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
