Mistakes

It all seems rather a long time ago. During the winter of 2010 Eiichi-san lent me one of his Speed Graphic Pacemakers, a Dallmeyer Pentac lenses, and a bunch of 4×5 film holders. Being my usual cautious self, i went out and bought a pack of Velvia 50, loaded up some holders, and went out to get my ‘土門拳‘ on.

Unfortunately, or maybe predictably, i screwed up and loaded the film into the holders backwards. Remember being rather annoyed with myself when they cam back from the lab… still, when life gives you lemons, etc.

Several years later it occurred to me to that my fancy-pants scanner had a 4×5 film holder, and i should see if anything was salvageable.

Obviously not what i had in mind when taking them – slow colour film reduced to underexposed, high contrast b&w, but i’m really pleased with them… to the point where my next consideration is whether they’ll be possible to print!

Edit: proving the point that i’m an idiot, of course i can’t print them they aren’t negatives. Just call me ‘Doh!-mon’…

THIAPS

THIAPS, The International Analogue Photographic Society is a platform for photographers who love the tactile quality of film-based images, who enjoy the wet and warm smell of developers and fixative, with a strong belief that “Film is not dead; it just smells funny.”

I like saying ‘THIAPS‘. It makes a nice sound…

Back in March, and completely out of the blue, i received a request to include two of my recent Tokyo shots in an upcoming THIAPS Urban book. Despite missing the deadline several times (there was a lot going on at the time…) Frans still included them in the final book. Frans, thank you your patience!

A preview of the entire book is online here at Blurb. My two shots are on pages 28 and 29. If you display it fullscreen you can just about make out the scant details. The book looks really well put together and i think Frans made some interesting choices for the theme.

[While we're here: apologies for the lack of updates / communication over the last couple of weeks. We've moved to Europe (Hamburg, Germany, to be precise) and are still in the process of sorting out a place to live, dealing with the inevitable paperwork, and trying to remembering that we did this for the adventure.

A big post on the whys and wherefores of leaving Japan and coming back to Europe will be forthcoming at some point in the not too distant future.]

Pre-Gin Fade

On Another Wavelength

Not had much to say recently… Busy with work.

Want to find time to write about the ash, and the uk election. Just to get them out of my head.

Swedish Fusion Cuisine

I’d like to tell you that i’d been channelling my inner Manny, but the terrible truth is that the beloved forty had lost its mind a few times, and got all locked up. It seems to have recovered now, so we can guiltlessly enjoy the fruits of it’s momentary insanity!

Fragments of Tokyo Exhibition

My first photography exhibition is opening next week, Monday, 8th of February, and is up until Sunday, the 14th.

We are having a little soiree on Thursday afternoon (what is a soiree in the afternoon called?), the 11th. It’s a national holiday (建国記念日 – founding of the nation day) so hopefully a few people will be able to drop by, have a glass of wine, and a chat. The gallery (Place M) is open from 1pm, but that’s not a particularly civilised time to start drinking… so how about 3pm? Oh, and don’t get your hopes up, we’re not – so there won’t be cases of wine!

I’m putting up nine pictures… or maybe ten… or eight… won’t really know until i see them on the wall. It has been quite the experience getting from negatives to getting A2 prints hung on a wall. Along the way i’ve lost a little sleep, worried and drunk too much, and acquired a printer. Here’s hoping that it’ll be easier next time… assuming there is a “next time”.

Edit: also, this, which Watanabe-san kindly made as banner ad, but we don’t have anywhere to use it:

It’s great having talented friends.

Grand Mutation

Yesterday The Venerable Gude directed me to Marhaug | Asheim – Grand Mutation at Touch (Amazon).

A charmingly disturbing listen. Discordant and mournful, chirping with half heard calls. It recalls a mad organist engaged in battle with insistant, possessed, fog horns.

There, if that does send you shopping, i don’t know what will!

The Touch website is so inspiring. Providing hope that every crazy in(s)ane photographic idea that i try, might actually turn out to be the perfect art work for some spastic music i’ve yet to encounter!

Tokyo Beats Show

A bunch of degenerates i’m happy to call my friends are doing a show next month at a cafe / bar in Shibuya. It’ll be up for the entire month, but there is an “opening” on April 4th, Saturday night. If you’re in Tokyo drop in and say hello – would imagine that it’ll be a good chance to get to know some fun people.

私の友人たちが渋谷のカフェ／バーにおいて個展を開きます。４月いっぱい開催され、オープニングパーティは４月４日土曜日の夜に行われます。どうぞお誘い合わせの上、お立ち寄りください。