Gekikotare - Morgana Live gig's

Satanic Heritage, Heavy Death Metal…always delivers

OGRE, Trash/Death…Brutal force

Self Destruction, Crust Core…real fast and totally furious

COFFINS, Doom/Death…Heavier than lead!

Fade-outs…it  happens

AlDente

Photo and Metal friend Roger from Italy approved and passed todays lunch at in my killer pasta joint in Shinjuku. Mata tabesugimashita!

Hasselblad Project - The Heat Is On

Had our first real sit-down yesterday. The Hasselblad project a.k.a "One Roll of Film" start to take shape. This is a collaboration between 3 expat Tokyoite photographers (me, Paul and Bahag, check FB) shooting 1 roll of 120mm film i.e. 12 frames in a day using Hasselblads 500 series medium format camera(B/W or Color) with a prime 80mm f/2.8 lens. I could write quite a piece about this topic, amd will, but I leave it for this time. Keep your eyes open for how the projects progresses in a very near future. 

Questions you have to ask yourself; What can you do, within what range and where lays your ability as a film photographer now years after mainly shooting digital? How do you represent being a Hasselblad photographer, using the most prestigous and top of the range classic cameras of all time? What can/will this camera and film medium bring out of you? Do you still have the eye, sense and feeling to produce a good image that hopefully stands out?

Some links :

One Roll Of Film - Hasselblad Project

Tokyo Visuals - Creative Group

Shinjuku Night Session

Shot the band photo of OGRE last night in the more shady parts of Kabukicho which is already the shadiest part of Shinjuku, home turf and stomping ground of the band and also where their rehearsal studio is located. Check the work I shot for their first album back in 2009 HERE and HERE, 4 years ago, now with a new drummer and guitarist. I have been shooting the underground metal/punk/HC music scene for many years, check it out HERE (Kerry King, Psycho Mike, Scott Ian, legendary concert with At The Gates, Mayhem etc…it's all there if you scroll down).

Enough with that clumsy and nestle of cords stress. Radio slaves are all fine but I might have found another way. Photographer friend Roger suggested the smallest of battery powered LED lights a couple of weeks ago. More than enough for fill light even at rather wide and large frames like the ones above. Fancy gear and Looks-Like-A-Pro doesn't really cut it when it comes to shooting at these locations where blending in and speed is the key.

Less Is More

Cherry Mania

Another Tokyo spring, another cherry tree blooming bonanza. Can't say I am thrilled, never been. The whole place just reeks pink cuteness and over the top beauty. If I just won the lottery or someone told me that National Geographic Magazine has decided with Magnum Photo agency to make me the man of the year… then maybe I could just enjoy the hyper pink environment I have to live in for a week or two every spring. Never been in that mood where the Sakura has an uplifting effect when in bloom. Most Japanese liked it I believe because it gives them a reason to go absolutely ape level shitfaced drunk on the annual hanami (cherry blossom viewing…!), all levels of intoxication is openly accepted and even required if you are a company man/wo-man. Anyways, went out to shoot this fallen cherry tree I found this morning, didn't turn out the way I wanted so here is another one. You won't see another of these from me this year…well, maybe in Black & White, underexposed to the max.

5D MrkII, 16-35mm f/2.8, Polarizer Filter (hence the almost black sky)

Weekend Forester

Just back from a weekend in the Mountains with my Italian friend Mikele. Had the place more or less for ourselves most of the time, the Japanese hiking hoards didn't risk missing the afternoon train heading back to the city and Sunday morning was completely deserted up till late morning. Great stuff to be able to head out with just a tarp, sleeping bag and bivouac off-trail on a lone ridge. Spectacular mood in the forest between dusk till dawn. 

Who doesn't like trees?

Tokyo Days

Went out for a long sought after walkabout in the city today. Nothing special in mind except a visit to Canon Service Center and the new opened Hasselblad jp Center. British photographer/Musician Morgan Fisher has a couple of his "Light Paintings" on the wall. Pretty cool, but too few. Just snapped a couple of frames (5D MarkII, 35mm/f2.0) before heading home for rock-the-socks-off-ya pasta lunch with Branford Marsalis, then packing for the weekends mountain bivouacking photo hike excursion.

(F.T.P)