Photographs from a small group of islands
In a city on such a scale, it’s not the least bit surprising that there’s an endless variety of Tokyo people and places to be seen. All of which are even better if there’s a potential photo to be found as well. So these then are just some such scenes encountered on recent Tokyo Photowalk Tours.
There are lots of photos on these pages documenting the changes Tokyo is going through, but only a single example from Osaka. It is though a very poignant one. The end of a truly wonderful old coffee shop.
Sadly that doesn’t mean old Osaka isn’t gradually disappearing, because it is — I just don’t get to revisit the same places as regularly as I do in Tokyo. That said, this particular scene caught my eye on a recent-ish walk there. It was the lady I recognised first. Stood in exactly the same spot as when I last saw her. Only this time, the old stationary shop on the corner wasn’t there anymore. The space it once occupied already being readied for its modern replacement.
On this occasion, however, there was still continuity, with the presence of both the woman and her fruit, vegetable and pickle selling near neighbour. The first three photos being before, and the latter three now. A now that will hopefully persist well into the future.
It’s alway rewarding to take photos that tell stories, or at the very least hint at them — the constant hope of which propels me to pick up my camera and head out into the world. Now and again though, some scenes are simply appealing. Sometimes they even produce a smile. And so these then are a colour and transportation themed series of such sights. Several of them are older shots, whereas others are very recent finds taken on my Tokyo Photowalk Tours.
For something a bit different, this is a set of photos taken from The Vanishing World. A zine of mine produced by Bump Books.
For a lot of my work that gets published, I choose the photos, and quite often the sequencing of them too. At other times, simply a single or small number of images are requested.
The process for The Vanishing World, however, was completely different, as the photographs were chosen without my input, which made seeing the resultant selection and the order they were arranged in genuinely interesting. They represent a far more objective take than I could ever manage, as invariably I have all kinds of associations with the photos I take.
A collection then that I’m very happy with. Only one photo was swapped out in the end, and that was for a similar shot from the same location.
The zine itself is also well made, dimensionally quite small (210mm x 148mm), but at the same packed with 25 photographs. Printed in the UK, it is available from Bump Books, but I have a limited number of signed copies available that I’m offering at a reduced price in combination with an A4 print of the overgrown car shot below — or a different print if you get in touch before ordering. Available from my shop here should you be interested, with free worldwide shipping included.
Just over a week ago, my good friend Giovanni and I wrapped up our first workshop together. An eight-day adventure that took in Tokyo, Takayama, Toyama, and one last location that unfortunately didn’t begin with a T, Osaka.
The weather was pretty much ideal most of the time, with light where and when we wanted it, along with a fresh layer of snow covering the traditional villages. We also met a whole host of interesting and friendly people, plus most importantly of all, the fellow photographers who joined us were the loveliest group we could have hoped for. The key ingredient that made the whole trip an absolute joy.
These then are just some of the photos I took along the way. A mixture of markets, old streets and arcades, plus in a break from the images I usually show, some non-urban landscapes. All of which we’ll visit again next year, so if you are interested in participating, keep an eye out for the upcoming dates and info.
