”, in which tourists who are on the verge of overstaying their 30 day holiday visa get transported to the border of their choice to get their passports re-stamped with a fresh 30 day visa.
August 13, 2006 3:20 PM | Episode 721, in which the protagonist makes the river crossing across the Thai-Myanmar border.... | Comments (1)
Post Title: Sunset net fishing
Excerpt: Sunset on Ao Nang beach yesterday.
July 30, 2006 8:53 PM | Sunset net fishing | Comments (4)
Post Title: What day is it again?
Excerpt: Life's a beach... and coral reefs and snorkelling ... and long boats and speed boats and film sets... and amazing food and fruit... and long slow walks... and one hour Thai massages followed by beers at the sunset bar with new found friends.
July 29, 2006 5:07 PM | What day is it again? | Comments (6)
Post Title: Singin' in the Rain
Excerpt: I opened an account with a new bank today and I am so happy with them that I need to sing their praises to anyone who will listen. SHINSEI BANK is really the only place to do your banking in Japan. Seriously.
July 19, 2006 12:17 AM | Singin' in the Rain | Comments (7)
Post Title: A day out at Showa Kinen Park
Excerpt: Showa Kinen Koen is a massive recreational park in Tachikawa - I've mentioned it before and well, I'm sure I'll talk about it some more in the future coz it is an excellent place to go for an entire day of fun and games.
July 17, 2006 2:15 PM | A day out at Showa Kinen Park | Comments (2)
Post Title: Sunday
Excerpt: Sunday. In pictures.
July 9, 2006 7:02 PM | Sunday | Comments (0)
Post Title: The Jicoo
Excerpt: Last weekend I joined some friends onboard the floating bar, The Jicoo, which purrs back and forth between Hinode Pier and Odaiba.
July 6, 2006 10:22 AM | The Jicoo | Comments (2)
Post Title: Seeking foreign women for photography project
Excerpt: I'm working on a cool project for a magazine and require foreign female models.
July 3, 2006 1:41 PM | Seeking foreign women for photography project | Comments (6)
Post Title: Bare arms, bare legs.
Excerpt: The weather has been glorious here in Tokyo over the last 2 days.... Bare feet.
June 29, 2006 2:21 AM | Bare arms, bare legs. | Comments (5)
Post Title: Holga galleries and more Flickr action than you can poke a stick at
Excerpt: New galleries abound!
June 22, 2006 12:48 AM | Holga galleries and more Flickr action than you can poke a stick at | Comments (2)
Post Title: Dancing Girl Re-dux
Excerpt: I have discovered the joys of a medium format negative scanner, and by golly it makes the holga photos I've been shooting recently look way better than the crappy old flatbed I've been using.
June 19, 2006 11:42 PM | Dancing Girl Re-dux | Comments (2)
Post Title: I *heart* Inokashira Koen
Excerpt: I took these photos yesterday. The eerie night shots were late last night after drinking at the Okinawan Yatai bar over on the over side of the station, near Tokyu, with friends.
June 17, 2006 2:32 PM | I *heart* Inokashira Koen | Comments (8)
Post Title: Manifest Destiny
Excerpt: So there I was, in a run down old building in Daikanyama, when I suspiciously landed into a scene from I.Heart.Huckabees...
June 7, 2006 8:55 PM | Manifest Destiny | Comments (0)
Post Title: The Photography Channel
Excerpt: The Photography Channel: will celebrate the enduring power of still photography storytelling, and the creative, spirited loves of still photographers.The Photography Channel will present cinematic-quality presentations of the worlds best photography, using interviews with photographers and live audio material.
June 4, 2006 12:57 AM | The Photography Channel | Comments (0)
Post Title: Wires and the fruit shop
Excerpt: The view from Naka Meguro Station on the Toyoko Line. Every Wednesday morning for 2 years.
May 30, 2006 10:16 AM | Wires and the fruit shop | Comments (10)
Post Title: Melancholy
Excerpt:
I saw this woman at Kichijoji Station yesterday. She had the saddest look on her face and was standing an almost empty platform. It was quite beautiful. Seems the wet season (and a little death) is perfectly conducive to melancholy.
May 28, 2006 7:50 PM | Melancholy | Comments (2)
Post Title: Design Festa
Excerpt: Last weekend I spent both days out at Odaiba Big Sight helping out Andrea with her exhibition of illustration art at Design Festa.
May 28, 2006 1:34 PM | Design Festa | Comments (1)
Post Title: Taipei gallery up
Excerpt: Just finished uploading 40 pics from my Taipei adventure and must run out the door to ride over to Kat and Darin's for the Season 2 finale of LOST. Woot!!!! A beautiful sunny day today, beer and merriment and more LOST excitement than you can poke a stick at tonight and I don't start work till midday tomorrow. I feel human again. And it just keeps getting better - an almost completely free weekend....
May 25, 2006 8:51 PM | Taipei gallery up | Comments (4)
Post Title: My Family: Portraits
Excerpt: David and Elissa, my brother and sister in law on Newell Beach, 30 km's south of Daintree in Queensland. I love this photo! Evie, my goddaughter and niece. Isn't she beautiful! Evie comforting her brother Fraser after the boys at footy gave him hell about his blue hair My nephew Darcy after being told he couldn't sit in the front car seat on the way to Cairns. I love this photo, he looks so vulnerable and cute....
May 14, 2006 11:57 PM | My Family: Portraits | Comments (0)
Post Title: Gekkos and rain
Excerpt: Currently in Shannonvale, at my brothers place. It's nestled in amongst the foothills of the Atherton Tablelands, in behind Port Douglas in far North Queensland. It's steamy and wet. They've had 2.8 metres of rain since the beginning of this year - 2 days of sunshine in about 3 months. It's raining again now and the family have all gone to bed, exhausted after a long (overcast but not rainy) day at little league footy. I love the tropics and feel totally at home here, with the forested mountains and low hanging clouds and creaking insects and croaking frogs...
May 6, 2006 10:23 PM | Gekkos and rain | Comments (3)
Post Title: Ryosuke Suzuki Solo Exhibition
Excerpt: Eye candy will abound when the gifted, rather hot and very sweet Ryosuke Suzuki (aka Su-san) opens his solo photo exhibition at the Futuba Gallery in Ginza tomorrow. The show will run till Sunday the 23rd, with doors open from 11 am to 4.30 pm every day. Most of the photos are dreamy abstracts taken riverside in Yokohama - they are really beautiful and the exhibition will be well worth a visit. I never get to Ginza so I'm looking forward to a day out on the flipside of Tokyo. The moneyed side....
April 17, 2006 1:08 AM | Ryosuke Suzuki Solo Exhibition | Comments (5)
Post Title: Where did all the flowers go?
Excerpt: Sayonara cherry blossoms! Inokashira Koen was just beautiful last week all covered in a blanket of cherry blossoms.... it was really cool to see the boats floating in pure pink. So sad I didn't really get to enjoy a drunken hanami party this year. Too busy, too much rain and unfortunate clashing schedules.......
April 16, 2006 11:41 PM | Where did all the flowers go? | Comments (4)
Post Title: Miaou
Excerpt: Last project for review tonight. My fave Tokyo band, Miaou, asked me to do some band shots. I was, of course, totally stoked. We met in Kichijoji planning to use the park but just as we started to head down there it started bucketing down with rain, so after a quick pizza, we cabbed it back to my place and did the whole session there. It was pretty fun, and it was hilarious to see their reaction to hearing their own music coming over the itunes playlist. You can hear some of their beautiful instrumental wanderings at Miaou's myspace...
April 10, 2006 10:36 PM | Miaou | Comments (1)
Post Title: Joanna's comp card
Excerpt: I posted some of these pictures a few weeks ago, and finally completed making the actual hard copy "comp card" for my friend Joanna on Saturday afternoon. I was really worried that they looked too glossy but Joanna loved them so much she screamed and jumped up and down a few times which was kinda funny as we were standing over the ticket gates in Kichijoji Station at the time. I thought security was gonna come running! Ha. It was great to see all my hard work was appreciated! She's an really talented singer and performer and a beautiful...
April 10, 2006 10:17 PM | Joanna's comp card | Comments (0)
Post Title: Sarah and Keisuke's wedding
Excerpt: Sakura fever! It's a pretty fabulocious time to have a wedding party in Japan....
April 10, 2006 9:41 PM | Sarah and Keisuke's wedding | Comments (8)
Post Title: Joanna
Excerpt: On Saturday I did my first serious professional photographic session with my singing friend Joanna who is about to launch a career in music, voice-overs and acting in Japan. It was good fun and I'm pretty happy with the results......
March 6, 2006 7:32 PM | Joanna | Comments (4)
Post Title: Ofuro Rock
Excerpt: On Thursday night I went to a live gig at BenTen Sento in Kichijoji with Kat, Darin and Tyler. It was an awesome night. There was this great sense of local community - lots of oldies mixing it up with kids, hippies, punks and uni students, with everyone singing the praises of Kichijoji. Sento's are Japanese public bath-houses and in years gone by they were an integral part of daily life. This sento was really old school, and came complete with the obligatory handpainted mural of Mt Fuji. The womens half was full of gorgeous old hair dryer chairs...
February 27, 2006 12:10 AM | Ofuro Rock | Comments (4)
Post Title: An unveiling...
Excerpt: The garden inside Asakura Choso museum The Shitamachi skyline from the rooft of Asakura Choso Museum - looking out towards Ueno....
February 13, 2006 4:15 PM | An unveiling... | Comments (5)
Post Title: Restin'
Excerpt: A coupla suits taking a rest at the Tokyo Science and Technology Museum in Odaiba yesterday. Sadly a bit of a waste of time (The Museum, not the resting...). Can anyone advise me why my computers firewall is suddenly blocking bloglines but no other site? And why the dotmac translator pops up a couple of times a day to tell me it needs to make a change and if I want to use all the same passwords? And why my computer runs stupidly hot stupidly quickly and has a stupidly loud fan? It's a 15 inch Powerbook. Todays mood:...
February 11, 2006 1:47 PM | Restin' | Comments (6)
Post Title: Shinjuku Skyline views
Excerpt: Some punk kid checking out the views over Shinjuku... had fun with with photoshop gnarliness here. Love this pic. It's a real pic, I just had to play with it coz the kid was dark... Antony and the skyline That'd be my big nose......
February 8, 2006 10:48 PM | Shinjuku Skyline views | Comments (6)
Post Title: More snow....
Excerpt:
February 7, 2006 10:07 AM | More snow.... | Comments (7)
Post Title: Windows and shoji...
Excerpt:
February 4, 2006 5:11 PM | Windows and shoji... | Comments (7)
Post Title: Old Tokyo
Excerpt: A street vendor in Ueno last night...
January 30, 2006 10:22 PM | Old Tokyo | Comments (3)
Post Title: Listen to the sound of white
Excerpt: Jindaiji Temple shops Warning: photo heavy post!...
January 27, 2006 7:13 PM | Listen to the sound of white | Comments (5)
Post Title: Benzaiten-do Temple night snow echoes
Excerpt:
January 26, 2006 1:10 AM | Benzaiten-do Temple night snow echoes | Comments (2)
Post Title: And it snowed all day long....
Excerpt:
January 22, 2006 11:54 PM | And it snowed all day long.... | Comments (5)
Post Title: In the meat of winter
Excerpt: A waterwheel at the Jindaiji Temple complex, Chofu Couple sleeping in a dinghy on Inokashira pond yesterday (a remarkably mild 14 degrees) Plate twirling in Inokashira Koen yesterday...
January 17, 2006 12:11 AM | In the meat of winter | Comments (7)
Post Title: The streets of Ryogoku
Excerpt: Waiting for a friend Kimono's in Ryogoku Flags outside the Ryogoku Sumo Kokugikan as the crowds gather The streets around Ryogoku, and the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tags: Japan, Tokyo Streets, street photography...
January 14, 2006 11:28 PM | The streets of Ryogoku | Comments (6)
Post Title: Seagulls in the park?
Excerpt:
January 6, 2006 11:07 PM | Seagulls in the park? | Comments (4)
Post Title: Merry Christmas
Excerpt:
December 24, 2005 5:45 PM | Merry Christmas | Comments (8)
Post Title: The new camera...
Excerpt: Oh my, oh my. I bought a used Canon 300D (also known as the Digital Rebel XT and the Kiss Digital) from Fujiya in Nakano. It came with a Canon 18 - 55mm lens, but I also bought a beautiful 75 - 300 mm zoom with the savings from buying second hand. Delicious. I am in love. Haven't had a lot of time to shoot yet, it's been a crazy week, but things are slowing down for a few weeks now so there'll be plenty of time to push that mighty learning curve. These were from the first days...
December 21, 2005 5:42 PM | The new camera... | Comments (9)
Post Title: Step forward baby
Excerpt: This may well be the last photo taken with my trusty old Canon G3 you see published on this blog. At 2 pm, Tyler and I are going shopping for a new camera. We've both been doing a lot of research. But I will tell you all about it later... Off to see Sayuri tonight. You may know it better by its western title Memoirs of a Geisha. Should be pretty weird to see a movie about a unique aspect of Japanese culture made by Americans and starring Chinese. Looking forward to what looks to be a lush piece...
December 16, 2005 10:42 AM | Step forward baby | Comments (9)
Post Title: Nikko details...
Excerpt:
December 14, 2005 12:29 AM | Nikko details... | Comments (5)
Post Title: Another fabulous day in the park
Excerpt: Inokashira Koen was in full swing today. The colours are looking gorgeous and it felt like every single busker and artist/photographer from West Tokyo was doing their thang in the park. The violin/clarinet/cello quartet you can see in the pics are 4 very cute young men with a huge following of eyelid-fluttering fans, it was worthwhile standing behind the band as they performed just to watch the lovestruck audience. kawaiii! Only 2 sleeps till my bro arrives and..., well..., about 20 minutes till my birthday. Time for bed. Ciao ciao....
November 27, 2005 11:26 PM | Another fabulous day in the park | Comments (14)
Post Title: It goes on...
Excerpt: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." Robert Frost stating the obvious in the simplest of terms My brother arrives for his first trip to Japan in 8 sleeps. *So* excited. In other news... well, life goes on. Working. Catching up with friends. Eating. Thinking. Remembering. Quiet times. Sympathy cards - still. Sleeping (oh, and feckin yay, the nightmares have stopped). Made my first visit to the Australian Embassy on Friday night for a swanky function. Now that was a crackup. Had a great time, primarily because my (Canadian) flatmate Charlene...
November 20, 2005 1:02 PM | It goes on... | Comments (4)
Post Title: The Fridge Polaroid Project
Excerpt: When we first moved in to this house, Charlene and I decided that each visitor to our house had to be photographed with the polaroid camera in front of the fridge (there are a few exceptions to this rule though - easy to spot them). The idea being that the viewer could see the growing number of polaroids forming behind each subject in each new photo. We have now filled the entire main fridge door, and will have to move down to the 2 freezer doors and the basement fridge door next. Yes, that's right, our fridge is enormous...
November 15, 2005 7:43 PM | The Fridge Polaroid Project | Comments (9)
Post Title: A night out in Koenji
Excerpt: Last night I spent quite a few hours wandering the streets of Koenji with Christian, looking specifically for pearl-buttoned press-stud shirts in the zillion excellent second hand clothes stores there. Naturally, we worked up quite a thirst and ended up at one of the many street bars under the train tracks drinking draft beer for hours. Something he and I seem to be making a habit of. Koenji rocks. If you haven't spent a day or 2 exploring there, make sure you add it to your list of things to do in Tokyo. It's on the Chuo-Sobu line, just...
October 11, 2005 12:22 AM | A night out in Koenji | Comments (12)
Post Title: Japanese gardens
Excerpt: The beauty and serenity found in Japanese gardens is legendary. This photo was taken in Shinjuku Gyoen, which ranks as my second favourite Tokyo Garden behind Inokashira Koen and in front of the Meiji-Jingu Garden complex. And then there's Kyoto's gardens.... another world again. Should anyone be interested, the excellent Tokyo Art website database, Tokyo Art Beat, is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday night with a party at one of the best venue spaces in town - Super Deluxe (just down the road from Roppongi Hills). Should be a lot of fun, and if you wear something pink...
October 7, 2005 9:45 PM | Japanese gardens | Comments (2)
Post Title: Kichijoji happenstances
Excerpt: Monks chanting and begging in the streets. The local park cats get fed and watered by local park regulars in Inokashira Koen. Sing it loud, sing it proud: I love Kichijoji. The best town in Tokyo. (Just FYI, The Tokyo we all know and love is actually a state made up of 23 different, adjoining city districts.) Off to the futon now. Nighty Night....
September 29, 2005 8:20 PM | Kichijoji happenstances | Comments (9)
Post Title: Geekery and Awa odori pics
Excerpt: These pics are from the massive Koenji Awa Odori Festival a few weeks back. I love the Awa Odori dance and music, and it has a great history, full of debauchery. A perfect summer evenings activity....
September 18, 2005 1:01 PM | Geekery and Awa odori pics | Comments (1)
Post Title: Takao oozes green and amber
Excerpt: Last weekend I trekked out to the heady, paper-lantern-lit heights of the Mt Takao Beer Garden for 2 hours of all you can eat and drink mayhem with Pinku, Darin, Tyler, Clair and Jess. Photo op's abounded as the amber fluid flowed, this pic is a result of trying to capture Pinku's red-flushed booze face and not having much luck......
September 15, 2005 5:36 PM | Takao oozes green and amber | Comments (0)
Post Title: Quiet Time in North Honshu
Excerpt: UPDATED: J-ster requested Osore-san Wallpaper, thought I'd share it: 1280 x 854; 1024 x 768; 800 x 600; 640 x 480. Osore-san in Aomori-Ken is a dormant volcano with little sulphur geysers bubbling up through the weird, craggy white rocks... the temple there, Bodai-ji sits on the banks of a lake with white sand. An amazing place, and I will be writing something of a photo essay about the place in a little while, so stay tuned. In the mean time, this will do - lifted from the The "Japan Death Map". This mountain scared people so much that...
August 29, 2005 12:03 AM | Quiet Time in North Honshu | Comments (10)
Post Title: Lotus
Excerpt: Back from my adventure to the North - got all the way to Shimokita-Hanto in Aomori, the most Northern point of Honshu, where I visited Osore-san - the place to go when you want to "commune with the dead". Fascinating place. More on all that later. For now, it's enough to say that I'm back in Tokyo, safe and sound, with many hundreds of photos to edit and a website to redesign. Posts will be spare. This photo was taken at a small ornamental pond on the grounds of Mutsu-Ji temple in Hiraizumi, in Iwate prefecture - I was...
August 23, 2005 11:52 PM | Lotus | Comments (2)
Post Title: Wah! I need a holiday!
Excerpt:
August 11, 2005 7:58 PM | Wah! I need a holiday! | Comments (3)
Post Title: Summertime and the livin' is easy
Excerpt: > Homemade fishing rods, buckets, a plastic specimen container and computer games - what else could a Tokyo boy need?...
July 15, 2005 1:16 AM | Summertime and the livin' is easy | Comments (2)
Post Title: Suddenly, as rare things will, it vanished.
Excerpt:
June 19, 2005 12:29 AM | Suddenly, as rare things will, it vanished. | Comments (1)
Post Title: Waiting at Studio Alta
Excerpt: Waiting at Studio Alta in Shinjuku... (more pics inside) May have found a fabulous new place to live - stay tuned for details as they come to hand.... In other news, been housesitting Kat and Darin's place, it's amazing how having a chilled place to come home to can totally make your day. Lots of cool stuff going on, kinda too busy to talk now but will soon, I promise. Feeling much better, btw. The quest to be an all-round better person never really ends, does it. Anyway, the meltdown has run its natural cycle and normal transmissions have...
June 1, 2005 11:00 PM | Waiting at Studio Alta | Comments (2)
Post Title: Tokyo from above
Excerpt:
May 29, 2005 9:54 PM | Tokyo from above | Comments (0)
Post Title: Kichijoji/Mitaka streets
Excerpt: Just some photos.......
May 24, 2005 12:27 PM | Kichijoji/Mitaka streets | Comments (4)
Post Title: The Long Walk Home
Excerpt: Walked home through Inokashira Park today. Very happy that I live in this part of the Tokyo world. Whaddya think - gaussian blur overkill? Yeah, I know, but the light was just so.... you know, just *SO...
May 17, 2005 11:38 PM | The Long Walk Home | Comments (3)
Post Title: TokyoLand
Excerpt: Tokyo based Scottish photographer Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert is having a joint exhibition with Yasuhiro Ogawa in Shinjuku from tomorrow. (For details & a map follow the extended entry link below, in Japanese and English) I met Jeremy at the Philip Jones Griffiths night last July, and met with him for a long coffee and brain-picking conversation a little while after that. He's a nice guy and a great photographer. His street shots of Tokyo are great, as are his Niigata Earthquake shots, his Whaling portfolio (on behalf of Greenpeace and from a Greenpeace vessel) and his Gypsy portfolio shots. If...
May 9, 2005 11:56 PM | TokyoLand | Comments (5)
Post Title: New Gallery!
Excerpt:
May 7, 2005 4:25 PM | New Gallery! | Comments (7)
Post Title: Spring in Kyoto
Excerpt: Ah, Spring in Kyoto. Fabulous. I got all zen at Roanji, the worlds oldest and greatest stone Zen garden.... Soaked up the Hanami evenings in the ancient Geisha district of Gion... Played paparazzi with Geisha's dashing to their appointments... Went for lots and lots of long walks in lovely, strange, mysterious places (and so slept extremely well every night)... Had a cuppa with a coupla geishas... Thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Miyagawacho Kaburenjo Spring Geisha Revue... Soaked up the exotic history and achingly beautiful architecture and gardens of Kyoto and Nara.... Drank lots of free beer.... Soaked in the public...
April 4, 2005 5:00 PM | Spring in Kyoto | Comments (4)
Post Title: A Sunday Stroll around Inokashira Koen
Excerpt:
March 28, 2005 12:34 AM | A Sunday Stroll around Inokashira Koen | Comments (2)
Post Title: Shinjuku Street Butoh
Excerpt:
March 21, 2005 1:17 AM | Shinjuku Street Butoh | Comments (2)
Post Title: Yo
Excerpt: I'm back. Thank God. Must say, I'm liking this fibre-optic connection... 100Mbps. It snowed here last week - I took these pics on the walk to school. Yes, I did say the walk to school. Only 25 mins door to door, part of it beside a lovely river. Yes, 2005 is gonna be a lovely year. New apartment, new job, a social life and hopefully some new cameras soon. I am sincerely unhappy with my G3 these days - the shutter lag is driving me crazy, as is the lack of clarity. Expect an avalanche of posts over the...
March 11, 2005 12:50 AM | Yo | Comments (6)
Post Title: Queensland summer holiday gallery
Excerpt: I just finished (well....almost finished) one of the Vacation galleries. Please go and visit Queensland for a while....
February 13, 2005 2:37 AM | Queensland summer holiday gallery | Comments (3)
Post Title: A little busy....
Excerpt: whoosh... what was that noise? Oh, right. That was January moving at breakneck speed outside my periphery. You may have guessed... I'm a little busy right now. But I always have my camera with me. Took this one today before I fell asleep on the Inokashira commuting between jobs. I'm sick. Damned head cold. Here's a little something I wish I had more time to languish in. Squashed philosophers....
February 7, 2005 11:27 PM | A little busy.... | Comments (2)
Post Title: A new gallery & stuff
Excerpt: So I can just empty a whole heap of folders from my hard drive to get started on the vacation photos, I've decided to get together a (slightly overdue) Random Tokyo Autumn Gallery....
January 19, 2005 2:07 PM | A new gallery & stuff | Comments (3)
Post Title: All tuckered out
Excerpt: Despite the fact I feel like a truck ran over me and my nose turned into a tap somewhere in the past 32 hours, I feel mightily proud of myself.
December 10, 2004 11:11 PM | All tuckered out | Comments (3)
Post Title: More from Meiji Jingu
Excerpt: So when can I get out of this silly dress Mum? Can you stop all these stupid people taking photos of me? Can I go play now? More photos added to the Meiji Jingu gallery...\ And, no, the comments still don't work. Sorry! I'm workin' on it....
December 5, 2004 12:16 AM | More from Meiji Jingu | Comments (1)
Post Title: Autumn in Yoyogi Koen, Harajuku
Excerpt: The joys of having a birthday in Autumn. Getting to frolic in the falling leaves. Read more about the history of Yoyogi here. (Thanks for the tip Don)...
December 4, 2004 12:55 AM | Autumn in Yoyogi Koen, Harajuku | Comments (0)
Post Title: Boy with Fish
Excerpt: These are the weirdest looking fish I have ever seen. Obviously for eating since they were on ice outside a sushi restaurant, but on this day I don't think I was the only one completely fascinated by the sight of their long noses and bodies. This was in Shinjuku, just near Yodabashi....
November 21, 2004 4:33 PM | Boy with Fish | Comments (1)
Post Title: More lomo's
Excerpt: Sunday is my only day off and today has been wonderfully cathartic. The room is spotless, dustfree - as is the house, my computer has been unloaded of millions of crappy extra clutter, all photos to date are fully backed up, many galleries culled to make room for new galleries, and one new gallery uploaded: My Lomo Coloursplash's are up in full. This is really the first time I've scanned any of my film/transparencies and at first I was really excited by them. But after a bit of a break I'm not so sure. Some of them are OK,...
November 21, 2004 4:08 PM | More lomo's | Comments (5)
Post Title: My lomo's finally go digital
Excerpt: Well it only took a year but I finally have digital versions of some of my Lomo-colorsplash photos - thanks to the very lovely Skorj who kindly scanned my transparencies for me. Thanks Skorj. I doubt there'll be any more posts now till next weekend. Friends in town, we are having way too much silliness and beer and sightseeing. We spent the day at Design Festa today, yet another awesome collection of inspirational photography, art, design, performance, multi-media and what-have-you....
November 14, 2004 11:24 PM | My lomo's finally go digital | Comments (3)
Post Title: Shichi-go-san
Excerpt: It's that time of the year again. 7-5-3 day, when all kids aged 7,5 or 3 get bundled up in their finery and traipse down to the shrine for a blessing. I went for brunch at Fujimamas in Harajuku with Rob, and we realised that Meiji Jingu would be a veritable visual feast today, with all the little ones and their Mum's dressed up in traditional gear. We both had our cameras (of course) and ended up spending an hour or two there. It was also a wedding day so there was just pandemonium everywhere - families, weddings, kids,...
November 7, 2004 8:49 PM | Shichi-go-san | Comments (9)
Post Title: Beautiful folk
Excerpt:
November 3, 2004 1:51 AM | Beautiful folk | Comments (3)
Post Title: Miyagi Galleries are up
Excerpt: Miyagi Autumn Onsen Adventure Matsushima...
November 3, 2004 1:37 AM | Miyagi Galleries are up | Comments (2)
Post Title: updated meiji gallery
Excerpt: I just added a bunch of new pics to the Meiji Jingu Gallery - here is where the new stuff starts....
November 2, 2004 11:53 PM | updated meiji gallery | Comments (1)
Post Title: This is the garden: colours come and go
Excerpt: Red leaves in Miyagi-ken....
November 2, 2004 12:55 AM | This is the garden: colours come and go | Comments (5)
Post Title: Life in the Slow Lane. Miyagi-ken. Part 1.
Excerpt: Gallery coming, in the meantime, read on......
October 24, 2004 2:49 PM | Life in the Slow Lane. Miyagi-ken. Part 1. | Comments (3)
Post Title: Blessed sun at Meiji Jingu
Excerpt: The sun shone down in all its glory today. I had a free afternoon and I couldn't bear the thought of being indoors, so after my hair appointment, I headed to Meiji Jingu for a stroll in the forest, I was in luck. Not only was there a flower exhibition (of the most unusual flowers around), but it was also a special wedding day - I was there for around an hour and saw 4 weddings. Fab. So very excited at my impending weekend away in Miyagi-Ken. The weather is just beautiful AND I get to ride on a...
October 23, 2004 1:23 AM | Blessed sun at Meiji Jingu | Comments (2)
Post Title: dusk colours
Excerpt: I took this on Friday in Shibuya, on my way to my night job. It was a gorgeous day, too nice to be indoors. The kids all wanted to do their classes outside in the sun, but... well, 45 kids crammed onto a narrow balcony just ain't gonna work. The weather is really starting to turn cold, and except for Friday and today (Sunday), has been dreary and grey for weeks. And I just heard there is another typhoon approaching Japan - just in time for my rescheduled trip to Miyagi-ken next week-end. Oh well. At least I've stopped...
October 17, 2004 11:10 PM | dusk colours | Comments (2)
Post Title: ChoCho-san was her name
Excerpt:
October 14, 2004 5:09 PM | ChoCho-san was her name | Comments (3)
Post Title: Shibuya street vendor on a Friday night
Excerpt:
October 8, 2004 12:27 AM | Shibuya street vendor on a Friday night | Comments (2)
Post Title: saruhashi lane
Excerpt:
October 8, 2004 12:21 AM | saruhashi lane | Comments (2)
Post Title: Leica-sponsored Himalayan Tour
Excerpt: Imagine being given incredible Leica M series equipment to play with in some of the most scenic locations on earth! Well, you can make it happen, as I'm about to tell you, and goddamn I hope I can go (start saving TODAY): My friends are putting together a photographic tour of the Himalayas using experienced photographic guides (well, actually, themselves), and using Leica's on loan from the company....
October 3, 2004 8:33 PM | Leica-sponsored Himalayan Tour | Comments (3)
Post Title: Takao Gallery
Excerpt: The new Takao Gallery is up. I loved Takao. A very pretty place. The autumn colours will be spectacular out there. And I am still dreaming of my delicious lunch: a Tempura Yasai Soba dish. Yum....
September 28, 2004 2:57 AM | Takao Gallery | Comments (2)
Post Title: Random Tokyo - Summer Gallery
Excerpt: When I was at Takao-san on Sunday I noticed with horror that koyo has begun - albeit only very slightly. Yes folks, koyo. The changing of the leaves. So it is a fitting thing that I throw a little celebration of the Tokyo summer of 2004 with a bunch of random images with very little rhyme, rhythm, order or purpose. They're just there because I like them. And I'm in too much of a hurry to worry too much about organising them into segments with interesting links and other what-have-you's. So, without further ado: a new gallery: "Random Tokyo:...
September 22, 2004 2:07 AM | Random Tokyo - Summer Gallery | Comments (3)
Post Title: Gocoo Taiko
Excerpt: Gocoo are an astonishing contemporary Taiko band. I saw them play at the Coo festival out at Higashi Yamato Humming Hall a weeks or so ago. Quite mind blowing, hope these photos do them some justice....
September 14, 2004 3:20 AM | Gocoo Taiko | Comments (8)
Post Title: Go Go Go
Excerpt: Alright, the Google ads are up. So, go on, ya'll! Get clicking! Every time you click on an ad, it sends some cash to help pay for the increasingly growing bandwidth expenses. They do have a clause about fraudulent clicking though, so please don't overdo it too much (Bro, this means you! \^_^/ )... Tokyo residents may not know that there are actually 2 onsens in town. OK, so they are not "real", but they do use onsen minerals and aim to achieve maximum relaxation for customers. After my soak at the Rendaiji Onsen last weekend, I really felt...
September 7, 2004 11:01 PM | Go Go Go | Comments (8)
Post Title: moons utmost magic
Excerpt:
September 7, 2004 2:31 AM | moons utmost magic | Comments (4)
Post Title: Feelin Zen
Excerpt: These are some of the photos from the incredible Butoh performances I watched at the 2004 Tokyo Spring Design Festa. There are more of them, I will make a proper gallery with them when I get a chance. First up, I must give a big shout out to my wonderful hosts at Earthfirst for giving me a few extra gigs of bandwidth space this month (free) as, for the first time ever, frangipani has exceeded its bandwidth limit. August has seen the busiest month ever for this site, which is weird cause I feel like I have been totally...
August 27, 2004 1:37 AM | Feelin Zen | Comments (8)
Post Title: The Numbers Game
Excerpt: | updated | Earlier today I found, in my inbox, a link to an amazing photo of the Earth at night. It's a beautiful photo. And it really got me thinking about Japan and the density. If you look at the photo below, you'll see Japan lit up like a christmas tree. Insane. I decided to look up a few facts and figures (I guess partly inspired by Buggery.org's hilarious reworking of the Olympic medal tally according to GDP and population) and get the big picture as accurately as possible. Who woulda guessed the CIA would be helpful for...
August 24, 2004 4:31 PM | The Numbers Game | Comments (3)
Post Title: Park Hanabi
Excerpt:
August 22, 2004 2:27 AM | Park Hanabi | Comments (8)
Post Title: Late night music-videos in a Shimokitazawa bar
Excerpt: The sultry BB and Serge Gainsberg sang all night long in the open air rooftop lounge. Lovers flirting. A fresh breeze in the air. The times, they are a-changing. Using capitals again? Thailand? Vietnam? China? Cambodia? India? Where to next? "I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." Caskie Stinnett. A perfect quote for the moment. Only 5 more sleeps till Shikenikima camping paradise. I heard a typhoon rumour but I'm going to ignore it in the hope it'll just go away. That always works....
August 22, 2004 12:01 AM | Late night music-videos in a Shimokitazawa bar | Comments (2)
Post Title: Peter Turnley
Excerpt: I love Peter Turnleys photos. I'm also loving the rain that is falling on the roof right now. And listen! Is that thunder rumbling in the distance? I do love a good storm. Japans' storms are these pissy little things that kinda fart a little thunder and maybe some lightning for a few minutes and then disappear....
August 18, 2004 2:27 AM | Peter Turnley | Comments (0)
Post Title: home sweet home
Excerpt:
August 18, 2004 2:00 AM | home sweet home | Comments (5)
Post Title: japanese calligraphy
Excerpt: i visited the tokyo metropolitan museum of art with seth a few weeks back, to view the entries in the national calligraphy competition. it was a spectacular sight - i have always loved calligraphy, and there were some stunning samples on display. more photos here....
August 12, 2004 1:28 AM | japanese calligraphy | Comments (2)
Post Title: in sangenjaya one night
Excerpt: ___________________________________________________ happy birthday bro! today is my brother, davids' 34th birthday. must.not.forget.to.call.home. ___________________________________________________ i went to a party at a bangladeshi restaurant in sangenjaya with my student/hairdresser misaki a few weeks ago. this genki fella was a minor bollywood star before he hit japan. he knew some seriously sexy moves and had us all up participating in a riotous little dance step and dissolving into hysterics. i took the bottom picture while i was waiting for misaki at the sangenjaya police box (koban). there are so many cool little alleys like this one all over the country. great fun...
August 12, 2004 12:11 AM | in sangenjaya one night | Comments (0)
Post Title: who said ganguro is dead?
Excerpt:
August 9, 2004 1:15 AM | who said ganguro is dead? | Comments (2)
Post Title: R.I.P henri cartier-bresson
Excerpt: the very wonderful grandfather of photojournalism, mr henri cartier-bresson - founder of magnum photos passed away at the age of 96. the new york times has a great article about him. for years one of my fave bedroom posters was the gorgeous cartier-bresson shot of the proud little boy carrying along a 2 huge bottles of wine. claims that he is the greatest photographer ever are, as far as i am concerned, totally legitimate and well-deserved. among the most famous of his dozen books is The Decisive Moment, published in 1952, which cartier-bresson prefaced with a quote from 17th...
August 5, 2004 1:29 PM | R.I.P henri cartier-bresson | Comments (3)
Post Title: flying past the sun
Excerpt:
August 4, 2004 12:48 AM | flying past the sun | Comments (6)
Post Title: all japan skate association comp
Excerpt: umi-kaze skate park, yokosuka....
August 4, 2004 12:31 AM | all japan skate association comp | Comments (4)
Post Title: yokosuka hanabi
Excerpt:
August 1, 2004 11:06 PM | yokosuka hanabi | Comments (3)
Post Title: tokyo design festa fashion
Excerpt: i prefer to think of fashion as a verb - jean muir fashion is a kind of vitamin for style - yves saint laurent punk was just a way to sell trousers - malcom mclaren photos from tokyo design festa, a few months back, promise not to go overboard with the cross-processed photoshop thing. but damn i love it. please click on the images for larger peeks... while we're doin' a bit of punk, i thought i may as well mention now that my flatmate, mr tim "i'm with the band" scott, is going to be doing weekly phone...
July 26, 2004 12:41 AM | tokyo design festa fashion | Comments (2)
Post Title: yasukuni mitama matsuri (with beer goggles)
Excerpt: here is a great link to a list of all the summer festivals in tokyo...
July 23, 2004 2:44 PM | yasukuni mitama matsuri (with beer goggles) | Comments (3)
Post Title: restoration. rehydration.
Excerpt:
July 19, 2004 12:06 AM | restoration. rehydration. | Comments (6)
Post Title: blank canvas
Excerpt: my mind is a big hunk of irrevocable nothing which touch and taste and smell and hearing and sight keep hitting and chipping with sharp fatal tools in an agony of sensual chisels i perform squirms of chrome and ex -ecute strides of cobalt nevertheless i feel that i cleverly am being altered that i slightly am becoming something a little different, in fact myself Hereupon helpless i utter lilac shrieks and scarlet bellowings. from the master: e. e. cummings. my favourite poet....
July 13, 2004 2:31 AM | blank canvas | Comments (0)
Post Title: electioneering in tokyo
Excerpt: this weekend saw the upper house elections here in japan. koizumi lost some seats and many see these results as the beginning of the end of the most distinguished looking PM japan has ever had.... all around the major centres we saw electioneering crowds and vans, bellowing out over loudhailers across busy intersections and railway entrances. even heavy rain on saturday couldn't dampen their fervour.......
July 13, 2004 1:33 AM | electioneering in tokyo | Comments (0)
Post Title: philip jones griffiths
Excerpt: as a young 'un, i saw a movie (double exposure) based on the life of margaret bourke white, an amazing photojournalist in the days when it was very much a new medium. the movie sucked bad but i was struck by the fact that it was based on a true story. margaret popped up again on the screens, as the photographer recording - unknowingly - mahatma ghandis last days in the movie ghandi. i was sold. she was amazing. brave, adventurous, trailblazing in every sense of the word. her photos were full of humanity and tenderness. i knew that...
July 6, 2004 3:24 AM | philip jones griffiths | Comments (6)
Post Title: the latest 26 things project
Excerpt: i really enjoyed participating in last years (first) 26 things photographic scavenger hunt project. here's my entry. the very talented tracey has announced the list for the new 26 things project. they are: Lines Mechanical Stretch Through Bottom Organised Different Far Away Green Mug Dummy At Night Liquid Artificial Out of Reach Switch Relief Blades Missing Underground Historic Button Popular Grand Exotic Delicious should make for an interesting project. i hope i can find the time!...
July 2, 2004 12:43 PM | the latest 26 things project | Comments (0)
Post Title: open spaces
Excerpt: when i was six years old, i had an ant farm. after a few months, i opened the top. left it outside, the next day, the farm was empty. all the ants were gone. but they left behind these tunnels........ all these empty spaces they'd been living in, working in for months. i remember staring at this empty ant farm. noticing one last ant, still inside, still moving little grains of sand. i watched him for awhile, until he began making his way through the maze of tunnels and finally climbing out the top. anyway, once he was outside...
June 27, 2004 2:59 PM | open spaces | Comments (0)
Post Title: beach
Excerpt: enoshima beach a few weeks ago. the environmental neglect of japans coastline is depressing. dark sand. rubbish everywhere. aggressively scavanging birds. as i sat at this beach, a big sea eagle swooped down between a couple beside me and grabbed their lunch. actually quite an impressive sight. it prompted some crows to do more of the same until the couple gave up and scrambled back up to the road....
June 27, 2004 1:24 PM | beach | Comments (4)
Post Title: black and white
Excerpt: now my first love will always be saturated vivid colour but some days i love the subtlety of a simple grainy black and white image. ah, i'm having a great time tinkering around today. but now i must close my notebook, get dressed and walk down to shimokitazawa to check out dave and jeff's show. it won't be a late night, i have another 7.15 start tomorrow and won't walk in the door again until 10.15 pm (don't worry, it's only twice this week). ah the joys of life in the most expensive city in the world....
June 20, 2004 9:47 PM | black and white | Comments (2)
Post Title: more from hase dera
Excerpt: the complete hase dera gallery is now up. this is one of the loveliest temples I have checked out here in japan. located in kamakura, just around the corner from the mighty daibatsu, it has a special significance as a place of mourning for deceased babies, and the grounds are full of jizo statues, placed there by mourning parents. they buy the special jizo at the temple, have a special inscription placed on it and then the temple staff place it somewhere on the grounds. they say they will never run out of room, they will keep finding more...
June 20, 2004 3:07 PM | more from hase dera | Comments (5)
Post Title: manholes and flowers
Excerpt: gallery news: i'm always uploading new photos to the manholes and flower galleries. last night i culled a heap of photos and galleries and freed up a lot of space to make way for some new galleries. i'm going to spend the rest of this hot and humid sunday hangin' out at home working on thenew galleries, at long last....
June 20, 2004 2:55 PM | manholes and flowers | Comments (2)
Post Title: a bit of much needed r'n'r on sarushima (monkey island)
Excerpt:
June 20, 2004 2:26 PM | a bit of much needed r'n'r on sarushima (monkey island) | Comments (2)
Post Title: a lotus flower
Excerpt: just something pretty for you to look at for a while........
June 13, 2004 11:13 PM | a lotus flower | Comments (3)
Post Title: it's all just a blur really
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June 13, 2004 12:48 AM | it's all just a blur really | Comments (8)
Post Title: more from meiji jingu
Excerpt: i took my visitors to meiji jingu and we checked out the iris gardens and meiji shrine. gorgeous, as always. must confess i'm not a great fan of the iris, it lacks a certain vividness and energy. but the sight of a seeming river of flowing irises most certainly soothes the soul. the area was full of artists perched on little stools or stretched out on mats, their paints splayed out in front of them. a great many photographers too. all making the most of the fleeting joys of the changing seasons....
June 6, 2004 5:57 PM | more from meiji jingu | Comments (1)
Post Title: hase dera, kamakura
Excerpt: will not rush it, will enjoy it will not touch it, will rejoice it the early bird he knows his place and he'll stay all day there if he has to he never hides or runs away when the voices crowd on his cry so loud that you will die will not rush it, will enjoy it will not touch it, will rejoice it where did this come from how long has this been going on where is it from i feel my wheels are turning i see the sky falling on every face telling us now that we...
May 30, 2004 12:57 AM | hase dera, kamakura | Comments (5)
Post Title: gallery update
Excerpt: been busy all day uploading 2 new galleries. one of the happy side effects from my lack of regular online activity of late is that it seems to have sent a lot of people to the gallery - the traffic has been higher than normal there recently. the first one is a from a cruise i took on the sumida river, through tokyo. the sumida is lined by many hundreds of homeless shelters, canals, boatyards and all sorts of motorway and corporate development. the next is a really big gallery full of random photos from the past few months...
May 19, 2004 3:47 PM | gallery update | Comments (4)
Post Title: fan-freekin'-tabulous ueno
Excerpt: a new gallery is up: ueno. photos taken in april, while i was doing the mega tourist thing in my new city, with visiting aussie buddies justin and evette....
May 11, 2004 2:12 AM | fan-freekin'-tabulous ueno | Comments (3)
Post Title: ueno peony gardens
Excerpt: another new gallery: the ueno peony garden. this place was a totally unexpected delight. i don't think it's there all year 'round. just spring. i lucked out....
May 4, 2004 2:09 AM | ueno peony gardens | Comments (8)
Post Title: more butoh
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May 3, 2004 3:23 AM | more butoh | Comments (0)
Post Title: ueno tentacles
Excerpt: the busy lanes across the road from ueno station are full of old style seafood markets and packed crowds and stalls selling all manner of goods from t-shirts and sunglasses to chinese style cheongsams and traditional japanese style souvenirs. well worth a stroll on your way to the park....
April 29, 2004 11:25 AM | ueno tentacles | Comments (7)
Post Title: ephemeral efficacy
Excerpt: hello. it's been a while, sorry. much activity, busy times. all good. very good....
April 28, 2004 10:32 PM | ephemeral efficacy | Comments (6)
Post Title: ueno koen
Excerpt: it being spring, i am quite in love with all things flower. in fact, i am just quite in love. no-one and no-thing in particular. just the simple delights of warmth and colour and the natural liveliness of spring. having never really experienced such blindingly separate seasons before, it is all quite a heady experience....
April 20, 2004 1:21 AM | ueno koen | Comments (1)
Post Title: erm...
Excerpt: coming home from a takadanababa work meeting and aiming for the cute shot of the little school boys in their sexy little uniforms gazing into the traindrivers compartment...guess my timing was out... much to the amusement of the elderly woman watching the scene......
April 15, 2004 1:41 AM | erm... | Comments (4)
Post Title: you're divine!said he
Excerpt: the new flower gallery is up, please feel free to take a look....
April 14, 2004 1:51 AM | you're divine!said he | Comments (6)
Post Title: zeniarai-benten
Excerpt: boys washing their money at the zeniarai-benten shrine in kamakura on tuesday....
April 9, 2004 4:06 AM | zeniarai-benten | Comments (0)
Post Title: the music forest
Excerpt: ok, working through the backlog of photos and have just put up a new gallery from the kawaguchiko music box museum, also known as the music forest. it's a kind of weird little slice of old world europe. surreal and fascinating. i put off visiting it until my last week in yamanashi-ken but i'm glad that i finally did get around to seeing it....
April 4, 2004 5:34 PM | the music forest | Comments (4)
Post Title: inokashira-koen night hanami
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April 3, 2004 9:36 PM | inokashira-koen night hanami | Comments (6)
Post Title: the darling buds of spring
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March 31, 2004 1:39 AM | the darling buds of spring | Comments (3)
Post Title: sakura and skyscrapers
Excerpt: yoyogi park yesterday. please click on the images for the bigger picture. or go to the gallery...
March 30, 2004 11:21 PM | sakura and skyscrapers | Comments (0)
Post Title: meiji jingu
Excerpt: after yesterdays job interview i spent the morning wandering around meiji jingu and yoyogi park, soaking up the sunshine and spring energy. the parklands around meiji jingu are kinda like new yorks central park, i guess, only maybe not so big. lotsa waterways and walking paths and forested areas - all smack bang in the middle of tokyo. a morning or afternoon spent there, wandering off the beaten track, and it is easy to forget that you're in a crazy megalopolis....
March 30, 2004 10:35 PM | meiji jingu | Comments (2)
Post Title: transmission resumed
Excerpt: inokashira park in the perfect spring weather hanami weekend frenzy........
March 29, 2004 10:49 PM | transmission resumed | Comments (11)
Post Title: japan times photo comp
Excerpt: many congrats to the winners of the recent japan times photo comp. i was chuffed to have 2 of my photos in the final 50 selection for the kanto region. the kanto and outside kanto winners are actually both photos i voted for, gorgeous visions. The Japan Times received 4,175 photos from 705 people of 69 nationalities through the mail and online between Jan. 16 and Feb. 29 -- 1,784 for the Kanto region category and 2,216 for outside the region read more about it here and here....
March 26, 2004 11:14 AM | japan times photo comp | Comments (0)
Post Title: rain and snow and kewpie dolls
Excerpt: a shop front in kawaguchiko kawaguchiko today tourist umbrellas drying at the kawaguchiko music box museum lots of rain. lots of snow. lots of cold. 3 sleeps till tokyo. and it's official, the cherry blossoms are here. 4 sleeps till hanami (aka alcoholic frolicking in a cherry blossom park with friends under the guise of "cherry blossom viewing", alongside 26 million other people with the same idea) . woooohoooooooooo....
March 25, 2004 12:13 AM | rain and snow and kewpie dolls | Comments (5)
Post Title: hana no miyako park
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March 18, 2004 12:41 AM | hana no miyako park | Comments (9)
Post Title: more from oshino
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March 13, 2004 12:09 AM | more from oshino | Comments (0)
Post Title: oshino hakkai
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March 10, 2004 11:14 PM | oshino hakkai | Comments (0)
Post Title: greens and blues
Excerpt: oshino hakkai is primarily about the water. pure, clean, cold. very very very cold....
March 10, 2004 10:52 PM | greens and blues | Comments (4)
Post Title: the japan times photo competition
Excerpt: yay! on a very last minute whim (thanks for the nudge, kinki) i decided to enter a few photos into the japan times photo competition. the first round results are out today and 2 of my photos have been included. they have to be voted for so please go to the online site and vote for my KANTO photos, numbered 22 & 48. and check out all the other gorgeous photos while you're there!...
March 5, 2004 11:10 AM | the japan times photo competition | Comments (9)
Post Title: stairs
Excerpt: up on a little hill above kawaguchiko's bridge is a small shrine with a fabulous view of fuji-san and the lake. access is via an amazingly wobbly set of old stone stairs. not to be attempted on a very windy day. really. life-endangering. adrenalin pumping. great fun. need to escape japan for a while? check out razzi's photos from the carnival of venice. sublime. while you're there, check out the rest of his photos. they're all amazing....
March 4, 2004 1:17 AM | stairs | Comments (4)
Post Title: a window seat
Excerpt: the view from one of the classrooms in which i teach. ah, sunset. the view from the train window on the way to otsuki. lots of waiting rice fields. lots of mountains. i love windows. i grab any chance to gaze out a window. be it in a train, a plane, a bus, a car, a school room, a hotel room, a cafe.... i'll fight for a window seat. the best windows are the ones on moving things. but occasionally the view of the mountains out of some of our classrooms at sunset is enough to make me completely...
March 4, 2004 12:36 AM | a window seat | Comments (0)
Post Title: lazy laid back weekends
Excerpt: an archer practising at fujiyoshida's sengen jinja yesterday......
February 29, 2004 7:06 PM | lazy laid back weekends | Comments (6)
Post Title: sankodai ni koyodai
Excerpt: yesterday morning i did some off-roading & muddy mountain climbing with Misae & Yuka to get to a mountain top viewing platform on mt koyodai. the view? mt fuji, and 3 of the fuji five lakes. there is a further walk to another platform called gokodae - meaning a view of 5 lakes, but i had to get to damn work by 1 pm, so maybe another day.... shame yesterday was such a hazy day. today the skies are blue and clear.... ah well. this panorama was actually not taken from the top of the mountain, but from the...