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	<title>japan exposures &#187; Weblog</title>
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	<link>http://www.japanexposures.com</link>
	<description>a personal introduction to Japanese photography</description>
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		<title>Camera Shock</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/06/05/camera-shock/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/06/05/camera-shock/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:12:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera choice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera shock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creative block]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gear acquisition syndrome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nobuyoshi Araki quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=3273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I am trying to stay principled about my photography, I really do, but more often than not I feel overtaken by reality or some other realisation catching up. To counterbalance my previous insights about keeping things interesting here is another aspect well worth noting.
When we are younger and finances are tight, there is quite naturally [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/07/25/photography-without-camera/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Photography without camera'>Photography without camera</a> <small>It has lon</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/24/about-the-choice-of-lenses/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: About the choice of lenses'>About the choice of lenses</a> <small>Q: Do you </small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/03/04/canon-eos-cf-4-on-the-streets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Canon EOS CF 4 on the streets'>Canon EOS CF 4 on the streets</a> <small>Canon EOS </small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3281" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" title="Camera Shock" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/06/camera-shock.jpg" alt="Camera Shock" width="530" height="353" /></p>
<p>I am trying to stay principled about my photography, I really do, but more often than not I feel overtaken by reality or some other realisation catching up. To counterbalance my previous insights about <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/24/about-the-choice-of-lenses/" >keeping</a> <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/19/islanders-meet-at-ronee/" >things</a> <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/12/living-by-it/" >interesting</a> here is another aspect well worth noting.</p>
<p>When we are younger and finances are tight, there is quite naturally a limitation about changing things around in your photo world. A new camera, a bigger camera, multiple cameras, these things are a financial impossibility and we had to save for a long time to purchase that one single camera we wanted. That also made us think thoroughly whether it would be the right move and a lasting choice. Nowadays with slightly more money at disposal (subject to wife approval of course) and also rapidly declining prices of classic film cameras and used digital cameras, it is a lot easier and tempting to jump at a piece of new equipment on impulse.</p>
<p class="longquote">If you want to change your photographs, you need to change cameras. Changing cameras means that your photographs will change. A really good camera has something I suppose you might describe as its own distinctive aura.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">&#8211; <em>Nobuyoshi Araki</em></p>
<p>While it may give us new creative impetus as I have written in the past, I have recently also noticed a very negative effect which will make me a lot more cautious in the future: <em>Camera Shock</em>. When I get interested in a new piece of equipment, a new technique, a new subject matter perhaps it disrupts my previous work to a great degree.</p>
<p>Now, this is not always bad, but imagine you have been in a good creative groove for a while, followed by a slight natural slump when you could argue the real work is starting. At that point, when things get a little sticky, it is tempting to divert your attention to something new. It is the path of least resistance. The problem is that <em>New</em> will absorb your energies for a time to come as you will immerse yourself with the new and naturally interesting, with the consequence to loose track of what you have been working on previously, before it had a chance to become your best.</p>
<p>As photographers the search of the most suitable piece of equipment will never be separable from the medium of photography itself, but unless we are fully aware of the implications and carefully manage ourselves consciously it may do more harm than good and hold us back in our overall development.</p>
<p>Obviously all this is easier said than done, but perhaps our ability to maintain the required discipline is an indicator of how serious we really are about our photography, whether we see it as our mission to produce imagery to show to the world, or whether we are simply entertaining ourselves.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/07/25/photography-without-camera/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Photography without camera'>Photography without camera</a> <small>It has lon</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/24/about-the-choice-of-lenses/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: About the choice of lenses'>About the choice of lenses</a> <small>Q: Do you </small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/03/04/canon-eos-cf-4-on-the-streets/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Canon EOS CF 4 on the streets'>Canon EOS CF 4 on the streets</a> <small>Canon EOS </small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
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		<title>The C Feature</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/26/the-c-feature/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/26/the-c-feature/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 00:44:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera choice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photographer's relationship to camera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=3241</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you had asked me about the importance of my camera&#8217;s appearance ten years ago, I would have probably laughed at you. As we know, most photographers are technically-minded people; they have to be. The camera is our primary tool to work the technical medium of photography and generally speaking people need tools to work [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/06/05/camera-shock/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Camera Shock'>Camera Shock</a> <small>
I am tryi</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/12/living-by-it/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Living by it'>Living by it</a> <small>

In my Is</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/16/shane-lavalette-gets-phat/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shane Lavalette gets PHAT'>Shane Lavalette gets PHAT</a> <small>Although n</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_3248" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 510px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3248 " style="margin-bottom: 15px;" title="Carl Zeiss G Biogon 21/2.8 converted to Leica M mount by MS Optical on a Leitz Minolta CL" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/05/leitz-minolta-cl-biogon-21.jpg" alt="This camera probably has 'it'." width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">This camera probably has &#39;it&#39;.</p></div>
<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>f you had asked me about the importance of my camera&#8217;s appearance ten years ago, I would have probably laughed at you. As we know, most photographers are technically-minded people; they have to be. The camera is our primary tool to work the technical medium of photography and generally speaking people need tools to work well, and not look good.</p>
<p>In the past all I cared for were functionality and features. And more features. And if a camera with &#8216;better&#8217; functionality came along, well, it seemed time to think about upgrading. And that was even before the age of digital and its unprecedented accelerated pace of technological evolution.</p>
<p>Nowadays when looking at a camera I always look for the <em>C Feature</em> first: does it have a sufficient amount of on-board <em>charm</em> for me to bother trying to commence a productive relationship with it? Is it possible to add or enhance that feature, perhaps with a nice case or strap?</p>
<p>Just how did I get to the stage where this aspect was worthy any consideration by me? Perhaps I am getting older (inevitably a viable explanation for many odd preferences) and consequently less interested in the rational characteristics of such things. But more importantly over time I have finally realized that, like almost everything in life, photography is a mind game: if you kept your mind in the right frame as it were, the good photographic ones should follow not too far behind.</p>
<p>The first time I became conscious of this was when starting out with street photography several years ago and after a while switching to a Leica camera. I remember walking out of the shop thinking &#8220;What have I done? So much money spent on a camera without any features!&#8221; But soon after everything would suddenly be different. Me and this machine seemed to get on well, very well. Obviously, this is just a trick of the mind as the Leica does the same (in fact, probably a lot less!) than most 35mm cameras would do, and exactly the same what your Nikon, Canon etc. does for you. Nonetheless I felt different about taking photos with it and, in my view, produced better work than before. What usually happens next is that you try convincing others to make the same choice as you did. Attempting this would ignore the important distinction that this was only the right choice for yourself and only at that point in time. It is likely to be totally different for others (or for myself at an earlier or later stage) so we should not bother evangelizing, although I am as guilty as anyone.</p>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 385px"><img title="Digital camera prints in ten minutes - not from this camera, surely!" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3566909772_864013a614.jpg" alt="Digital camera prints in ten minutes - not from this camera, surely!" width="375" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Digital camera prints in ten minutes - not from this camera, surely!</p></div>
<p>Many readers of Japan Exposures are enjoying John Sypal&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="http://tokyocamerastyle.com/" class="external-link" >Tokyo Camera Style</a>, also accessible via <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/" >our front page</a> (or look to the right in the sidebar), where you can see several examples of cameras that Tokyo photographers have chosen to go out and take pictures with. It is a fascinating sight and probably unique in the world. Where else would you see such camera diversity &#8220;in the wild&#8221;? What catches your eye, however, are that very often these are cameras with <em>personality</em> &#8211; yes, there is such a thing. Because why, if not for <em>The C Feature</em>, would you chose something older or different from the current mainstream?  A cynic would say that that fine cameras have been demoted to mere fashion accessories, but I would disagree. The visual appeal of the many classic cameras is undeniable, just ask a camera collector, or even better, the advertising agency that created the above advertisement for camera store chain Kitamura, advertising digital printing, ironically.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2908" style="margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-2-230x172.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="230" height="172" /><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2907 alignright" style="margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-1-230x172.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="230" height="172" /></p>
<p>Suppose that charm is composed of appearance and behaviour. If it looks good and you enjoy dealing with it, you&#8217;re in business. Most mainstream cameras of the last ten years or so, never mind if digital or not, are a far cry from the true characters of the past. When your primary creative tool has the charm level of an unpaid electricity bill, perhaps you will be open to the discovery that there is something out there that is more enjoyable to operate than your streamlined automata. Perhaps it is not the love of film that keeps film alive, but the cameras that need it are still receiving attention and use. Contemporary camera designers and engineers have yet to create anything close to those charm bombs of the past. And many photographers are longing for it, how else would you explain the strong desire to use manual focus Leica M mount lenses on a digital body like the Lumix G1 or the attention paid to a potential digital Olympus Pen?</p>
<p class="longquote">&#8220;Having secured a light-tight camera and suitable lens, there is no more important quality than ease in mechanical working. The adjustments ought to be so simple that an operator may be able to bring it from his satchel and get it in order for making an exposure without a conscious thought. Each worker will have his own idea as to which style of camera comes nearest to perfection in this respect, and having made his choice he should study to become so intimate with it that it will become a second nature with his hands to prepare the camera while his mind and eyes are fully occupied with the subject before him.&#8221; </p>
<p><em>J. Craig Annan, as quoted by Stieglitz in </em>The Hand Camera &#8212; Its Present Importance<em>, The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1897.</em></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/06/05/camera-shock/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Camera Shock'>Camera Shock</a> <small>
I am tryi</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/12/living-by-it/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Living by it'>Living by it</a> <small>

In my Is</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/16/shane-lavalette-gets-phat/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shane Lavalette gets PHAT'>Shane Lavalette gets PHAT</a> <small>Although n</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Cosina lens and camera factory tour report</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/04/cosina-lens-and-camera-factory-tour-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/04/cosina-lens-and-camera-factory-tour-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 23:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[コシナ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cosina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[長野]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nagano]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[voigtländer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=3012</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Text by Dan States for Japan Exposures
After 10 years in the rangefinder business,  Cosina, manufacturer of Voigtl&#228;nder and Zeiss 35mm camera lenses quietly rolled out a factory tour program this March. The tour is open to Japanese speakers who can flex their schedules to match available tour dates. Officially the tour can be in [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/27/converted-contax-g-lens-for-leica-m-packages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Converted Contax G lens for Leica M Packages'>Converted Contax G lens for Leica M Packages</a> <small>
As you kn</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/12/introducing-rayqual-lens-adapters/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Introducing Rayqual lens adapters'>Introducing Rayqual lens adapters</a> <small>We are ple</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/25/lens-comparison/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lens Comparison'>Lens Comparison</a> <small>
I have do</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Text by Dan States for Japan Exposures</em></p>
<p>After 10 years in the rangefinder business,  <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosina"  class='external-link'>Cosina</a>, manufacturer of Voigtl&auml;nder and Zeiss 35mm camera lenses quietly rolled out a factory tour program this March. The tour is open to Japanese speakers who can flex their schedules to match available tour dates. Officially the tour can be in any of their manufacturing facilities, but in the interest of time we limited ours to the Nakano Lens and Camera manufacturing unit. The Nakano unit houses the assembly lines for all lenses and cameras. </p>
<p>I have taken the Leica tour several times over the years and found it very interesting, but pretty limited in what you can actually see happening, primarily because Leica does so much of their manufacturing of bodies and lens mounts in Portugal or through other companies. I frankly expected to see no more at Cosina, but as a sucker for anything free I was willing to make the drive to Nakano.</p>
<p>When we arrived as scheduled at 1pm our guide was in the lobby waiting for us. The first 15 minutes was spent showing us a video about the history of the company, their products and a recorded interview with Mr Kobayashi, the company owner. We were then ushered into the halls of the ground floor where a blind was raised and through a window we saw the final assembly of an OEM lens for a <em>major</em> manufacturer. (Assumptions that Cosina only does low end lenses for others were immediately shot to hell, as this was a well known and respected high speed AF portrait lens!) The blinds were drawn down and we moved on to a very large room where dozens of high precision milling machines were busy cutting and forming the inner lens barrels for what appeared to be the ZF/ZE line. </p>
<p>The Nakano plant creates all the metal parts for CV/Zeiss lenses including anodizing and final assembly and QC. The facility in total is in an older building, but is generally quite clean. There was a strong smell of lubricating oils in the air as computer controlled mills machined precision groves and cams into brass and aluminum mounts.</p>
<p>We passed a computer controlled grinder operated by a technician that was etching the wording into the front lens rings for the new Voigtl&auml;nder 20mm f3.5. You initially get the impression that there were not that many people to run a <em>lot</em> of equipment, however, as you pass through to the next room you are faced with an amazing collection of drill presses, unused jigs, lathes and 4-5 skilled craftsmen busily working brass blanks and parts runners pulling various machine parts from racks. The atmosphere is one of a very high precision workshop full of people who could create virtually anything out of a blank block of metal.</p>
<p>We were then ushered <em>right</em> past anodizing tanks full of bubbling black liquids that were loaded with inner assemblies that changed from brilliant silver to perfect black. We were so close that if I wanted to anodize any particular body part it would have been quite easy. Workmen shuttled trays of these parts in and out of the plating room constantly as we talked. We then moved to the camera body production area where magnesium inner bodies are precision drilled using a combination of robotic transport and multi tips jigs. </p>
<p>Finally we moved on to the component assembly room where, after donning masks for dust control, we saw Voigtl&auml;nder and Zeiss lenses being hand assembled and checked for tolerances on test bodies. The new medium format folding camera Fuji GF670 was also being assembled and tested in this room. It was a very quiet atmosphere with about 15-20 technicians in lab coats in deep concentration. The tour concluded with a question and answer session and some parting brochures and information.</p>
<p>To summarize I&#8217;ll say that while I have owned quite a few of the products made by Cosina, until now I&#8217;ve never really put much thought into to totality of what they are doing. Unlike Leica, they are still truly a soup-to-nuts camera and lens maker. They produce their own glass, mill their own mounts, design and build their own bodies and lenses and do so with great efficiency and enthusiasm. When I asked why they have been so limited in the past regarding factory tours or publicity they said point blank that the owner does not want to threaten their all important OEM business by stirring up too much attention. A far cry from other major brands who brag about their skills yet frankly outsource much of what they are selling.</p>
<hr />
<p><em>Unfortunately Dan was not able to provide any images as, ever so ironically, photography was prohibited on the tour of the facilities.</em></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/27/converted-contax-g-lens-for-leica-m-packages/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Converted Contax G lens for Leica M Packages'>Converted Contax G lens for Leica M Packages</a> <small>
As you kn</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/12/introducing-rayqual-lens-adapters/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Introducing Rayqual lens adapters'>Introducing Rayqual lens adapters</a> <small>We are ple</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/25/lens-comparison/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lens Comparison'>Lens Comparison</a> <small>
I have do</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Go to print with Canon ClipChip</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/15/go-to-print-with-canon-clipchip/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/15/go-to-print-with-canon-clipchip/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:20:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clipchip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital camera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[printing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
It is well known that since the proliferation of digital photography the amount of images being printed has decreased substantially. This should no longer surprise anyone, especially if you shoot a lot of film and get those stacks of prints back, when all you needed was a decent contact sheet (not an &#8220;index print&#8221;).
So here [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/10/23/print-making-and-image-making/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Print and image'>Print and image</a> <small>I am curre</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/09/16/digital-kissing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Digital Kissing'>Digital Kissing</a> <small>That</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/04/25/buying-selling-subscribing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Buying, Selling, Subscribing'>Buying, Selling, Subscribing</a> <small>I have jus</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/04/clipchip-1.jpg" alt="Canon ClipChip" title="Canon ClipChip" width="530" height="183" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2983" /></p>
<p>It is well known that since the proliferation of digital photography the amount of images being printed has decreased substantially. This should no longer surprise anyone, especially if you shoot a lot of film and get those stacks of prints back, when all you needed was a decent contact sheet (not an &#8220;index print&#8221;).</p>
<p>So here comes Canon with an interesting attempt to get people printing something: <a target="_blank" href="http://mb.clipchip.net/cc/pc/index.html"  class='external-link'>ClipChip</a>. The site is in Japanese, but on the front page runs a flash movie which should give you an idea how it works.</p>
<p>Canon has been maintaining an interactive website called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imagegateway.net"  class='external-link'>Image Gateway</a> for quite a while. I remember registering for it when buying my PowerShot G2 way back in 2001. You can upload your images and produce the usual array of prints, calendars, books and of course the obligatory Japanese greeting cards for all occasions like summer and new year. Once ordered results will arrive in the mail a few days later.  </p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/04/clipchip-2.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Canon ClipChip" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/04/clipchip-2-146x230.jpg" alt="Canon ClipChip" title="Canon ClipChip" width="146" height="230" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2984" /></a>ClipChip has its own <a target="_blank" href="http://mb.clipchip.net/cc/pc/index.html"  class='external-link'>dedicated website</a>. The output is a deck of business card sized prints that can be inserted into a small plastic holder (the supplied clip) holding around two dozens of cards. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.reso.co.jp/pdfs/ClipChipchirashi3Koul.pdf"  class='external-link'>Here is a PDF</a> which explains it, again in Japanese but with lots of photos and diagrams. It is delivered in two flat sheets with the cards pre-cut for easy removal. The cost is ¥430 for a set plus postage (within Japan only, obviously). Print quality is good printed on Canon&#8217;s own <a target="_blank" href="http://cweb.canon.jp/production-mfp/lineup/imagepress/c7000-c6000/index.html"  class='external-link'>imagePRESS C7000VP/C6000 on-demand line</a> (and so it should be at that size, consequently even mobile phone photos should look good). As you know in Japan there is a bit of obsession around cards of all kinds: the businessmen with their obligatory ID, errr, business cards, teenage girls producing photo labels in the ubiquitous pericula machines and kids (mostly boys it seems) with all sorts of collectible character cards (you will recall the Pokemon craze). </p>
<p>But let us also remember that cards and photography are very old companions indeed; in the early days of the medium one major practical application was to produce cartes de visite, visiting cards, that would bear your likeness and would be handed whenever visiting someone&#8217;s house. I think the photographic print physically presented to someone still holds a lot of power today.   </p>
<p>Apart from the photograph itself with a caption the ClipChip cards also contain a unique URL and a barcoded link for mobile phones to access the image online. There it can be viewed and used for blogging purposes. This makes a nice connection between the physical and the virtual in an interactive way. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/04/clipchip-3.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Canon ClipChip" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/04/clipchip-3-229x140.jpg" alt="Canon ClipChip" title="Canon ClipChip" width="229" height="140" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-2985" /></a>I am not sure whether ClipChip will be a massive commercial success, but let&#8217;s bear in mind that Canon&#8217;s main objective is to add more applications and fun to the digital cameras they are selling, so it may well be heavily subsidized. No matter its uptake or how long it will be around for, I think we should applaud anyone putting their efforts into exploring new ways of a physical presentation of photographs, especially in the consumer area. Perhaps I will try to produce one or two decks with some interesting images, they might even be usable as a kind of business card (even if you are not a businessperson a card is always good in this society, and everybody will have one). Perhaps others will think of more creative uses for this product.</p>
<hr />
<p>In case you are curious to try out ClipChip for yourself we could act as a proxy for you for a small fee. Please <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/about/#contact" >contact us</a> if interested.    </p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/10/23/print-making-and-image-making/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Print and image'>Print and image</a> <small>I am curre</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/09/16/digital-kissing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Digital Kissing'>Digital Kissing</a> <small>That</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/04/25/buying-selling-subscribing/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Buying, Selling, Subscribing'>Buying, Selling, Subscribing</a> <small>I have jus</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Showtime</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/27/showtime/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/27/showtime/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:30:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big sight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[casio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fujifilm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gf670]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kodak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mamiya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olympus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo imaging expo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2906</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I have missed it last year, for some reason, so wanted to make a special effort to see it this year: the Tokyo Photo Imaging Expo 2009, a consumer-oriented photo trade fair held in the Tokyo Big Sight complex on the Odaiba artificial island, a little off the centre of town.
Here are some impressions and [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/17/update-on-release-of-fujifilm-gf670-professional/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Update on release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional'>Update on release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional</a> <small>We have ju</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/17/release-of-fujifilm-gf670-delayed-until-end-of-april/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional delayed until end of April'>Release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional delayed until end of April</a> <small>We have ju</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/10/23/print-making-and-image-making/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Print and image'>Print and image</a> <small>I am curre</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2911" style="margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-5.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>I have missed it last year, for some reason, so wanted to make a special effort to see it this year: the Tokyo Photo Imaging Expo 2009, a consumer-oriented photo trade fair held in the Tokyo Big Sight complex on the <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odaiba"  class='external-link'>Odaiba</a> artificial island, a little off the centre of town.</p>
<p>Here are some impressions and very personal subjective highlights:</p>
<p>When you walk into the large halls you are greeted by the noisy and shiny big booths of the large players. Apart from the numerous booth hostesses with their uninterrupted smiles for the even more numerous unshaven, persistent male <em>photographers</em>, if that&#8217;s the right term for them, it almost seems like visiting a superlative branch of electronic mega-retailers Yodobashi or Bic Camera with their &#8220;maker corners&#8221;. Very, very unsurprisingly virtually everything is about showcasing the world of digital photo to the masses, some of which is useful, and quite a lot seeming totally useless or a desperate attempt to differentiate (Casio&#8217;s virtual studio where you can create digital composites in-camera is a main contender, unless combining photos of your family with a man in a spacesuit on the moon is high up on your feature list for a point and shoot camera).</p>
<h2>Fujifilm</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2912" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-6.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>I always look forward to the Fuji booth because it has a variety of things on display, not just endless rows of camera bodies. There is usually a good amount of space devoted to film and film cameras, and this year was no exception. I was hoping to get a hands-on impression of the <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=31&#038;products_id=259" >GF670</a> &#8212; I was not disappointed.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2910" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-4.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>Greeted by a jolly bunch of three middle aged <em>oji-san</em>, I showed my Contax G1 and asked &#8220;fancy a swap?&#8221; to which he responded &#8220;sure, of course&#8221; and we laughed. The camera itself is very nice. My first impression was how light it is. The finder is quasi identical to that of a 35mm rangefinder camera, large and bright with a good RF patch. On the right you see the shutter speeds displayed top to bottom (similar to the Zeiss Ikon, but on the right side not left), and on top when AE is used an <em>A</em> is shown. </p>
<p>The shutter is very quiet. I had to shoot it twice as I was not sure it happened the first time round. The whole thing holds very well in the hands, with your left you can focus and control aperture on the front, the right presses the shutter and winds. The three gentlemen seemed very pleased with the interest that the camera is getting. Obviously I am not familiar with the company internals at Fujifilm, but I would not be at all surprised if the analog division consists of a lot more of these kind of film nuts, who &#8212; I fantasize here &#8212; in the shadows of the workings of an enormous industrial corporation continue to enjoy making these products, even if it is at a much smaller scale than in the past.</p>
<h2>Epson R-D1x</h2>
<p>For me the R-D1 has always been an unfulfilled wishful dream. When I looked at it <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/07/31/found-but-out-of-range/" >years ago</a> I was not too excited, and nor I was today. It still seems big, and surprisingly heavy, almost heavier than the much larger dimensioned GF670, but above all somehow greatly lacking elegance. The chunky body with the tiny lens in front, it just does not appeal to me, but of course many others will like it just fine. But unless there is ever an alternative to it or the Leica M8, the dream will continue.</p>
<h2>Custom photo books</h2>
<p>Why, after years and years of print on demand photo books, isn&#8217;t there any decent domestic Japanese offering that at least comes close to the likes of Blurb and MyPublisher or even iPhoto books? It is a total mystery. Most of the books are obviously targeted at the wedding or family album market. For a start, there is no book in landcape orientation, but plenty of squares and portait formats. The paper is glossy and shiny, and either very thin or very thick. The images look not of great print quality. The typesetting, I assume not customisable, looks beyond terrible. Spiral ring binding etc., you get the idea. On the plus side, some of them can be made while you wait. Forgettable.</p>
<h2>Mamiya</h2>
<p>Good to see Mamiya active digitally. A small, but very focussed booth. It would be a shame to see cameras like the RZ67 become history. The digital back for it, not sure who makes it, appears to breath new life into it. Don&#8217;t dump your RBs and RZs for cheap yet!</p>
<h2>Pentax</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2909" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-3.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>I was impressed by a very large print of a blossoming cherry tree (what else) made from the Pentax 645 Digital. One general gripe about digital prints on the show: they are all just too damn sharp! It looks great from a distance &#8212; go closer, as you naturally do with a fine print, and it all falls apart pretty quickly. Still sharp at close distance, but not pretty.</p>
<h2>The Japanese Photographic Pinhole Society</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2914" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-8.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>Not sure who they are, but they are funded well enough to afford a fairly large booth in the center of the hall.</p>
<h2>Kodak</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2915" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-9.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>Away game for the yellow team. Nothing too exciting on display for me in the paper and finishing area, but some very good prints outside next to the Ektar promotion, taken on Portra, Tmax and Ultra. &#8220;Love Film, Love Camera&#8221; the booth says.</p>
<h2>Olympus</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2907" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-1.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>In a Micro Four Thirds display the well known prototype with the byline &#8220;On Sale Summer 2009&#8243;. Next to it a product covered by a blue cloth&#8230; and next to that a window celebrating 50 years of Olympus Pen &#8212; coincidence?<br />
<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2908" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-2.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<h2>And lastly&#8230;</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2913" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px;" title="PIE 2009" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/pie-2009-7.jpg" alt="PIE 2009" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>There are plenty of small booths with all sorts of things on display. Take for example the &#8220;Japan Photo and Video Small Accessory Industrial Association&#8221;, or &#8220;Japan Photo-sensitized Materials Manufacturers Association&#8221; advertising themselves. I noted an interesting booth by a small company making steps or &#8220;scaffolding&#8221; for group photographs, which are very common to do here (see also <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/11/28/tomoko-sawada-school-days/" >our review on Tomoko Sawada&#8217;s School Days</a>). They had a sample photo with a huge group of people on it, perhaps a graduation. I asked them how many people were on the steps. The answer was three hundred!</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/17/update-on-release-of-fujifilm-gf670-professional/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Update on release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional'>Update on release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional</a> <small>We have ju</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/17/release-of-fujifilm-gf670-delayed-until-end-of-april/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional delayed until end of April'>Release of Fujifilm GF670 Professional delayed until end of April</a> <small>We have ju</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/10/23/print-making-and-image-making/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Print and image'>Print and image</a> <small>I am curre</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>More of &#8220;Keeping Things Interesting&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/02/more-of-keeping-things-interesting/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/03/02/more-of-keeping-things-interesting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:17:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera choice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contax g1]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I am not sure if I am drifting off somewhere I should not be, whether I am exploring or just wasting my time. Well, anyway, I think time spent taking pictures is always a good time.
We went on a little trip to the Japanese seaside this weekend. Since I have accumulated a good handful of [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2007/10/02/film-is-vinyl/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Film is vinyl'>Film is vinyl</a> <small>
I went to</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/26/the-c-feature/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The C Feature'>The C Feature</a> <small>If you had</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/07/06/naniwa-colour-kit-n-smart-metal-lens-hoods-fuji-fi-800gt/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Naniwa Colour Kit N, Smart Metal Lens Hoods, Fuji FI-800GT'>Naniwa Colour Kit N, Smart Metal Lens Hoods, Fuji FI-800GT</a> <small>Want to ta</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2550" style="margin-bottom: 10px;" title="Double Contax" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/03/double-contax-g1.jpg" alt="Double Contax" width="530" height="398" /></p>
<p>I am not sure if I am drifting off somewhere I should not be, whether I am exploring or just wasting my time. Well, anyway, I think time spent taking pictures is always a good time.</p>
<p>We went on a little trip to the Japanese seaside this weekend. Since I have accumulated a good handful of Contax G Lenses for our <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/lens/" >Contax G to Leica M conversions</a> I thought why not give the native G system a try and bought one G1 body&#8230; and another G1 body. I realised that I am having so much fun shooting with it and since normally the cost of multiple bodies is prohibitive (but with the G system no longer) so I thought I&#8217;d try something different and loaded one body with black and white film, the other with colour, added a 28 and 45 lens and off we go with both.</p>
<p>I have not been a big fan of mixing black and white and colour in my mind, but the nice thing about playing is not being serious enough to set yourself any tough limitations&#8230; and it was hardly confusing at all. Since I have a distinct physical object to reach for with each film choice, this way of working is not making things complicated at all. Quite the contrary, it makes you look at the scene and reach for the thick or thin brush, depending on how you want to capture it. I don&#8217;t think I have taken the same scene with black and white <em>and</em> colour. For each its own.</p>
<p>As for the G1 &#8212; no, a Leica it isn&#8217;t, but a very portable and highly usable picture taking machine with excellent optics. And affordable at that. Let&#8217;s play!</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2007/10/02/film-is-vinyl/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Film is vinyl'>Film is vinyl</a> <small>
I went to</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/26/the-c-feature/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The C Feature'>The C Feature</a> <small>If you had</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/07/06/naniwa-colour-kit-n-smart-metal-lens-hoods-fuji-fi-800gt/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Naniwa Colour Kit N, Smart Metal Lens Hoods, Fuji FI-800GT'>Naniwa Colour Kit N, Smart Metal Lens Hoods, Fuji FI-800GT</a> <small>Want to ta</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Living by it</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/12/living-by-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/02/12/living-by-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:04:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Summers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daido moriyama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Garry Winogrand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[konica hexar rf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nippon camera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tokyo camera style]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2393</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

In my Islanders post I said that every photographer can learn something by trying out another than their usual format once in a while and while at the time of writing it I did not have the intention in mind to do this myself, a new 35mm rangefinder came my way (originally intended for our [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/07/02/new-moriyama-book-and-dvd/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: New Moriyama Book and DVD'>New Moriyama Book and DVD</a> <small>We've just</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/14/recent-moriyama-documentary-at-youtube/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recent Moriyama documentary at Youtube'>Recent Moriyama documentary at Youtube</a> <small>First 9 mi</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/02/26/i-like-it-raw/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: I like it RAW'>I like it RAW</a> <small>
At FANCL,</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="size-full wp-image-2394 alignleft" style="margin-right: 120px;" title="Hexar RF with 35 cron" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/02/tokyo-camera-style-hexar.jpg" alt="Hexar RF with 35 cron" width="400" height="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p>In my <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/19/islanders-meet-at-ronee/" >Islanders post</a> I said that <em>every photographer can learn something by trying out another than their usual format once in a while</em> and while at the time of writing it I did not have the intention in mind to do this myself, a new 35mm rangefinder came my way (originally intended for our <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/services/#parts" >Camera Spare Part service)</a> and I could not resist trying it out, especially since my Leica M6 has been in repair since July last year.</p>
<p>I cannot really tell &#8212; yet &#8212; what I have learned from turning away from the large format photography I have been doing almost exclusively for one year now. However, I already know it is refreshing in so many ways, not least because you simply don&#8217;t feel it is &#8220;serious&#8221; what you taking photos of (if there is or should be such a thing). You just play around and take the mind into different spheres from what you are normally used to. It probably doesn&#8217;t even matter what route you go down, film, digital, whatever, as long as it is somewhat new to you and lets your mind wander down new paths, be open to some surprises on the way. Photography just seems to be that kind of pursuit; <em><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/24/about-the-choice-of-lenses/" >It’s all about not being bored.</a></em></p>
<p>In the current issue of Nippon Camera is a rundown of cameras that Daido Moriyama used for various books or projects. There are SLRs, compacts&#8230; every series seems to have a different camera associated with it. While this may appeal to some gear heads, I think it is significant in a way, but totally meaningless in another &#8212; apologies for being vague here, but I hope you get the idea.</p>
<p>And here is <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/03/05/spirit-of-experimentation/" >another quote</a> to leave you in the spirit:
</p>
<p class="longquote">There is always a spirit of experimentation with photography. You never settle on one particular way of working, I don&#8217;t think.</p>
<hr /> <br />
Photo above by <em>John Sypal&#8217;s</em> <a target="_blank" href="http://tokyocamerastyle.com/"  class='external-link'>Tokyo Camera Style</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/07/02/new-moriyama-book-and-dvd/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: New Moriyama Book and DVD'>New Moriyama Book and DVD</a> <small>We've just</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/04/14/recent-moriyama-documentary-at-youtube/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recent Moriyama documentary at Youtube'>Recent Moriyama documentary at Youtube</a> <small>First 9 mi</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/02/26/i-like-it-raw/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: I like it RAW'>I like it RAW</a> <small>
At FANCL,</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Islanders meet at Roonee</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/19/islanders-meet-at-ronee/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/19/islanders-meet-at-ronee/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dirk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[空間映像科]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photograph picture image school of waseda university]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roonee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shintaro Sato]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Takayuki Igarashi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[五十嵐貴之]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[佐藤 信太郎]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Photo by John Sypal

On the weekend we visited Roonee photo gallery in Shinjuku where the closing exhibition of Shintaro Sato&#8217;s workshop was held. Over the course of ten weeks the participants got to grips with their loaned 4&#215;5 cameras and worked towards this culminating show, which also included our current cover artist Igarashi-san. In the [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/15/takayuki-igarashi/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Takayuki Igarashi &#8211; From the Series &#8220;Codes of Desire&#8221;'>Takayuki Igarashi &#8211; From the Series &#8220;Codes of Desire&#8221;</a> <small>
Takayuki </small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2007/09/25/on-becoming-a-photographer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: On becoming a photographer'>On becoming a photographer</a> <small>&#8220;Buy</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/06/30/election-trail/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Election trail'>Election trail</a> <small>




As no</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2104" title="sato-roonee-workshop" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/01/sato-roonee-workshop.jpg" alt="sato-roonee-workshop" width="500" height="375" /><br />
<em>Photo by John Sypal<br />
</em><br />
On the weekend we visited <a target="_blank" href="http://www.roonee.com/" class="external-link" >Roonee photo gallery</a> in Shinjuku where the closing exhibition of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.step21.jp/index.html" class="external-link" >Shintaro Sato&#8217;s workshop</a> was held. Over the course of ten weeks the participants got to grips with their loaned 4&#215;5 cameras and worked towards this culminating show, which also included <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/15/takayuki-igarashi/" >our current cover artist Igarashi-san</a>. In the confined and atmospheric space of Roonee, each of the photographers introduced themselves and the work they had accomplished during the workshop and under the guidance of Sato.</p>
<p>It was refreshing to see, hear and meet everyone and it confirmed my belief that every photographer can learn something by trying out another than their usual format once in a while, even if just temporarily, to keep things interesting and the mind open. Refreshing also to see the results of a 4&#215;5 used on a monopod by a 35mm shooter, and also to see a female photographer using an LF camera (a real shame they are so rare).<img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-2106" title="sato-workshop" src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/01/sato-workshop-229x114.png" alt="sato-workshop" width="229" height="114" /></p>
<p>What makes practicing photography in Japan so exciting is that there is a very tangible photo culture and exceptionally large network of people out there who care as much about pictures as we all do even though the act of taking and producing pictures is often a solitary affair and one may tend to feel as if nobody shares your interest or passion for this activity (and don&#8217;t we all know the inquiring questions of strangers that we must either be a professional or a hobbyist, with little in between). So when a room of people looks intensely for a long time at photographs and talks about every picture in detail, even one you found initially not very interesting, then all the &#8220;disconnectivity&#8221; is forgotten &#8211; until next time, because there is a time when you need to be just by yourself. It is a balance between being together and being alone; only the right balance at the right time will help us moving forward.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/15/takayuki-igarashi/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Takayuki Igarashi &#8211; From the Series &#8220;Codes of Desire&#8221;'>Takayuki Igarashi &#8211; From the Series &#8220;Codes of Desire&#8221;</a> <small>
Takayuki </small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2007/09/25/on-becoming-a-photographer/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: On becoming a photographer'>On becoming a photographer</a> <small>&#8220;Buy</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/06/30/election-trail/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Election trail'>Election trail</a> <small>




As no</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Shane Lavalette gets PHAT</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/16/shane-lavalette-gets-phat/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/01/16/shane-lavalette-gets-phat/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:59:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kurt</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Adams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PHAT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shane Lavalette]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=2027</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although not exclusively about Japanese photographers, on the whole it's not very common for any Japanese photo magazine to feature the work of non-Japanese who are not yet famous. So imagine my surprise when from out of my page turning popped the name <a class='external-link' href="http://www.shanelavalette.com/">Shane Lavalette</a>, an up-and-coming American photographer that happens to be one of my Flickr contacts and whose blog I have read for a couple of years now.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/16/natural-glow-magazine/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Natural Glow magazine'>Natural Glow magazine</a> <small>It must be</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/11/09/portrait-of-couple/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Portrait of couple'>Portrait of couple</a> <small>    .flick</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/03/05/spirit-of-experimentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Spirit of experimentation'>Spirit of experimentation</a> <small>Most peopl</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/01/phat_lavalette_800v.jpg" title="PHaT January - February 2009 Shane Lavalette page" rel="lightbox[phatshane]" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2009/01/phat_lavalette_800v-164x229.jpg" alt="PHaT January - February 2009 Shane Lavalette page" title="PHaT January - February 2009 Shane Lavalette page" width="164" height="229" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2064" /></a><br />
A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the latest issue of the photo magazine PHaT, which stands for Pretty Hot And Tempting. (Since the magazine&#8217;s cover always features without fail a fetching female model, I wonder if this <em>double entendre</em> is intentional or not.) Although not exclusively about Japanese photographers, on the whole it&#8217;s not very common for any Japanese photo magazine to feature the work of non-Japanese who are not yet famous. So imagine my surprise when from out of my page turning popped the name <a target="_blank" href="http://www.shanelavalette.com/" class='external-link' >Shane Lavalette</a>, an up-and-coming American photographer that happens to be one of my Flickr contacts and whose blog I have read for a couple of years now.</p>
<p>I was curious to know how this short piece came about, and Shane graciously replied to a few questions via email before he was about to fly off to India.</p>
<p>According to Shane, &#8220;The piece came about through Andy Adams, editor of the online magazine Flak Photo, which I have contributed to in the past. Andy was approached by the editor of PHAT Photo and asked to choose a few photographers that he particularly liked or felt were &#8220;up and coming.&#8221; </p>
<p>The magazine chose to focus on Shane&#8217;s series of photographs taken at Coney Island entitled &#8220;Song to a Seagull&#8221; (2007). &#8220;That was the choice of both Andy and the editor at PHAT Photo&#8221;, says Shane. &#8220;I might have chosen different ones or at least included one portrait, as the people are also very important to that body of work.&#8221;</p>
<p>Shane wasn&#8217;t sure how Japanese might see his work, but added, &#8220;Though &#8216;zen&#8217; is not the word I&#8217;d use, I think there is a certain element of balance and an emphasis on contemplation that I strive for in many of my images. This may appeal to a Japanese audience. But I hope that my work can resonate in Japan as easily as it would anywhere.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition to his photography and his own blog, Shane has been contributing interviews and articles to various places like Photo Eye and Big RED &#038; Shiny. His latest venture mixing photography with essays and criticism is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.layflat.org/" class='external-link' >Lay Flat</a>, which will exist as a printed publication. Although Shane first announced the publication about a year ago, he ran into various hiccups and funding issues but finally the first issue is around the corner. &#8220;The files have just been sent off to the printer and they will be shipping all of the copies to me sometime within the next few weeks.&#8221; Once Shane returns from India at the end of this month, then the tough work of distributing will begin.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2005/03/16/natural-glow-magazine/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Natural Glow magazine'>Natural Glow magazine</a> <small>It must be</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/11/09/portrait-of-couple/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Portrait of couple'>Portrait of couple</a> <small>    .flick</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/03/05/spirit-of-experimentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Spirit of experimentation'>Spirit of experimentation</a> <small>Most peopl</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Hand-crafted cameras and calendars</title>
		<link>http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/12/28/hand-crafted-cameras-and-calendars/</link>
		<comments>http://www.japanexposures.com/2008/12/28/hand-crafted-cameras-and-calendars/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kurt</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2009 calendar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[石川康彦]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Koji Onaka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yasuhiko Ishikawa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[尾仲浩二]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.japanexposures.com/?p=1626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
This being the New Year&#8217;s holiday season in Japan, the bookstores seem to have been taken over by large displays of every manner of 2009 calendars. Although there are a few tastefully designed ones, as well the old Hokusai and Hiroshige standbys, there are also disturbingly large amounts of &#8220;Lighthouses of New England&#8221; types as [...]


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Naoki Ish</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/04/17/lockers-at-dusk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lockers at dusk'>Lockers at dusk</a> <small>      .fli</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/07/31/tokyo-1934-1993/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Tokyo 1934-1993'>Tokyo 1934-1993</a> <small>
This is a</small></li></ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/calendarcover_600.jpg" title="Nippon Magazine: Cover Cameras Calendar by Ishikawa"  rel="lightbox[calendar]" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/comp_530.jpg" alt="Two photography calendars" title="Two photography calendars" width="530" height="229" class="size-full wp-image-1712" /></a></p>
<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>his being the New Year&#8217;s holiday season in Japan, the bookstores seem to have been taken over by large displays of every manner of 2009 calendars. Although there are a few tastefully designed ones, as well the old Hokusai and Hiroshige standbys, there are also disturbingly large amounts of &#8220;Lighthouses of New England&#8221; types as well.</p>
<p>The current crop of photo magazines also have 2009 calendars bundled together with them, but sadly these are hardly an improvement. This month&#8217;s Asahi Camera comes with a 2009 calendar full of cat photos that stretches the bounds of decent taste, in this person&#8217;s humble opinion (and I&#8217;m a cat lover, so no flames please!). PHAT&#8217;s calendar features 12 picture postcard images from Bora Bora that does neither getaway islands nor calendars any favors.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/calendar1_600.jpg" title="Nippon Magazine: Cover Cameras Calendar by Ishikawa: Leica If"  rel="lightbox[calendar]" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/calendar1_crop600-230x159.jpg" alt="Nippon Magazine: Camera Photos: Leica 1f" title="Nippon Magazine: Camera Photos: Leica 1f" width="230" height="159" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1717" /></a><br />
Fortunately, Nippon Camera comes to the rescue with a calendar any true photography lover would love to have on their walls. They call it &#8220;Cover Cameras&#8221; and it is the literal handiwork of Yasuhiko Ishikawa. Each month a different camera is featured, including a Leica If for January, a couple of Bosley B2&#8217;s for April, and a Hasselblad SWC for December. Digital cameras are represented too. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/calendar2_600.jpg" title="Nippon Magazine: Cover Cameras Calendar by Ishikawa: Casio Exilim Pro Ex-F1"  rel="lightbox[calendar]" ></a></p>
<p>As I have alluded to and the pictures included here perhaps give away, these are not pictures of the cameras themselves, but rather pictures of cameras Ishikawa has made with a variety of cheap materials and modeled on their &#8220;real&#8221; counterparts. Each mock camera is accompanied by some text by Ishikawa, who divides his writing equally between venerating the real camera and discussing how he made the particular model on display, how much the materials cost (very cheap, in most instances). My favorite of the bunch, shown in the <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/calendarcover_600.jpg" title="Nippon Magazine: Cover Cameras Calendar by Ishikawa" rel="lightbox[calendar]" >extended slide show</a>, is a Casio Exilim Pro Ex-F1 that features a body made from a cross section of a law book Ishikawa picked up for a dollar and change at a used bookstore.</p>
<p>Ishikawa is a designer doing both graphic and product design &#8212; his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ishikawa-d.jp/" class='external-link' >flash-based website</a> provides ample samples (though sadly none of these hand-made cameras). As if these cameras weren&#8217;t enough evidence, the way he writes about his &#8220;cameras&#8221; reveal a quirkiness that&#8217;s quite endearing.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/onakacal_cover_600.jpg" title="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar: Cover" rel="lightbox[calendar]" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/onakacal_cover_600-230x163.jpg" alt="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar" title="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar" width="230" height="163" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1722" /></a>Another cool calendar choice for the photography lover is also from someone known for a certain quirkiness, not to mention a dry humor: photographer <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/books/index.php?manufacturers_id=4" >Koji Onaka</a>. For this 2009 calendar, which is signed by Onaka and available in very limited quantities, Onaka has assembled a total of 14 landscapes/cityscapes done in his customary, high-contrast style.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/onakacal_1_600.jpg" title="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar: Interior Page 1"  rel="lightbox[calendar]" ><img src="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/onakacal_1_600-164x230.jpg" alt="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar Interior" title="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar Interior" width="164" height="230" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1723" /></a>The front and back covers feature photos from Mexico and Viet Nam, but the interior photos for each month are from different parts of Japan, including a couple from Kimitsu in Chiba where he grew up. (See photo to the right.) The pictures have some tangible connection to the months (a snowy scene for February, cherry blossom petals on the ground for April), as well as some much looser connections like his photo from the town of Obama in Fukui Prefecture for November (the town featured in a lot of silly news stories this year for obvious reasons).</p>
<p>Included is a 6-day excerpt from his travel diary, although this, like his typically understated captions for each photo, is only in Japanese. </p>
<hr />
<p>Click the top image to bring up a gallery of larger images from these calendars. If you are interested in obtaining either of these, please get in touch with us <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/services/#books" >using the form</a> on the services page, but do it quick!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/images/2008/12/onakacal_2_600.jpg" title="Koji Onaka 2009 Calendar: Interior Page 2"  rel="lightbox[calendar]" ></a></p>


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Naoki Ish</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2006/04/17/lockers-at-dusk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lockers at dusk'>Lockers at dusk</a> <small>      .fli</small></li><li><a href='http://www.japanexposures.com/2004/07/31/tokyo-1934-1993/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Tokyo 1934-1993'>Tokyo 1934-1993</a> <small>
This is a</small></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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