Photographs from a small group of islands
There are several drawbacks to summer in Tokyo. There’s the heat and awful humidity. Not to mention the millions of mosquitos. But, there are at least a few pluses — first and foremost of which are festivals. Boisterous, full-blooded affairs, that as well as being a lot of fun, also allow people to fully express their emotions.
Away from the neon lights and busy crossings that have seemingly come to define central Tokyo, there’s another, very different side to the city. One that is quieter, older and an awful lot slower.
No Toy Story-like happy ending for this forlorn looking fella. Instead, he’s just been unceremoniously stuffed into a bin bag and declared burnable.
For me, street photography is all about shooting people as they really are, not how they are in front of a camera. So, in a bid to achieve this, I try to be as discreet as possible — an approach that sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t.
This man, on the other hand, seems intent on not only cutting out the chances of being caught, but also of actually being out on the street itself.
After an admittedly long wait, this priest’s prayers have been answered, and the official end of rainy season was announced yesterday. But that said, he’d better hold on to his umbrella, or at least make another call, as more rain is forecast — both today and tomorrow.
