Some informal observations after yesterday’s ceremony:
I wonder whether these observations reflect generational, situational changes or do they reflect changing perceptions of the faculty? I’ve heard that students from Western Japan are more reluctant to attend University in the Kanto region after 11/3/11. One can only speculate.
The Kahitsukan (何必館), a contemporary art gallery in Gion that frequently exhibits black and white photography, currently has a show of prints by Magnum photojournalist, Marc Riboud. The exhibition closes on April 22. If you are interested in seeing the exhibition, and would like a free ticket, let me know.
There’s a really good tsubo niwa (坪庭) on the top floor of the Kahitsukan.
(click for larger image)
According to the EXIF data this picture of the moon was taken on 2011/11/6 at 20:10 hrs with a SONY NEX-5 and a Leitz Summicron 50mm f/2 lens. The exposure was 13 sec, with the gain set to +2EV at ISO 1600, equivalent to ISO 400. I don’t have a record of the aperture, but it was probably stopped down to prolong the (automatic) exposure. No tripod.
Here are some light paintings made with the same method, but aiming the camera along the horizon to catch photons from shops, cars, and street lamps.
(click for larger images)
Excercise: Why do the latter three ‘light paintings’ contain many segmented lines whereas the moon picture is made up of smooth continuous lines? What determines the length of these segments? Exposures for these three images were (6 sec, 3.2 sec, 3.2 sec) respectively.
(click images for larger size)
More film photos, this time taken with a Nikon FM2 and Nikkor 50mm f1.8, a classic camera and lens both of near-legendary quality, and Kodak Gold 400. This film is one of Kodak’s cheapest offerings but, as you can see, there is nothing cheap about the quality. Some of these scenes should be familiar since they were all taken in Kinugasa, not far from campus.
By the way, when are we going to start making life easier for cyclists? Bicycles have the potential to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems.
I always bring both film and digital cameras on my travels. This time I brought only my iPhone 4s, Nikon F3 (HP model) and two lenses Nikkor 24mm f2.8 and Nikkor 50mm f2.0 on my trip to Naoshima. I’ve had the 50/2.0 lens since I bought it new in 1977, when I was 15 years old. These pictures were taken using Kodak Portra 160 film (both NC and new types).
Today, at the annual ICS Antique Camera Fair in Matsuya, Ginza this afternoon, I noticed a new addition to the line up of booths: Kawauso Film shop. They are an online retailer offering a large range of black and white and colour films, as well as other goods for do-it-yourself film photography such as developing tanks and chemicals. This is probably the largest range of unusual films I’ve seen offered by any retailer in Japan. Suzuki-san explained to me that the owner is a photographer living in the Shiretoko peninsula, Hokkaido. Orders, however, are shipped from the Kanto area, so delivery charges are not different from what one would expect for Honshu. Here’s a photo of Suzuki-san with the range of films they were exhibiting at the ICS show:
Suzuki-san is also a film photography enthusiast. She explained to me that Croatian-made Efke films have a larger silver content than is common with current black and white films, so the tonal range is exceptionally good. I’ve used 127 format in ISO 100 in the past and found the film has a tendency to curl, but I decided to buy a roll of Efke ISO 50 in 135 and 120 and give it another try. With enthusiasts like the Kawauso staff and the makers of Efke and Rollei stocks, the future of film photography seems assured. If you have any interest in photography, it is well worth looking at the Kawauso web pages.
Finally here’s this year’s poster for the ICS show, linked from the ICS web pages.
I’m visiting Tokyo for a couple of days to work on an article with a colleague. I’ll also have some time for museum and art gallery visits. First stop: Mori Art Museum in the Roppongi Hills complex, where I caught two shows today, including a major solo exhibition by one of East Asia’s leading contemporary artists, Lee Bul. The show is billed as the “First large scale solo exhibition by Asia’s leading female artist.” I’m not sure whether or not Lee Bul is Asia’s leading female artist. Her artfacts.net ranking is dropping. But her work certainly has great intellectual depth and originality. I may post something separately about the show.
Picture-taking was not allowed inside the Lee Bul show. Here are a few shots taken afterwards.
Spotted in the Mori Art Museum bookshop: Japanese and English catalogues for the recent exhibition on the Metabolist architectural movement, and Rem Koolhaas‘ recent book on the subject. More about this in another future post.
There are some stylishly dressed people in the Mori Arts Museum. I liked this lady’s blue and black colour scheme, to which the photo does no justice.
The plaza outside the Mori Tower has a cosmopolitan atmosphere that recalls parts of Montreal. This Louise Bourgeois spider sculpture contributes to the feeling.
Both Google and Baidu have offices in the Mori Tower, as do Goldman-Sachs and Barclays. Rent must be high and things seem expensive here.
Witnessed earlier in Yuraku-cho on the way to Roppongi from Tokyo station:
After seeing prices in Roppongi Hills complex, it is much easier to understand why everyone is desperate to win the lottery.
Inside Roppongi station, on the Hibiya line. Wherever we go, we’re soon reminded of home.
While checking the web page with instructions for course proposals for Siggraph Asia 2012, I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the Siggraph Asia 2012 page uses images from the course Prof. Sidney Fels and I have been teaching at Siggraph recently.
From left to right:
Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but I suspect that what appeals to the organizers of Siggraph Asia 2012 about our images is the suggestion of East-West collaboration and combination of high-tech and high-culture, a mix that seems to suit Singapore, where the conference will be held.
If you need to take a break from the graduation show, this cafe is located about a ten minute walk from T-Joy at Karasuma-Kujo. According to the owner the VW van dates from 1965. It still works and she drives it every day. Only ￥250 for a strong coffee!
Caffe Mammamia
出店住所：〒601‐8041京都市南区東九条南烏丸町32
営業時間：１３：００－２２：００ ２１：３０ LO
定休：月曜日(イベント出店の臨時休業有ります。随時HPで予告します。)
HP：http://caffe-mammamia.com
Blog: http://mammamia.blog.shinobi.jp/
