Happy New Year 2016!

It is one of my favorite family traditions - Japanese Osechi Ryori on New Year's Day. Hope everyone has a perfect 2016!

 

 

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"Captured by Chance" - Inspired by the Work of Masahiko Kishino

 

Weekend at NYC Fish Market, by Reed A. George

Leica M8

 

As you may know, after many years of photography, I have yet to narrow my focus on a particular subject, style, or approach. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever grow up and narrow my definition. For now, the answer appears to be no. I love street, event, wildlife, even landscape photography. That's why I'm so impressed when someone else focuses and perfects just one thing.

 

That's the case with Masahiko Kishino. He shoots Leica M film cameras, PolyPan F black and white film, and that's it. He's an expert at photographing people, capturing a tiny bit of their personality without ever really getting to know anything about them. I feel that I kind of pulled that off in the image above, and would like to do more of it.

 

(Click Here) to read about Kishino's work on the Leica Camera Blog. Be sure to take a look at his images. The lead image, of a young lady in a coffee shop, is just astounding.

 

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Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, with Lumix DMC-LX100

Here's another shot showing the capability of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 for travel.

 

Kiyomizu-dera, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f5.6, 1/640 sec.

 

Now this is a situation where most cameras would do just fine - bright sunny day, outdoors, wonderful subject. But, the detail, sharpness, and color representation of the LX100 really come through here in my opinion. None of my (much) heavier, more complicated cameras would have done significantly better with this scene.

 

I'm quite pleased with the LX100 as a travel camera.

 

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Japanese Street Scene - Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

 

Intersection, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f8, 1/1000 sec.

 

I used my Lumix LX100 a lot on my trip to Japan. It is a great little street camera, and is quite capable of good results at high iso settings, though this image was shot at iso 200. I really enjoyed carrying the LX100, which is very compact and light, and exploring what I could do with it. I have not reached its limits yet.

 

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Baseball - Japanese Little League, Shot with Leica IIIG

Baseball is big sport in Japan, including Little League.

 

Little League Baseball, Japan, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIG, Elmarit 5cm f3.5 Collapsible Lens

Kodak TMax 400 Film

 

On one of my morning walks around Tokyo, I came across this team, running drills either before or after their games. I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the young players, and the attention their coach paid to them. All of the following shots were made with the Leica IIIG, this time with a Nikkor 50mm f2 LTM lens that I purchased at Map Camera in Tokyo. It's a beautiful little lens.

 

I very much appreciated capturing a little slice of the Hawks' fun together. Great fun with an old Leica rangefinder.

 

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Everyone, I Mean Everyone, in Japan Loves Cherry Blossom Season

Even the dogs...

Dogs Enjoying Sakura, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35mm f2 AF-D Lens

 

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More Men at Work - Nikon Df in Japan

Here's a guy working on the outside of a building in Ryogoku, Tokyo. Ryogoku is the home of Tokyo's sumo wrestling, and this business sells "chanko nabe," the hearty pork soup that is a mainstay of the sumo diet.

High Work #1, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 1100, f8, 1/500 sec.

 

After taking this shot from steet level, I went up to the platform at the Ryogoku train station to capture this view from a higher perspective.

 

High Work #2, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 1100, f8, 1/500 sec.

 

The Nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens functions very well as a normal lens when stopped down, though that's not normally how I'd use it. It's really purpose-built for extreme low light applications.

 

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Invited for Dinner - Japanese Style

If you're a fish, never accept an invitation to dinner in Japan...

Where Shall I Sit?, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 800, f2, 1/250 sec.

 

Fugu (Pufferfish), by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 800, f2, 1/500 sec.

 

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Today's Image From Japan - Lumix DMC-LX100

Matcha Tea, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 400, f1.7, 1/60 sec.

 

We wrapped up our last day in Kyoto with some very nice Japanese tea and sweets.

 

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Today's Photos From Japan - Grill Master

Food is always one of the highlights of visiting Japan. We ate lunch at an amazing restaurant in Tokyo called Wakanui, which features grilled meats. Here's the grill master at work:

 

Grill Master, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 3200, f1.4, 1/250 sec.

 

The grill master was very impressive to watch. He used a metal probe to check the internal temperature of the meats. An electronic thermometer? Certainly not. He would insert the probe deep into the meat, then press it against his lower lip to sense the temperature with his own neurons. I like that.

 

Grill Master No. 2, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

iso 3200, f1.4, 1/250 sec.

 

I have found myself wondering why I carry any camera other than my Lumix LX-100 when traveling. These photos are part of the answer. Shooting at f1.4 at 50mm focal length, and getting these kind of results at iso 3200 are the sole domain of the Nikon Df in my camera set. These are jpegs straight from the camera, just converted to black and white and cropped in Snapseed, on my iPad.

 

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Image of the Day From Japan

 

Kiyomizu-Dera, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100

iso 200, f8, 1/400 sec.

 

Yes, it is a little postcard-like, but I loved the view.

 

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Changes Coming in Leica's Financial Future?

Maybe We'll See More of This in the Future?

Image Source: http://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/2014/03/thumb-0112.jpg

 

My friend Bill sent me a very interesting article about a potential riff in the company management at Leica.

 

(Click Here) to read "Leica in Troubled Waters - Strategic Investor Blackstone Ups Pressure" on the Theme blog.

 

Now, I want to be clear here. I love Leica, and am not hoping for trouble in the company. Unlike many, I don't automatically hate industry leaders (think Microsoft), or even those who carve out and own a niche (think Leica). In fact, I can see good things coming for Leica. There's a hint at the bottom of the article on Theme about Panasonic becoming more official in its relationship to Leica (as in sending funds in some form, which will certainly increase Panasonic's influence, who knows to what degree). That could be good for Leica. My opinion of Panasonic's materials science and manufacturing capability couldn't be higher. And, that opinion comes from some real hands-on experience, as twenty one years ago today, I was living in Japan for a year and training at a Panasonic Factory Automation facility. Anyway, I digress.

 

I drove a Jaguar during the period that Jaguar was owned by Ford. I would say that my car was reliable, not something that most would have said about Jaguars built before that period.

 

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Contrasting Styles at the Japanese Ambassador's Residence

And one final shot from the new year event at the Japanese Ambassador's residence. I really like the feeling of this one.

Contrasting Styles, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 AF-D Lens

iso 220, f4, 1/250 sec.

 

I could write a good fiction story based on this image. I love the reflected man in a business suit, with a female character, likely his wife, directly behind him, while two women in traditional kimono walk the corridor from the teahouse. There's some mystery in this image.

 

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Reflecting - Japanese Ambassador's Residence

Here's a shot I made at the new year's event at the Japanese Ambassador's residence:

 

Reflecting, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 AF-D Lens

iso 100, f4, 1/250 sec.

 

I enjoyed the combination of the traditional Japanese style teahouse in the background and the pine-surrounded pond, and hot it contrasted with the man in business suit, and especially the suited man reflected in the glass at left of center.

 

I have another reflection image from the same scene - come back tomorrow!

 

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A Special New Year's Celebration With the Japanese Ambassador to the US

I was extremely honored to have received an invitation to attend a new year celebration at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Washington, DC a couple of weeks back. This was my first invitation to such an event, and I enjoyed it immensely.

 

Of course, I brought a camera along - the Nikon Df and 35-70 f2.8 AF-D lens.

 

The ambassador's residence is immense, impressive, beautiful. There is room for literally hundreds of guests, and even a full-size Japanese tearoom, situated on a small pond.

 

We lined up and got a chance to say hello and happy new year to the ambassador and his wife, along with other dignitaries.

 

Next was a set of very short speeches (the kind I like), followed by a Japanese sake toast (Kanpai!). Then, on to food and conversation:

Wrapping up with an amazing selection of Japanese sweets (actually, "semi-sweet" in comparison to Western desserts), this was a lovely event.

 

I have a good contact and friend at the Embassy to thank, Mr. Akira Tsugita. My wife and I really enjoyed this event, and hope to be invited again in the future.

 

In addition to these rather documentary shots, I did make two images that I feel are more expressive and interesting. You'll see those soon!

 

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Booked my Trip to Japan in April

My wife is Japanese. One of the major benefits of that is that I have a very good reason to visit Japan at least once per year. I think we're going to try to make it to Hiroshima this time, a place I've never been.

 

My plan is to take my new Nikon Df and a couple of lenses, including the 35-70 f2.8 AF-D, which I just purchased last weekend. It's my second unit of this lens; I was foolish enough to sell my first one. I'd forgotten just how good it is. I'm thinking I'll want a fast prime (like the 50mm f1.4 AF-D), and maybe a wide angle (24mm f2.8 AF-D?). I'll probably bring along the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 as well, which gives me f1.4 and 24mm equivalent.

 

I may also bring along a Nikon or Leica film body for fun.

 

(Click Here) to read a post on Rangefinder Forum about choosing the Nikon F over other cameras for fun travel.

 

In any case, I'm psyched and ready for spring!

 

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Haruki Murakami and Photography

Black Dog, by Reed A. George

I love to read Japanese fiction. Haruki Murakami is probably my all-time favorite author. As with many Japanese authors, Murakami's works leave us with stories that don't just end on the last page. They're rarely wrapped up with a bow and finished when the book ends.

 

This weekend, I read Murakami's latest novella, The Strange Library. True to form, it's got all of the oddness of Murakami's mind, nicely packaged in under 100 pages. I highly suggest giving it a try. There's an Amazon link to the book at the end of this post.

 

Looking into what others make of the meaning of this story, I happened across some interesting photography on Murakami's web page.

 

First, (Click Here) to see a gallery of images by Eizo Matsumura, sharing scenes of Murakami's Tokyo. These seem like they could have been made with a Holga, Diana, or other toy camera. Lots of interesting feel to them.

 

Next, (Click Here) to see a gallery of images that were contributed by readers of Murakami's Facebook page, specifically answering the question "What's the strangest thing in your library?" Obviously targeted to the new book mentioned above. It seems that Murakami's readers may be as interesting as the author himself.

 

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Nat Geo's Camera Wizard - Kenji Yamaguchi

 

 

Image Source: http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/04/the-magic-starts-here-kenjis-workshop-of-camera-wizardry/

 

Here's a rare look inside the genius behind some of the National Geographic images that make you think

 

"How in the world did they do that? How do you rig a camera to capture a bat flying over the water surface in complete darkness and achieve perfect focus?"

 

Sometimes it's purely a result of technique. Let's face it, those Nat Geo photographers know what they're doing. Other times, it's a matter of physically tweaking or even designing and building new equipment.

 

Kenji Yamaguchi was sent from Nikon Japan over 30 years ago to help Nat Geo customize and fabricate photographic tools to enable the amazing pictures the publication is famous for.

 

(Click Here) to read more about this camera wiz on Nat Geo's site, and watch the 3 minute video.

 

For a camera geek and photographer like me, this is right up my alley. Add in the fact that he's a Nikon guy, born and trained in Japan, and now I'm really interested. I'd love to meet Kenji and see his workshop in DC. Hmm. I wonder how I might pull that off?

 

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Light Painting in Japanese Shrine - Guest Author Allexandroff on DIY Photography Blog

Image Source: http://www.diyphotography.net/show-light-painting-photo-fushimi-inari-shrine-kyoto-japan/

 

A guest author, who goes by the name Allexandroff, has posted both the results and his process for shooting light painting shots at a famous Japanese shrine.

 

(Click Here) to read about it on diyphotography.net.

 

This makes me think about my next visit to Japan. I always enjoy visiting Japan, and have several favorite places that are a short walk from where I stay in Tokyo. However, I find that the familiarity makes it challenging to get exciting images there. Maybe next time I'll try some night shots, and maybe even some light painting. It could add a new dimension to how I think about photographing these places.

 

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Asian Archery - Japan and Korea

Japanese Kyudo Practitioner, by Reed A. George

Panasonic DMC-G1, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/50 sec.

 

Japanese archery, known as kyudo, has been practiced in Japan since prehistory. It first shows up in art a few hundred years B.C. No longer a part of military weaponry, kyudo in Japan is a contemplative art form, as well as a sport.

 

I found a related post on Walter Ulreich's blog, in his case writing about archery in Korea.

 

(Click Here) to see images of Korean archery, both today, and in some photojournalist's photos Walter found from 1961. Very cool.

 

Ulreich's blog reports the following:

 

"In the year 1894 bows were excluded from military use, but Emperor Gojong gave command to use archery for the cultivation of mind and body of the Korean people. As a result of that command, the Hwanghakjeoung pavilion was built in the Royal Palace and opened to the public. It is said, that Emperor Gojong personally enjoyed archery and often visited Hwanghakjeoung."

So, it seems that archery has made a similar transition from warfare into mental and physical concentration exercise in Korea, as it did in Japan.

 

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