CP+

Well well, what can I say. Hit the CP+ (Camera/Photo expo) in Yokohama the other day. As expected, lots and lots of gadgets for the needy. But after all, a tripod is a tripos, a lens is s lens and all in between. Feels a little like photography and the market has moved in the direction since I was at the expo perhaps 10 years ago into this housewife's spare-time snap shooter thing. Told my self strolling between the vendors that I would not rant in a negative way about what I felt about it all…but, fuck it…actually a little embarrassing at times. Canon and Hasselblad had some serious stuff to share to us all, even some oldschool print and film vendors seemed to have made a comeback in a small but noticeable way. But mainly it was all about compact cameras and all the trillion little attachable gadgets you can buy to your little sharpshooter. Then as always when the real geeks gather and the corporations wants their attention, there has to be a "sexy" (!?) looking little bunny standing and displaying her goods, in more than one way. Well, don't we all like girls with little clothes on…but why here... Kind of funny at first to see all these army of UniQlo clad "otaku" geeks, nerds and old men with their either over-the-top excessive armory of a camera with all the cords and stuff money can buy, that or mobile phone shooters. First circling in on the pray fumbling with their gear and then in an gathered effort move in for the kill on some completely unaware-of-what-she-is-displaying miniskirt part time anime wet dream wannabe gal trying to please the drooling grey/brown minions. Hey, it's a job and everyone gets what he or she wants in the end of the day. The geek gets to shoot a cute (?!) girl up close without being arrested and the part time bunny gets to show her goods, build up her CV for upcoming more advanced adult stuff. What all this has to do with the most prestigious camera/photo expo in Japan I do not know. Shit, now you get me going…then you have the presenter doing a power-presentationor "seminar" of some "new" wonder thing, always seated on a stage with a professional looking mic headset and talking to the same dudes that by now would have a whole collection of high resolution "cospurei garu" (Japanese for Costume Play-girl) on their flashcards. BUT, she is not talking like an grown up to grownups, instead she (mainly a woman) has the aura of a kids TV program leader. Explaining how fun and playful the new pocketcamera is, how colorful and "crazy" the images can become if you use the new settings and modes already programed into the camera, all for your creative side to explore. Did we become that stupid and dull? And to top off the CP+ convention walking tour the organizers had thrown out this wild-card and displayed a section dedicated not to the gear but to photography (often a secondary thing when talking about "photography" in Japan, weird isn't it). New upcoming photo enthusiasts (pro/amateur…I don't know, I don't care to be honest) had their work on display. Now I could see in person how the industry rub off on the market and influence whom ever is up to buy the products on sale and follow the guidlines. Some of these young boys and girls had nice stuff, those that had wondered off the beaten track and thought up something personal and done it their own way…perhaps. However, 90% was just either fun, crazy, colorful and inspiration taken from a manual of a pocket camera, that or sinister sado-erotic feel based on some garu in multiple half naked poses, kind of purposeless and boring if I can say so. But yeah, the bunnies do play a big role in Japanese photography apparently who could have guessed? Anyways, it is what it is and will always be what it is, I kind of knew what to expect just, I hoped that I could take home a little bit of knowledge, something inspiring…maybe next expo? Hard to imagine though!