The best.

JR; I know how you did it!

I’m in Nara, Japan and life is swell. The last few days one of the nicest families have taken me under their wings and given me and my friend Björn a place to stay. It will be sad to leave here but that day will come all too soon. It’s when you meet people like the Maeda family that one start to believe in the world again.

For those other days, when the world just seem like a f-cked up place, just remember that  “No, I’m not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain’t shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist.”

Wallpaper

There is Wallpaper and then there's wallpaper

Tokyo; a love story?

Tokyo, I asked you to reveal yourself for me. So you have done. I’m smitten. A long short time I’ve been here now. It feels like we’re just about to get to know each other a little bit more intimately. Like we’re about to sit down for a lengthy dinner to get the answers of all those questions that so often are left un-asked. I’ve gotten my first impression of you, and it’s good. Your mom need not worry. She has raised you well. I know this is a love affair that takes place on the run; my journey. We don’t speak the same language. Often I don’t understand you. You talk, but never loudly. You laugh, you point, you prod, you pinch, you draw with your foot on the wet asphalt, and when everything fails you bow a bit and smile. Never resigning, just allowing this to be as it is. Still it’s hard to really understand you. But I feel it’s not necessary. Not now. It’s our first date.

As all first dates it has to end. I hope their will be a chance for another soon?!

Tokyo; beginning to end.

Another place, another time

Sometimes it feels like the world is just so absurd as it really is. Today I’ve been hunting down that picture that I really want to have. I think it might work well with a story we’re working on. So I traveled for an hour to get there. This includes the maze that is Tokyu station, even managed a pit stop at the restrooms there. Yes, most metro stations in Tokyo seem to have a restroom or two. Maybe necessary since your trips tend to be quite long. I digress. I traveled, as I said, for an hour to arrive at the location to find a nice guard saying “Sorry, close at four, close at four.”

I got a wee bit annoyed with myself.

Why did I go first to Tokyo Hands, then to Loft and then to…. instead of doing my job? Don’t really know but, well, I’m glad I did. Now I’m also glad I did arrive to late. I got to do something I haven’t done in a while. I went looking for something else and found it, I think. Anyway, it was fun to yet again take photos of things that I just wanted to photograph. That I felt was esthetically pleasing. They probably wont fit into any story, but why care about such trivial things?

Anyway, to return to the absurdity of the world. It’s not! Most things are not absurd. They are just what would’ve happened if it could’ve happened. Murphy’s law comes to mind. An article I read recently in the exiledonline.com written by the one and only war nerd, said something similar but in the most un-pc way possible if I remember correctly. Maybe I don’t but then the war nerd seem to always aim for the un-pc so who cares?

Ok, I seem to wander off on paths that wont take me to the place I’m heading. Hmphf, that did just open up quite a lot of questions for me. Did that sentence make sense? Then, does this? ” A man leaving on a business trip wouldn’t be missed if he never arrived.” Heard David Bowie say that once on a show on the telly. I’ve never quite figured out what he meant. Is it a question or a statement to start with?

A week and a day ago I was far from the megalopolis that is Tokyo. I was having 57% booze in the mountains of Sichuan. The local party representative spoke about life. He said it wasn’t his destiny to travel. He probably will never see another country but his own. And further it was in my destiny to travel. Thus I was there. Therefore it was our destiny to meet. Which we did. Now I’m here. Closer to the people from this little village than I was before back home in Sweden but still many dimensions removed.

I feel lost at times. Especially when it comes to my photography. The urge I feel to photograph some things and sometimes the revulsion towards snapping away at others. Today I felt at peace when I lost my way and never arrived. I wasn’t missed but then on the other hand the photo is still there to be taken. I’m returning for it.

 

"Somehow I find this display highly erotic"

 

 

Lost in symmetry

It’s absolutely fantastic. I’ve lost myself somewhere in all the symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes and forms that surround me. Even when I sleep I feel like I’m sleeping on top of a symmetrical form….oh wait, that’s because my bed is as hard as a plank. It’s definite then, I’m in Japan! Seriously though, everywhere I go I see all these lines and shapes. It sort of drives me mad because I see so many other photographers work in it. And with all the ruckus going on about photographers copying each others work, well I guess I don’t want to get accused of stealing. Then on the other hand someone famous once said “amateurs imitate, professionals steal”, so I don’t know, I’ll just do what I do and see where I end up.

Yoyogi station, Tokyo

It’s raining in Tokyo.

It’s raining outside my window in Shin-Koiwa. I’ve just woken up after a late night surfing the news about the earth quake in Chile. Such tremendous forces at work underneath us. I spent the last few weeks in Sichuan, China that got hit real bad in 2008. The sheer destruction that is still visible there is still somewhat incomprehensible for me. And I have stood on the ridge over Beichuan city peering down into the empty ghost town. Nevertheless, I still can not fathom how it must be to experience such a catastrophic event.

It makes one think though on the extent of destructiveness that we can get caught in. In Chile the death toll seem to be far from the massive losses in Haiti according to the first reports. The news report on how Chile has prepared for such an event for a long time and how this might have helped keeping the numbers down. We’ll see in the days to come. In China, the government has vowed around 1 trillion yuan to rebuild. The events themselves are cataclysmic, they are natural disasters, but the responses to them and the situations before them are nothing but man-made. And one also can not forget the post-situation and the effect that such a cataclysm have on people and on society, long-lasting effect.

It’s raining in Tokyo today; I imagine that heaven is weeping.

Beichuan, February 2010. The town lays in ruin as a reminder. A new Beichuan is built elsewhere

The old weak and pregnant

If you’re old weak and pregnant at Chegndu airport you may sit here.

How to motivate your workers. No wonder the Chinese keep kicking the rest of the world’s ass!

You think we got delayed? Fog and smog combined at Beijing Capital Airport is

a good way to keep two swedes and a bunch more a wee bit longer on Chinese

soil. Apparently the 1.3 billion already living there isn’t enough.

Digital frenzy in Tokyo

I’m in Japan and obviously one has to go a bit insane with all the hi-tech mojos that are available. Nevertheless, it seems like the prices here are just as steep as in Sweden without the added comfort of a world-wide warranty. But what is good with a tech frenzied population is that the second-hand market is quite impressive. Which turned out well for me and I managed to do a killing on a Ricoh GrD-II. So now I have a little snapshot camera and it’s seriously fun to shoot with it! I’ve only shot about 50 images so far but I honestly think I’m falling in love with the point and shoot style of photography. All of a sudden I just snap away at what I see not bothering too much with framing and such. The result, well that’s another question. I’m sure I’ll start framing my shots a bit more when the novelty of the snapping wear off. The only thing that concerns me a tiny bit right now is the noise levels on this happy little snapper. Well, maybe I shouldn’t worry to much but having been used to shooting full frame dslr’s, not to mention the medium format and once in a while some 4×5″ film I can’t say I’m overly impressed with these nail-sized censors of the point and shoots. Well I guess one can not get it all, or maybe I’m just exposing like a complete ass? Anyone that uses one of these thingies that can give some advice on how to get the noise level down a bit? Seriously, not even on ISO 200 is it really acceptable…or maybe as I suggested it’s down to the guy with the finger on the levels, rings and small buttons?!

Here are some of my first tests with a point and shoot ever. Cropped them square as well just for the heck of it.

who’s smart and who’s the pro?

Sorry japanese schoolgirl but you asked for it!

Umbrellas. Only one other place have I seen so many umbrellas and that’s in San Sebastián.

There they steal them as fast as they can though. You can leave your wallet on the table and it

will still be there when you return from the bar but you umbrella will be long gone. Here in

Tokyo you place your umbrella outside the restaurant when you eat and it’s still there when

you’ve finished your meal half an hour later. Wicked!

Go window shopping somewhere else!

Useless post

Ok, so this is a bit of a useless post. I’ve left Sweden for a few days. I’m on assignment which almost sounds a bit pretentious. Nonetheless, I’m not sure if I can post here what I’m doing and where I am, so I won’t. Currently I’m tucked down in a hotel bed with the rain pounding against the window. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Lots of interviews booked and lots of photos that needs to get shot. Wish me luck, or maybe not. Once I did have a short career in theater and one of the things I learnt was never to wish anyone good luck. So don’t, tomorrow I’ll create my own!

Old picture, nevertheless the message is as valid today as it was whenever it

was created. Sofia, Bulgaria 2006. ©pettercohen