Sakura in Nakameguro

Sakura in Nakameguro

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Normally the streets along the canal here in Nakameguro have lanterns and it gets all lit up in the evening, but this year like everywhere else in Tokyo no light-ups had been held to save electricity for the concern of unexpected power shortage due to the temporary shutting down of the nuclear power plants in Fukushima. But that was no big deal, without lanterns I think it looked all white and extra beautiful. It would actually and probably (or hopefully) be the only year I could photograph the sakura here looking like these without lanterns in sight. (You can see what it normally looks like here in my old post.)

Sakura was all over the place, up in the sky, down on the ground, in the reflections and in the shadows, fallen petals even in my hands. Looking at people having great time, smiling, made me smile (half crying) I must have looked insane but I will remember this year's sakura as a very special memory and I hope you enjoyed my sakura photos! :)

Comments: 16

sakura

sakura

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

I'm a bit behind I know, the petals have already all fallen and it's all green with young leaves by now. I know they'd all look the same, every year I get so many photos that look almost the same, but it's just too hard to stop photographing! But oh what a beauty it all was. What a comfort it all has been!

Comments: 14

ROLLS TOHOKU

ROLLS TOHOKU

Friday, 15 April 2011

All images are from ROLLS TOHOKU.

I'm sure many of you have seen enough devastating imagery of the Tohoku disaster and I never meant to post any sad images here. But these, I simply could not help sharing. These are all taken by the people in the worst damaged areas, mostly by children who have lost their houses and their possessions. These are from their everyday life, a few weeks after the disaster.

A Japanese photographer Aichi Hirano went into the earthquake & tsunami-hit areas around Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture carrying lots of instant cameras with him. He handed the cameras to the people in the evacuation centres and asked them to photograph what they see, what they want to record or remember, people around them, the ones they love, or just anything they want to photograph. And he asked them to enjoy it as much as they can.

ROLLS TOHOKU 3/31 - 4/3 is the project Hirano set up, to showcase photographs of the disaster-stricken areas by the victims themselves to tell the world what's really there and the people's thoughts and views other than what have been brought to us through media hoping that people who thought and felt something from seeing these photographs will act to help for the recovery in the way and through what they can/want/believe, and most importantly "to continue doing it for as long as possible".

Most faces seen in the ROLLS TOHOKU are with smiles. They are not the sad photographs but are filled with lights of hope.
All so amazingly beautiful.

Comments: 20

spring sprung

spring sprung

Friday, 8 April 2011

The world is so beautiful, that is why we have to take a good care of it.
I hope for the better tomorrow.

Comments: 24

late march

late march

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Hello everyone. Today I have some photos to share :)

I didn't touch my cameras for 2 weeks after the quake (except some I did with my iPhone for instagram), I kind of lost all the motivation or passion for photography (or pretty much on everything else). But after the 2 weeks I loaded a new roll of film on my new old minolta which I had bought on online auction just before the quake. So here are some of my first shots with a new friend.

The second last photo is my niece Ako painting for people in Sendai. (She drew a cow and milk as she said they couldn't buy milk in Sendai before she left) She actually lives there herself but she was lucky enough to have been brought to Tokyo and she's been enjoying her spring holidays here. She will go back later this week as her new school year starts soon, I'm going to really miss her when she goes but she gives me another reason I must stay strong. (She has been helping me so much to keep going!)

Comments: 21