I’m dating myself here, but back in the late ‘80’s, Harajuku was wild! So many different styles kind of clashed up there, but in a good way. I haven’t seen that kind of cool vibe anywhere else in the world, or at any other time.
Ah man... This video reminds me they removed the old Harajuku Station, it was a frustrating, tiny mess of a station to get around, but it was a beautiful old building, such a shame its gone for yet another glass box.
Oh! That's another great example of how much Harajuku has changed! Shame they didn't give it the Tokyo station treatment and keep part of it looking as it originally did.
I like your short philosophical excursion in which you think about what you do and why you do it. It also makes me think. Is there a deeper meaning in it? Who cares, or why does anyone care, what I capture on camera in the here and now? Especially in urban areas, changes seem to happen gradually, but also every second, depending on whether you are directly involved or whether you view these processes from a certain distance “from the outside”. Capturing these temporal sequences with the camera is essential because, in my opinion, they are important for collective memory. Your special work with the camera goes beyond just “taking photos”. The resulting images can therefore be understood as important contemporary documents. These individual photo and film moments, and especially in your approach to this type of work (which are often captured in a “quiet voice”, i.e. not screaming for sensation) with the camera with a special eye for the essential, are of great relevance, among other things, for looking back and looking forward to the social structure of our time. Even if these impressions quickly become a thing of the past from the next second, they will not lose their importance either in the near present or in the distant future. There will always be people interested in this type of contemporary documentation. People who will learn something from it and perhaps be inspired to get involved in this creative way of capturing moments. Thank you for encouraging to think and act further and best wishes from afar - Monika
I’m glad you resonated with my discussion :) I've always been fascinated by history, learning about cultures, and studying the past, and photography offers such a unique opportunity to capture and record what we see in the present. Documentary and photojournalism have always been the photography genres that have inspired me the most, especially the work of greats like Eugene Smith, Garry Winogrand, or Steve McCurry. And so thinking about them and how they documented their time has given me a lot to consider when it comes to my own work and how I can contribute even just a little bit to the tradition of contemporary documentation via Street photography :) Have a great weekend!
Yes. Funny I would come upon this now. Just an hour ago I sent an image to a friend I haven't seen in 30 years. She and her now dead brother in a touching moment together. It was a moment forgotten in her life, and she had a very powerful emotional experience seeing it. Not every image can be so much, but as you've discovered, what the old masters recorded is a world that once was and will never be again. Part of why my image site is entitled, "The Glaciation of Time."
Thanks for sharing about such a powerful moment like that. Those are the kind of moments that truly show the magic of photography and what really makes it so special and important. Nothing lasts forever… I like the title you chose :)
How can you film such an ordinary street like a movie? One thing I'd like to ask is, you're taking close-up video of people on the street, but they don't seem to be aware of you or the camera. Do you have any tips? Of course, it's not about GoPro. Anyway, you and your videos are very important role models to me.
Depends on the environment to be honest. In places that are crowded, like Harajuku, people don’t tend to pay attention to what you of others are doing because of how much stimuli there already is in the environment and the simple fact that people typically only focus on what they are doing or trying to reach their destination. As long as you don’t rudely stick your camera in people’s face, you'd be surprised how many just don’t notice or don’t care.
The way you take pictures is how I wish I can capture moments when I go for a walk. Amazing shots!
You're too kind! Thank you 😭🙏
I’m dating myself here, but back in the late ‘80’s, Harajuku was wild! So many different styles kind of clashed up there, but in a good way. I haven’t seen that kind of cool vibe anywhere else in the world, or at any other time.
I’ve heard some many cool stories about Harajuku in the past! Wish I could have seen it.
Ah man... This video reminds me they removed the old Harajuku Station, it was a frustrating, tiny mess of a station to get around, but it was a beautiful old building, such a shame its gone for yet another glass box.
Oh! That's another great example of how much Harajuku has changed! Shame they didn't give it the Tokyo station treatment and keep part of it looking as it originally did.
I like your short philosophical excursion in which you think about what you do and why you do it. It also makes me think. Is there a deeper meaning in it? Who cares, or why does anyone care, what I capture on camera in the here and now?
Especially in urban areas, changes seem to happen gradually, but also every second, depending on whether you are directly involved or whether you view these processes from a certain distance “from the outside”. Capturing these temporal sequences with the camera is essential because, in my opinion, they are important for collective memory. Your special work with the camera goes beyond just “taking photos”. The resulting images can therefore be understood as important contemporary documents.
These individual photo and film moments, and especially in your approach to this type of work (which are often captured in a “quiet voice”, i.e. not screaming for sensation) with the camera with a special eye for the essential, are of great relevance, among other things, for looking back and looking forward to the social structure of our time.
Even if these impressions quickly become a thing of the past from the next second, they will not lose their importance either in the near present or in the distant future. There will always be people interested in this type of contemporary documentation. People who will learn something from it and perhaps be inspired to get involved in this creative way of capturing moments.
Thank you for encouraging to think and act further and best wishes from afar - Monika
I’m glad you resonated with my discussion :)
I've always been fascinated by history, learning about cultures, and studying the past, and photography offers such a unique opportunity to capture and record what we see in the present.
Documentary and photojournalism have always been the photography genres that have inspired me the most, especially the work of greats like Eugene Smith, Garry Winogrand, or Steve McCurry. And so thinking about them and how they documented their time has given me a lot to consider when it comes to my own work and how I can contribute even just a little bit to the tradition of contemporary documentation via Street photography :)
Have a great weekend!
Yes. Funny I would come upon this now. Just an hour ago I sent an image to a friend I haven't seen in 30 years. She and her now dead brother in a touching moment together. It was a moment forgotten in her life, and she had a very powerful emotional experience seeing it. Not every image can be so much, but as you've discovered, what the old masters recorded is a world that once was and will never be again. Part of why my image site is entitled, "The Glaciation of Time."
Thanks for sharing about such a powerful moment like that. Those are the kind of moments that truly show the magic of photography and what really makes it so special and important. Nothing lasts forever… I like the title you chose :)
次はNikon ZF下さい❤
僕もZF欲しいよ😅
How can you film such an ordinary street like a movie? One thing I'd like to ask is, you're taking close-up video of people on the street, but they don't seem to be aware of you or the camera. Do you have any tips? Of course, it's not about GoPro. Anyway, you and your videos are very important role models to me.
Depends on the environment to be honest. In places that are crowded, like Harajuku, people don’t tend to pay attention to what you of others are doing because of how much stimuli there already is in the environment and the simple fact that people typically only focus on what they are doing or trying to reach their destination.
As long as you don’t rudely stick your camera in people’s face, you'd be surprised how many just don’t notice or don’t care.