Photographs From Japan.

Harry S.

Harry S.

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Hello all!

I've just returned home from a 2 month vacation in Japan. My brother and I arrived in Okinawa in early November, and traveled north finishing in Sapporo a week ago. I'm still processing pictures, but Id be honored if you'd look at the ones I've uploaded so far.

http://withadiamond.tumblr.com/

All shot with a Mamiya 7, 65mm and Kodak Portra.

Thanks for looking!

Harry
 
Harry, these are simply spectacular. It is a unique view of a place that I wish to travel to one day. In particular I found the train shot, the photo of the simple plant in the pot, the guard, and the girl in the hot pink top, to really stand out. But every single one of them are just about perfect- great composition and great use of color. Can't wait to see more.

I briefly owned a Mamiya 7. I sold it when I went digital. Great camera.
 
Harry - these are extraordinarily good pictures. You obviously formed a strong and coherent impression of what the country and its people, landscape and institutions meant to you. Your choice of gear was perfect to get the feeling you so well convey. I only hope that you'll consider putting these into a book format, perhaps with some of your thoughts about Japan.
 
Harry S. said:
Hello all!

Thanks for looking!

Harry
Click to expand...


As far as your scenery/landscapes go, I really enjoy this one:

tumblr_mt0c2nbbYB1qev1jao1_1280.jpg
 
Oops!

Some of those, including the one posted above is actually China from a couple years ago. I am removing those pictures from my page at this time, just to highlight the new Japan ones.

As of now they should all be the Mamiya Japan pics!

Thanks everyone for your kind words! I'd love to make some kind of book but I'm not sure how at the moment, that is, who to use.
 
Very strong work! I especially like this, and the colour contrast in this/.

I can recommend using Magcloud to self-publish a book; I made one (also shot exclusively on a Mamiya 7 + Portra!) and I found the printing affordable and high-quality.
 
Some of these are super nice, looking forward to seeing more. I usually groan internally whenever I see a series of travel photos (especially in Japan for some reason) but this was nice. They seem elegant and pedestrian at the same time. The mountains, car park, and umbrellas/stalls in scrub are great.
 
These are exceptionally beautiful images - I love the subject-matter, the muted color and the understated drama of the compositions.
My only minor reservations are the images with a person in the frame, and I don't share your apparent enthusiasm for motorcycles. :)

Otherwise these are exactly the sorts of images I aspire to use my Mamiya 6 for - but somehow never manage to attain. Which just proves that it's nothing to do with the equipment... And now having said that, I'd still love to know even more technical details, like what you used to scan these luscious and detailed negatives?
 
What a great travel experience! I'm envious.

Truthfully, the photos do not grab me, but that's okay, everyone has different taste buds. I am not the grand arbitrator of art, all I can say is what engages me and what doesn't. Technically, the pictures are great.

I still think your trip was fabulous.
 
Thanks for the advice, kind words and for checking out the pictures everyone!

mani: The developed negs were scanned with an Epson V700 @ 4800 dpi and resized for web. It only takes about a minute or two for each scan at that setting. I just use the standard Epson software too, I always felt Viewscan felt a bit too clunky in use. Standard film holders too.
 
I thought I'd done something wrong when reading about all the photos others were oohing and awing about, only not to have seen them myself. I thought, "Could my mind be that bad already?"

Then I saw your post, Harry, about the mix-up of the included China shots. That was a relief.

Not the usual tourist brochure stuff. And I like that. Some folks may have this idealized notion of what Japan is like, and you've been able to show there are many sides to the country.

I don't know how many rolls of film you exposed, but I must daresay I would have a hard time controlling myself in such an image rich environment. Well done.

PF
 
was the alignment of elements largely serendipitous or did you move an inch here and an inch there until stuff lined up juuuuuuuuust right?
 
Compared to the usual picture postcard stuff, its certainly a refreshingly different perspective on Japan. One could be forgiven for thinking that all the people left Japan to slowly decay and overgrow with weeds, but they cleaned up all the rubbish before they went :D

Too bad we didn't get to meet up while you were in Tokyo, Harry. Maybe next time or in the Gong sometime :)
 
porktaco: I think my main criteria in photography is composition. I can normally visualize what I want fairly quickly now after practicing at it, but a lot of these images have been slightly rotated just to line things up a bit better. I tend to center things in the frame and have have prominent horizontal lines as level as possible. Then its just a matter of ironing out the clutter as much as possible!

I always think of how meticulously Stephen Shore composes his pictures, and that is always inspiring to me.

Jon: A lot of the time I waited in places for a clear break in people. That was the hardest thing about Japan for me, the sheer crowds! But I will be back, maybe in about 8 months time, for perhaps 2 weeks with an even higher rate of shooting!
 
Enjoyed looking at your photos. What is there on Iriomote and Ishigaki? After all these years, I am no longer sure, but I believe it was about mid 1963, that the 2/503 ABG set up a jungle warfare school on Iriomote (very remote as one wag put it), but it could have been Ishigaki (or Itchy-scratchy from the same wag). Whichever one didn't have an airfield. My company went there from Naha, Okinawa, by LST. Not the most fun way to travel. But my recollection of the island was that it wasn't very big and didn't have a lot going for it.
 
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