Dogenzaka Blues

Sorry for the cliche, but they say the best camera you own is the one you have on you at the time, and I couldn't agree more. I had just purchased a new smartphone, and this was one of the first shots I took with it that day. Would my full-frame digital camera have produced a better image, most certainly, but that is a moot point as that "superior" camera was sitting comfortably on my shelf at home and if it weren't for this mobile phone, with its tiny sensor and diminutive lens, no image would have been made at all.

Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

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Shinjuku Station

I made this photo as I was walking around Shinjuku Station one day in fall. I saw this woman walking towards me, so I paused, took my camera out of my shoulder bag, and waited for her to get close. As she passed directly in front, I turned, crouched down, and took this shot. To avoid being obvious in these situations, I often look to the opposite direction while I wait for subjects to approach and at the last minute will take the shot. Shot on a Contax G1 with Kodak Portra 400

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Birthday Portrait

A few years back, I decided to treat myself to a night in a fancy hotel for my birthday. This shot was taken on the eve of said birthday at the Cerulean Hotel in Shibuya. For this shot, I placed the camera on some books which were sitting on the bed, set the timer for 10 seconds, walked over to the window seat, and laid down. I was happy with how it came out, notably how the sun is cascading over the top of the building casting that golden light.

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Asleep in Yoro

I shot this on my iPhone en route to photograph an art walk event in Yoro, Gifu, Japan. The young man was nodding off for a while, and I remember composing the photo in my head a few times, but it wasn’t until we got to this clearing that I opened the camera app, and shot this.

In Tokyo, it is rare to see so much open space while riding a train, and I believe it is precisely this space that makes this photo that much more enjoyable to view.

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Fishing in Kobe at Dusk

This photo is from my first, and only, trip to Kobe, Japan. I was visiting to photograph the opening of the new Blue Bottle Coffee cafe, which was getting ready to open the following day there. After spending a good portion of the day at the gorgeous new space, I ventured out to explore the town. After being out for a while, I found myself walking down to the Port of Kobe, and, wanting to take a short break, sat down on some benches near a group of people who were fishing. The sun was setting, and I was losing light fast, so I decided to move along, and as I was leaving, I crouched down and shot this photo, you see here. I was using 400-speed film, so as you can tell, there is some motion blur, but I quite like the effect this produced.

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500px Official Ambassador

I am honored to announce that I am an official Ambassador for 500px!

Click the link below to read the brief introductory interview for I did for this announcement.

Cheers!

Andrew

https://iso.500px.com/ambassador-spotlight-meet-andrew-chun-dina-garrett-anthony/?fbclid=IwAR31ELYqL8ntA0bB3BFfjf4dBwL9sgnUjXTNF8kRyOQYE_WDVVTbn-FSPQg

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Views from Yoyogi-Uehara

This is the view from my old apartment in Yoyogi-Uehara. I considered it a nice apartment, and while this view was only accessible from the back stairs, I sometimes found myself hanging out in the stairwell, drinking a beer, and watching as the sun went down over Shinjuku in the distance. It certainly will be missed.

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Aoyama with Natsuko

Natsuko and I were scouting the streets of Aoyama looking for places to shoot for a series for Shohei Apparel.

I was trailing behind as she walked ahead, just as she looked back to see why I was lagging, I shot this photo. I prefer capturing photos that happening organically.

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Summer's Past

Shot on a rainy day in late July in Ito, Japan. Ito, located in Shizuoka prefecture, is a port town known for its naturally-occurring hot springs which swell underground and get tapped into the many onsens which dot the city. Ito is the perfect place for a weekend getaway from Tokyo, and I often head a few times a year for this very reason.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6307.html

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Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory

How shooting what inspires you can lead to a new friendship...and some extra cash - I was on the 45th floor observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on assignment for a travel guide when I saw a man standing alone with his back towards me and his gaze fixed out the window upon the massive and unceasing sprawl of Tokyo below. This scene summed up perfectly the mood I was trying to convey at this location, so I framed the shot and took a few photos. After checking the images, I walked over to the man, introduced myself, showed him what I took and asked if I could take a few more photos of him, this time less-candid. He happily obliged but first asked if I could sell him one of the images as he said he liked it so much that he wanted to print it out and hang it in his flat as a memento of his time spent in Tokyo. I told him I would be happy to send him the jpg, print ready, and that no money would be necessary, we exchanged emails and went our separate ways. The following day I send him the file, ask how he's getting along in Japan and offer a few personal recommendations for things to do and places to eat in the city. He returned my email, thanked me again for the photo and made me promise that I will look him up should I ever find myself in London. Thinking that was that, and that at the very least I not only made a friend but also made someone happy by giving them something they can remember Japan by, I was happily surprised when, the next day, a small, but well-appreciated, amount of money arrived into my Pay-Pal account.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory Information:

http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/english/offices/observat.html



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