Photographs from a small group of islands
Founded in the late 1940s as a small, traditional inn, the Hatoya Hotel in Shizuoka Prefecture expanded massively in the 60s and 70s, becoming a modern, hilltop destination that proved incredibly popular, boasting an impressive capacity of over 800 guests. TV commercials at the time also cemented the now nostalgic catchphrase, If you re going to [ ]
Regularly re-visiting certain areas means many of the streets and structures are familiar. Those involving people on the other hand are always different. As are the weather conditions. Plus now and again, turning a new corner or exploring a previously unseen street results in wholly unexpected finds. Like the old toy and sweet shop in [ ]
Regularly wandering Tokyo’s older suburbs means I pass an awful lot of homes. Many of them are dated, with more than a few abandoned, but these are some that I was fortunate enough to see both the building and the owner.
It’s always nice to capture an out of the ordinary, visually striking image. A single frame that works all by itself. For me though, simple, everyday moments mean much more. Especially so when put together, creating documents of a day, area or even time period. This then is a series of such photos. All of [ ]
Taking more photos in the rain is something I’m trying do more of. Or at the very least avoid less. And as June is rainy season in Tokyo, it seemed like the right time to try and capture more wet weather scenery, with these all taken on a couple of drizzly walks through familiar, and [ ]
Shinjuku is a wonderful place for surprises. It has also provided me with two of my most complete sets of photos — the area in general and a few of its dingy alleyways. Time, persistence, and perhaps most of all, the city’s ability to regularly produce unique photo opportunities allowing me to gradually piece those [ ]
A lot of my series involve the sights of a meandering walk, a collection of photos taken over a long period, or perhaps most of all, the simple documentation of time. This set, however, is a bit different. In many ways it’s all of the above, but most of all it’s simply a number of [ ]
Photography has always been more than a job. It’s a passion. Well, an obsession really, making it a way of life rather than just a part of it. Having said all that, it’s also an escape of sorts, as there’s a very real element of mindfulness about being out walking with a camera. Problems and [ ]
Shinjuku has been a happy hunting ground over the years, with some of my most complete photo series shot on the city’s wonderfully unpredictable streets — the recently posted alleyway set being the latest. Images that took a decade to put together. It is though a part of the capital that keeps on giving, and [ ]
Finding and photographing new areas is always rewarding, but at the same time, so is returning again and again to previously visited locations. The latter being something I do a lot of, particularly in the older parts of Tokyo. A practice that allows me to gradually document the changes those neighbourhoods are going through. Also, [ ]
Photo booths aren’t uncommon in Tokyo. Quite the opposite really, with many found in and around the city’s numerous train stations. Plenty of supermarkets have them too. An incredibly regular sight then that in many ways makes them invisible. Something you generally don’t notice unless you actually need one. However, several weeks ago I took [ ]
Before the heat and humidity really start to pick up next month, here is a series of late spring street portraits. Some taken on my Tokyo Photowalk Tours, with others shot on solo outings, but all of them, I hope, provide little vignettes of daily life in the Japanese capital.
There are so many photographs on these pages of old Tokyo businesses and their owners that no longer exist. Death, redevelopment and quite often both combining to change how many parts of the capital now look and feel. That said, there is thankfully still a lot of history left to see and enjoy, so for [ ]
On some days, regardless of how many kilometres I wander, the end result is no interesting images whatsoever. Fortunately other outings can work out way better, and while it’s highly unlikely any of these will become long term faves, they are nonetheless photographs that nicely document a recent Tokyo meander. One that took in some [ ]
I don’t shoot a lot in the rain — my usual excuse being I need to manually focus, and trying to hold an umbrella between one’s shoulder and neck when taking a picture isn’t the most elegant of approaches. It’s not exactly the most ergonomic either. To be honest though I’ve become something a fair [ ]
These are photos from a walk I did that included a huge public housing complex just south of Tokyo. A network of once futuristic buildings that have always fascinated me, so in one of my future newsletters I’ll compile a full series of the photographs, along with some historical background and the societal changes such [ ]
Old Tokyo buildings and businesses are a constant theme of my work. Faded backdrops that say so much about the city’s past, as well as the countless stories connected with them. That said, the addition of a person in the frame is something I always hope for. Not just any old person either, but someone [ ]
There are numerous before and after posts on these pages, with the most poignant being this one involving both people and places. The kind of documentation I never really thought about when taking the initial photos. Instead, they were simply scenes and moments that for one reason or another I found appealing. Nowadays, however, I’m [ ]
The vast majority of my work, both personal and professional, is shot on a digital Leica M — arguably one of the most film-like experiences it’s possible to have with a non-analogue camera. Still, regardless of old-school styling and a comparatively limited set of technological capabilities, it remains a fully digital process. An experience I [ ]
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 [ ]