Golden years?
Gloriously faded and sometimes overgrown old Tokyo shopfronts
On my Instagram account, the majority of photos are of faded and dilapidated old shopfronts — images that are taken on my phone and shot exclusively in square format. Part of the reason for this is that creatively, a different aspect ratio forces me to adopt a slightly different approach, plus on a purely practical level, the wider lens on the phone means I can still get shots when the situation requires something other than my favoured 35mm.
When space allows, however, many buildings work better in standard landscape, and for me at least, the vast majority of photos work better still if there’s a person involved. So here then are some such scenes — all of which were shot in Tokyo, with a Leica, over the last couple of months.
Old and contemporary Tokyo together
Different generations and yet a surprisingly similar colour palette.
Incredibly short summer shorts on the streets of urban Tokyo
If the sporting of short shorts was an Olympic event, then this previously photographed young fella would surely take gold each and every time. The shape and shortness of his attire carefully straddles the border between risqué and potential arrest, plus if that somehow wasn’t enough, there’s the added flourish of a perfectly placed butterfly tattoo.
And yet that said, if medals were handed out for minimalist outfits as a whole, then the fabulously bold gentleman below would be a very worthy contender indeed. A man who embraces the urban summer sun and heat like no one I’ve ever seen before.
A sacrificial Japanese scarecrow?
Or simply the hell of Japanese summer?
