Monday, May 22, 2006

recent executive



This executive portrait Mr. Yamamoto, CEO of All Nippon Airways was taken with a simple one light set up in a manner of 5 minutes. I'm quite pleased with the picture because it captures the person he is, a very nice man. I could sense his appreciation when he thanked me after the shoot. I always go into a photo session hoping to make the best pictures for my subjects, so it's really nice when someone would occasionally take notice.

The photo is featured in this month's Forbes Japan Magazine.

Friday, May 19, 2006

driving the mrs. home


It only takes about 2 and a half hours on the bullet train from Tokyo, and another hour of driving to find out that there are still many beautiful places left in Japan.
Here, a rice farmer is chauffering his wife home after a long day on the rice paddy. It is unfortunate that most of the young people from these areas have moved out to pursue careers in the city leaving their old parents to toil in the fields all day.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

taue



"Taue" is the Japanese word for rice planting which takes place around May and June. Rice farmers transplant rice seedlings from the nursery onto rice paddies. Machinery is generally used in large rectangular shaped paddies such as this one. However, the corners and edges still need to be done by hand.

Friday, May 12, 2006

beyond the corner

One day while I was waiting for the train, I took this picture with my Casio Exilim. I like the use of negative space (black area), and how the lines fade into the black. It makes me think about what's around the corner where the light is.