Two photos today. The first is a location in Shibuya with the most wonderful graffiti that I would have loved to have written myself. Love Tokyo! Oh ya.
I love Tokyo
The iPhone photograph is also from Tokyo – shot on a wild and wet Shibuya night. Man, does it rain a lot in Tokyo.
Things to do in Tokyo
Two photographs to post today. I have been posting fewer and fewer images to Flickr lately. Been busy getting my new website up and running and the good news is that within a short few days the site will be live. Really excited about it.
Photography is a funny business. There is so much to enjoy and so much that will frustrate the hell out of you. So much! But you know I am beginning to realise that what I like most is the creation of abstract images like this. It is just such fun. So many possibilities. I need to get back to creating more blurred images. I have been focussing too much on street photography lately. This series of images will fall into a category I am calling “The pip-pop life span of worries“.
![The pip-pop life span of worries [2]](https://photographicpunctuation.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/17536073310_31a1a18968_k.jpg?w=549&h=363)
The pip-pop life span of worries [2]
Trees need to cheer the fuck up
I wrote a while back about my experience at the Apple ‘Meet the iPhone Photographer‘ event in London. You can read about it here.
I got notification on Monday that the podcast went live. You can watch the full interview here or if you prefer you can listen to it. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id993249071
Choosing one image from Korea here today, but it is an image from last year. I cannot go too long with posting ordinary photographs. Every now and then I need to shake things up and put some punk rock in my photography. So here is a creation.
The pip-pop life span of worries
The iPhone image is from London. I enjoyed London so, so much. This was shot on the bridge to the right of Millennium bridge. Its name escapes me. The passerby didn’t.
Committed to the future
Two days ago, on the fifth day of the fifth month my little boy James turned five. He fills my days with joy. Here we are together looking into a puddle, in a shot inspired by fellow Apple World Gallery photographer, Cielo De La Paz.
Happy Birthday
This shot was taken last week with the Fuji X100T in London. Did not shoot a lot with this camera while in London. The iPhone was much more employed.
The music may have stopped, but the dance continues
Two more shots from the short trip to Tokyo again today. I was there for only four days and it rained so much. The first time I had been in Tokyo it also rained a lot. Being a real Irishman, I never feel the need to get an umbrella. Umbrellas and rain gear are really just for tourists when they come to Ireland. The rain in Ireland comes mainly in showers and having to carry an umbrella around is a pain in the ass, to be honest. But in Tokyo when it rains, it seems like it never ends. Back in 2012, when I met Michael Kistler one of the first things we did together was to enter a convenience store and to my surprise Michael bought me an umbrella – a transparent one. OK, I thought. Why not?
Now when I am in Tokyo I make sure to get a transparent umbrella. Why? Because it allows me to get these beautiful shots of Tokyo through the transparent umbrella. Here is one of those I got in 2012.
This one I am posting today was shot on the Fuji X100t on an early Friday evening in Shibuya. I like the girl making eye contact on the right of the frame.
Keeping Dry in Tokyo
The iPhone image was shot on a Saturday morning – when it was not raining – in Ginza, which to my surprise has the main street pedestrianised at weekends. I had been in Ginza a few times, but had never really liked it that much in comparison to other Toyko districts. But being able to wander around the street unencumbered by traffic was a great experience.
I am always drawn to lines (pun intended). I found these diverging lines and I knew how I wanted to compose the image. I wanted a couple to approach and part on either side of these lines. Now, this is much easier to imagine in the inside of my head than to actually occur, what with me lingering on the line waiting to snap the approaching passersby. I had to pretend I was talking on the phone. I saw this couple approach and like so much of photography – patience met luck and as they came to the line they parted and walked on either side of the line. Click! I got the shot.
This divide between us will be filled with love or loss
A quick post today. Need to find time to document all that has happened in the past week. Am truly honoured to have won the Mira Mobile Photography prize. Click through to see details.
Posting two shots today from Tokyo. One taken in Shibuya and one in Akihabara. This one taken in Shibuya was shot through a transparent 500 yen umbrella. The four days I was in Tokyo I constant rain for three of them. It does allow for beautiful colour reflections.
Shibuya, Tokyo
The iPhone shot comes from Akihabara – also known as Electric town as it is full of electronic shops which attract huge numbers of tourists. I saw this bus approach with a wonderful, circular window at the rear of the bus which framed this elegant lady reading a newspaper. I had to get a shot of it. I took my life into my own hands and hopped over the barrier and into the traffic. I had to get as close as possible to get a good shot. I think the poor woman was shocked to see this crazy foreigner approaching her. I got a few shots. In the end we shared a smile and a bow. The bus went on and I was stuck in between two lanes of traffic. All just to get that shot.
Tokyo
Things on my mind today:
1. Fuzziness – after a marathon journey 26-hour home from Tokyo, I am super jet-lagged.
2. I am behind in the work I need to do.
3. I have so many images to work through and so far it looks like I will be doing a lot of deleting.
4. That is normal.
5. First impressions in photography, should not be taken too seriously .
6. To be confirmed….
Here is an iPhone photograph of my photo on a billboard in Harajuku, Tokyo. It was a beautiful experience to see my image in different locations around Tokyo. Unbelievable to actually believe I have a photograph on display in Tokyo.
Harajuku, Japan
I got my Fuji X100t back from the repair shop. Well, actually a new one to replace the old one. I used it a lot in Tokyo and had fun. I should update my review some time soon. This one had me in a dilemma – black and white or colour. My jet-lagged head says colour. Might change to black and white upon readjustment.
Shibuya, Tokyo
News: I won the Mira Mobile Photography Prize. Super happy, as you can imagine. Thanks to all for the kind words and congratulations!