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Konichiwa from Japan!

Jeremy

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Just wanted to say hello to all of my fellow Apuggers from the land of the rising sun!

The film holders are loaded and I am about to spend the day photographing here in Takamatsu. Yesterday was spent in Okayama as Cassandra had training there so I rode the train up with her (I believe it is north of Takamatsu). While there I visited Okayama Castle and the beautiful Karaku-en Gardens. These gardens have to be seen to be believed! Didn't take the LF with me on the train as I didn't have a home base to work from and was still really tired from the 15 hour flight (a headwind slowed up down) so it was just 35mm. Since Cassandra was in training I had all day long to wander around and get lost! Met tons of nice people, including an older gentleman who shared some mandarin oranges with me while we enjoyed the sunset on the riverbed--I shared some sprees with him (candy which is like sweettarts); neither of us could speak the others language, but nothing really needed to be said as the view said it all.

At the moment I am enjoying the view from Cassandra's 8th floor apartment balcony where I can get wireless internet access on her laptop. Because I am on the 8th floor and Japan is in the opening throes of winter I don't want to spend too long out here as the wind is quite biting so if you want to get in touch with me I will probably be checking my email at least once a day at jeremydmoore(at)gmail.com where any Apugger can get ahold of me. I probably won't be checking into Apug until I am back in the US (I can only imagine the 37,000 unread new posts when I return), but if I am up early one morning I'll see if I can sneak into the chatroom to say "hi!"

Sayonora!
 
Subarashi ! ! !

Jeremy just ask any of your Japanese hosts what that means and you'll get a puzzled look, then a big smile...

I love Tokyo, been there a few times and will be back again in Jan/Feb.

Hope you have a blast there. Yodobashi is fun if you wanna check out camera stuff.

Glenn
 
Yeah, I'm jealous too... Are you anywhere near the Kyiosato Museum of Photographic Arts, by any chance?

Regardless, I just noticed that you are still "online" here at APUG. Man, get out and enjoy the place (or the fiancée). I know you miss us, its ok.

Take care, man.

André
 

Heh heh, she's still at work and should be home shortly. Well, I don't have a phone so I have to be back at the apartment early to meet her so I might as well log on to Apug... right? Was able to make the wireless work without going outside so I should be able to sign on when I am not out photographing.

Where is the Kyiosato Museum of Photographic Arts at? I'm in Takamatsu on the island of Shikoku and don't know what's around me
 
Dead Link Removed

In case you get snowed in, here's something to watch in a movie theater.

It's something about the "rising sun."
 
Set that camera on bulb and shoot from the balcony at night! Use a bean bag or a small tripod if you have one. Sounds like a great time.Shoot lots of film.

Very nice story about the gentleman and the sunset. I think you will find the Japanses people to be wonderful hosts of their country, especially when you get out the bigger camera. The gardens sound like a place to set up. Not sure about permission and tripods, but just ask and smile. Did you bring any prints along to show? tim
 
Jeremy....don't care what you do, or what you shoot...just have a blast, enjoy your stay and make lots and lots of memories.
 
I got your alt print that you must have sent on your way to the airport and love it! Hopefully you'll have mine when you get home.

Have a great trip.

Alan.
 
Jeremy,

Don't know if you are familiar with Michael Kenna's images of Japan. Having seen your style, I think you'd find his efforts inspirational. Here's a link to see some of the work. From what I understand, most of this was done in what many would consider poor image making conditions.

http://www.michaelkenna.net/html/japan02/
 
It's 7:30 in the morning here and I'm still a little off on the sleeping schedule so I figured I would hop on here before making some hot chocolate and getting dressed for another day of photographing (actually, I've already shot off some frames from the balcony of the sunrise!).

Yesterday was quite exciting as I went down the wharf to check out the fishing boats and the warehouse district. Shot off another ~100 frames of 35mm, but only 4 sheets of LF... still feeling overwhelmed so I am trying to ease myself in. No reason on setting up for a bunch of shots that I don't feel "make it," if you know what I mean. Walked about 12km yesterday with the backpack and am a little sore today, but it is not too bad (it weighs ~38lbs). Next time I go out just walking around I am going to pare it down to just the 150 and 240mm lenses and kick everything else out of the backpack to save on weight. Today I am heading over to chuo park (central park) and since I'll be there all day I am going to take everything with me.

Did a neat shot from an overpass with the 3x4... just set-up the tripod and went to town. A policeman came up (it's a walking overpass) to see what I was doing, not to scold, but to check out my camera!

Later when shooting an image over near the warehouse section I took off my right glove to set the aperture on the shutter and when I turned around it was gone! Then I felt a tap on the shoulder and there was a an older fisherman waving at me with my glove on. I put up my left hand--with glove still on--to wave back and then we both started cracking up!

The Japanese don't care what I take pictures of at all, but they are hesitant about having their pictures made so I have held off on that.

The weather is not that cold here yet, but snow is expected this weekend. Everything here is amazing and the food is wonderful! As my sleep schedule is still a little off I'll probably hop on Apug from time to time while I am recuperating from my excursions.
 
Jeremy,

one experience I had was in a temple area in Kamakura. They didn't allow tripods within the gardens. I think a monopod was OK (I saw someone with one), but the tripod was no good. Other temple grounds nearby didn't have the same policy.

They were very nice about telling me no.

Have fun out there!

Matt
 
Any plan(s) to come to Kyoto and Nara? You can take a bus for getting around cheap and relatively fast.
 
firecracker said:
Any plan(s) to come to Kyoto and Nara? You can take a bus for getting around cheap and relatively fast.
Click to expand...

So far, no, but I'm not sure what the plans are each day... so far I have been playing it by ear. Today was an exciting day walking around and tomorrow I am heading to Ritsurin Park with the 3x4!
 
Sounds like you are having a great trip. I'm really looking forward to seeing the photographs you make! As Mike said above... no matter what, have a blast! (Oh and keep us up-to-date on your travels... it's great to travel vicariously through you for the rest of us homebound APUGgers!)
 
Jeremy sounds like you are having fun...don't forget to look for some try some tyrptics, think you are in a wonderfull area to get some
 
Jeremy,

Really enjoying hearing about your trip. Every day I like to read what you've been up to! Couldn't afford to buy a print before you left. Maybe when you get back I will try and purchase one if they will still be for sale. Is your girlfriend a member of Apug as well? Keep shooting and keep having a blast!

BWKate
 
Yesterday was exciting as I almost fell off of the Takamatsu port water break in the 40+mph gusting winds. So what did I do while I was out there? I set of the 3x4 camera of course! Was splashed a whole bunch of times by the surf and had to grab the camera twice to keep it from falling over, but the composition looked so great I couldn't pass it up. I shot an image of myself on the 35mm of me with the LF in the background. Was really glad that I decided to get a UV filter for my walkaround 35mm lens as it is now covered in sea spray that I need to wash off before heading out again. Yesterday was another 12 km day, but today I'll probably jump past that as I will be walking all the way out to Ritsurin Park. Half of the 3x4 holders are empty and need to be loaded again so it's time for me to take a hot shower to ease the ache in these tired muscles, swath myself in layer upon layer, and then heave that 40lb bag up on my shoulders!

ps: Octopus is very weird tasting!
 
MattCarey said:
Ah, but the texture of Tako is soo nice...

Matt
Click to expand...


Yes, but it's very surprising when you don't have any idea what is inside the deep fried ball of meat
 
Jeremy Moore said:
Yes, but it's very surprising when you don't have any idea what is inside the deep fried ball of meat
Click to expand...

My collegues in Japan like to take people out for Yakitori (amongst other things). The big game is to let you eat something and then guess what it was. Comments like, "Most Americans don't like tendon" were common.

As I recall, Sushi is expensive--unless you get a Bento Box at the train station on your way home. Sabu Sabu is expensive, but there were other versions of hotpot that weren't so bad. I forget the name of the eel, but that is very nice.

Of course, if you are like many of my colleagues from the US and Europe, you may have already found the MacDonald's, the TGI Friday's...

Oh, and you will find that comments like, "My father was here in the 50's." or, "My grandfather was here in the 40's" will bring silence. At least, they did for me. It was a bit thoughtless on my part.

I have to say, my Japanese collegues were the best hosts I have ever seen. And, no, we aren't talking about the businessman entertainment that of rumor. Just a bunch of good family guys who took me in as a temporary member of the clan for a week.`

Matt
 
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