Awakenings and Osaka Rivers

Last Wednesday I finally got to shoot for Fotografika V: Awakenings. It was my most ambitious photo shoot ever, building props and costume for my model and shooting in a somewhat unconventional location. I haven't really looked at the results yet, but I got the shots I wanted. You'll need to wait until the exhibition to see the results however.

In the mean time, here are some shots from a possible project that's been running in the back of my mind for some time. I don't know if anything is ever going to come out of it, but here's an iteration. The project is called 'Rivers of Osaka'. These were shot along the Yodo and Shirokita rivers.

Recent Randoms

From a trip to Nozawa Onsen for snowboarding to playing with the multi-exposure function and getting strange results from my smartphone, my blog silence doesn't mean I've been slack. Also, for the next Fotografika, whose theme is Awakening, I'm preparing perhaps one of my most ambitious set ever. Hopefully I can get it together!

Here are the randoms in question, click to enlarge.

During blizzard-like conditons 

The next day was fantastic!

Our inn is by the road, a bit off center to the right

Smartphone x King Camera

What got into my iphone? I like it!

Double exposure, in camera 

Atelier Corners '13.2.21

Yesterday I visited Atelier Corners as part of the ongoing PR-y project. It had been some time since my last visit, and as always the welcome was warm and sincere.

Present artists were Koh-chan, Mami-chan, Ya-chan, Nao-chan, Makoto-kun and Hiroki-kun. These last two were in good shape, continuing to play tricks on each other, while Hiroki also took pictures and continued talking. Mami-chan kept talking about starting to draw, but did little. Koh-chan spent a lot of time at the sink, and started to draw a little before lunch time. As for Ya-chan, he was shier than usual, but he kept on drawing. For her part, Nao-chan sat on the floor for most of the time, looking rather sleepy.

Something funny happened. Makoto, who was using crayons (a first for me to see it), looked over at Hiroki who was drawing self-portraits, and started to do his rendition of Hiroki's self-portrait! I don't know if he meant it as a joke or something, but I thought it was funny.

A few times Hiroki Hiroki picked up a camera (I think left by Luigi Clavareau) shot a few shots. He also used my extra dslr, which sadly had some troubles, most likely caused by the blizzard-like conditions last weekend in Nozawa. He seems to enjoy taking pictures a lot, I suspect the films will be mostly filled with his snaps.

Here are some pictures of the day. Enjoy!

Car Danchi 6 Contest

A while back ago, I sent my friend Neil Hartmann, snowboard filmmaker & photographer extraordinaire, a F*ck Tokyo, I Love Osaka t-shirt in return for a copy of his latest movie, Car Danchi 6. Perhaps because he forgot for a long time, in the end he sent me 4 copies!

Of course, I'll keep one.

As for the other three, I open a trading contest: what are you ready to trade in return for a copy of the movie. I am ready to ship internationally if the prize is right. Money doesn't count as a trade. Contest ends at 11:59pm February 14, Osaka time, since I love you all.

E-mail, comments on this entry or on FB are all acceptable, as well as in-person propositions.

Good luck!

Transnational Art 2013: The Final Day

Let me start by giving SoHo gallery - Naoko "Goldie"-san and Celio - my warmest thanks. The event was amazing: well organised, great attention to details, and very popular. They constantly push me to go further, it's hard to live up to their expectations, but in the end it's definitely worth. Every year they raise the bar higher, and make no mistakes, they'll confidently and successfully raise it again in the future.

The last day, Sunday, was quite popular with crowds. Not so surprisingly considering it was the weekend and the positive feedback the exhibition has been getting.

I came with Kaz, and the kawaiis still resonates in my ears.

I had interesting talks with Kim (NSFW, and sadly, for now at least, his Ama diver series is missing), and both being fathers, in addition to art, we had other more worldly topics to discuss.

Tessei came by with some pictures he took of me; one to sign, more to receive.

Kit was there again, and although we didn't talk as much as the previous night, there was no need to.

Sho, from Lagoa do Abaete, arrived at the end, and he had little time to explore the exhibition, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy, pouring over artists' portfolios.

And all too soon, time for the take down came ringing, and it was quite a sad experience. Being much easier and faster, people were in and out in no time, without much cooperation, unlike the installation. Rather quickly, I felt pretty alone in the empty gallery, not yet realizing that it will probably take about a year to re-experience the same community feeling I had throughout the exhibit.

In my mind, art is about expression and communion; I certainly felt them during the whole week. We might have our differences, but dialogue is at the heart of our existence.

I leave you wish a shot from the last day, and some captures I took slowly walking back home, trying to hold on to those feelings for as long as I could. Click to enlarge, and enjoy.

Thanks for coming, Sho

Transnational Art 2013: Day 5

While I might have given the impression that on weekdays the exhibition wasn't too busy, although it was, yesterday Saturday saw some very good crowds going in and out throughout the day. Maybe they were interested in the art talks and performances, but I'd like to think they were there to enjoy the art and some discussions with the artists.

I reconnected with Japan Times writer and photographer Kit Pancoast, and we spent a good deal of time together talking with other artists and guests. It was a wonderful afternoon.

In the evening, I accompanied her to the station, which turned into a long walk along the Chuo-dori, into the Midosuji, all the way to Umeda. Of course, put two photographers on a walk together, and very soon it turns into a photowalk. We exchanged ideas, tips, and fed off each other. I don't know if I'd enjoy regular photowalks, but doind it with someone as engaging as her certainly was a good experience.

We then decided to go for a drink, and with her backstreet flair, Kit found a great little bar. We got inside, the welcome was courteous and sincere, and seeing a Guinness sign, we both went for it. Near the end of our first, she spotted some glowing blue and pink bottles on the bar and got intrigued. Ordering our second, we approached the bar to take a look at the bottles and other gems on the bar.

That's when we spotted it. A NBA trophy. No, not the National Basketball Association, but the Nippon Bartender Association. First prize. Then it came back to me. I remembered reading about this place, but I had no idea of its exact location. Leaving later and speaking with the master, we apologized for ordering beer, but that's really what we felt like. However, I will need to go back to Blossom and order a cocktail with one of the premium rums the bar boasts.

All in all, an excellent day in excellent company. We all need more of those.

Before I go, today Sunday is the last day of the exhibition. Come early as it closes in the middle of the afternoon. Hope to see you there, I'm planning to go with my son.

Kit doing her presentation

Danielle Fatkin with her friends

People enjoying Tomoya Imamura's video

Finish Line

Space Invaders

Transnational Art 2013

From Tuesday 1/29 to Sunday 2/3 SoHo Gallery is putting together the annual Transnational Art exhibition, gathering artists of all horizons under one roof. Sculptures, videos, painting, and of course photography are displayed, with the commonality being that, in the words of curator Celio Baretto, all artists "work their butts off"!

I'm presenting the latest iteration of my photo manga Black Swan. I bit a little more than I could chew with the insertion of my work in an actual manga, but the result is satisfying. Installation was a breeze for me, so I helped a number of other artists with their own mounting. It was the case with PR-y collaborator Rob Walbers and French photographer Luigi Clavareau, with whom I had good discussions.

Come on by to the exhibition. It is held at the Enokojima Arts, Culture and Creative Center, a 3-minute walk west of exit 8 of Awaza station in downtown Osaka. I plan to be there every week day from 11am to about 2pm, and from about 1:30 on Saturday. See you there!

Umeda

Yesterday I had a photo shoot with Maek & Junko, and lovely expecting couple. The shoot went well, although I have yet to look at the pictures: I think it could be a good thing since it'll give me time to cool off and see them more objectively.

I doubt I'll have much more time this week since I need to finish my photoshop work with the pictures of Black Swan Naomi and Marlon, which I need to ready for Transnational Art 2013 starting in, yikes, two weeks. As my mom used to say, "If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done in this world".

It didn't stop me from stealing an hour after today's rain to test some angles and stuff for a picture I've been thinking about for some time. The weather didn't produce the light I was hoping, but along with my ND400 filter, I could still obtain something decent. Enjoy!

Great Way To Start Off The Year

Happy New Year, everyone. I wish you all the best in 2013, especially I hope you'll have many fantastic surprises.

Mine started this way actually. A few days after Jan. 1st I received an email regarding a picture I had posted over 3 years ago on the BBC. A man was inquiring if I had posted a picture back in 2009, and since he gave no other information about the pic, I was little suspicious he might be a phisher or something (having had several pics posted there, his question was a little vague). After exchanging a few emails, I realized it wasn't the case, and he told me that my picture had a big impact on his life. With his permission, here is his story:

Dear Jean-Yves,  

First and foremost, I want to thank you for that photo. To say it has had a profound effect on my life is not an exaggeration.

Back in 2009, when I first saw the photo, my life was not going well. Despite years of working in the arts ( I studied acting in New York City) I had come to an impasse and lost all direction. Physically and psychologically I was feeling in pretty bad shape.  

The perfect beauty of your image struck me, and I saved it as wall paper on my computer for months. I have to admit, it gave me great peace.

Before studying acting, I had briefly studied Fine Art History and did one studio course, but had pretty much let that part of me go. It occurred to me that if I were to commit myself to painting a canvas again ( it had been at least 16 years since I had picked up a paint brush to work on a canvas) then at least I could feel "some" sense of control over my creativity and art. The image you captured inspired me to start again.

I purchased a canvas with the intention of reproducing the image and have to admit that even that hung on my wall, blank, for a long time. Then one day, I began to paint. 

I figured if I could just do one a leaf a day I might stay on course in my life. It didn't work out that way. Sometimes I would paint a leaf and then let it sit for days, other times I would work for days at a time and complete large sections. 

Finally, something happened that I did not expect. The painting flowed and I fell right into a passion that I had completely forgotten about and, in fact, did not know I had.

All this to say Jean-Yves, that because of your eye and standing on your tip toes to catch that plant, at that moment, you have indirectly brought to life a dormant talent in another person that otherwise probably would not have been expressed.

I completed the painting last week. It took over a year to do. It is a fairly large painting (6 ft x 4 ft) and was done in oil.

I am not sure what is next for it. I have never sold a painting in my life. I've never ever attempted to, but what matters is that I plan on continuing my passion for painting canvases. 

I wanted to track you down, as I said, to thank you, and let you know.

As well, I want you to know that I fully intend to give you credit for the original image should it come up, and would like your permission to do so.

As I said, I've never had a show, or sold a painting in my life. As it is now, I mostly scratch out an income painting houses here in Xyz Canada but now, at least, the wheels have begun to turn for me in a new direction.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you like it.

Sincerely

Phillip

The funny thing is, as a photographer, I hope to inspire people and sometimes reveal things about myself. Posting pictures on the BBC, I wished to gain some recognition, it was a purely selfish act. Yet, it ended up really helping someone else, in a totally unexpected way. I have my Black Swan series on unexpected occurrences, I don't know if this qualifies as a grey or black one, but it is definitely a no-white swan. If I go to Xyz in the future, I will certainly ask him to model for me.

Well, here is the man and his painting. I hope it inspires you to create/explore/play in a way you have either forgotten or only dreamed about before.

Return on The OEFF and The Kameraoke Party

The Osaka Euro Film Fest took place last week, and sorry for not posting any pictures. It was a busy weekend, and the little time I spent at home, I used for sleeping and playing with my son. But you can see some of my shots on the festival's public Facehook page.

As always, the festival was a great opportunity to see friends I don't see so often, as well as meet new and interesting people. Two of the guests I talked with the most were husband and wife György Pálfi and Zsófia Ruttkay, respectively director and screenwriter for the excellent Final Cut, a montage of over 400 movie scenes into a new movie, a real editing nightmare. But the result was outstanding, with Charlie Chaplin dancing on 'Staying on Alive' and Yoda as the lead's mother being some of the standouts that spring to mind.

The last night I went out to sushi with Sophie Heldman and Carina Wiese, director and actress of the somber, but thought-provoking Colors in the Dark. It tells the story of a man in his 70's who refuses treatment for his slow-growing prostate cancer, and the consequences his decision has on his family and entourage. Based on a true story, the ending is pretty surprising and leaves the viewer with many serious questions about growing old and one's parents. But Sophie and Carina were very amicable and the sushi dinner was very fun, if only to witness their excitement at the delicious food we ate.

Fast forward to tomorrow, it will be the Kameraoke 7 Party. The pictures from over 70 photographers will be displayed for one day only at Pinebrooklyn in Fukushima ward. A little contribution of a ¥1000 (to cover expenses like room rental and prints) will give you the opportunity to see and vote on what local photographers consider to be the 7 Wonders of Kansai. The atmosphere at the event is always quite jovial, and with so many pictures, it will be worth spending a bit of time exploring each of the 7 themes.  Doors open at 14:00, and I should be there with my little family sometime in the afternoon (probably after my son finishes his afternoon nap)! Come out and say Hi!

Lucky me (it depends on the point of view), I'm going there tonight Saturday to help with the first phase of the installation. Perhaps one of the picture I'll work with is this one, which I took at a little bazar held at the daycare center my son goes to, and that was the basis for the event's poster. Enjoy!