So how was 2008 for the rest of you? So what do you have to say about 2008? So how did you welcome 2009? So what are your resolution for 2009? Yes there are many answers that I seek but...
Even before you serve me your answers on a mix platter of ups and downs, I would have already guessed that many of you would agree in unison that 2008 did start off pretty well but ended rather falling short of a lot of expectations. Especially with the economic crunch lucking dangerously towards the end of 2008 and into 2009. the gloomy forecast for years ahead and the not so prospective job markets are probably putting the festive moods away. I sure hope everyone had a great New Year Bash because for me, I embraced the New Year less the usual hardcore partying and getting wasted like the welcoming of 2008. Instead, I was busying getting acquainted with my new expensive toy, the ¥152,000 (SGD$2,420) Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM lens. The price quoted by Canon was a whooping ¥205,000 but of course the street price was significantly lower. Because the points from Yodobashi Camera was pretty tempting given the price quoted was ¥183,000, I was still very much into purchasing this lens from them. Other reasons included of course was the sheer size of their shops (buildings actually) and the warranty issues. So once again harnessing the power of the internet, there were obvious loopholes to exploit so in the end I got a brand new piece at ¥152,000. The next closest was an excellent condition second hand piece at Map Camera (Shinjuku) going for ¥148,000 less any forms of warranty.
All that expensive toy aside (like real :p), quite literally I was roaming the streets of Kabukicho (Shinjuku) with a camera hung around my neck, quite ready to fire away. There I met some crazy Japanese and was overwhelmed by their kind gesture and warm hospitality. So moving on, I met Jenna and Henna from Germany and Todd from the U.S. Jenna was of course the perfect specimen for my newly acquired toy so a polite request for her to be my model was humbly accepted. Now witness the power of the lens...straight off the RAW files converted to JPEG using Light Room...Jenna.
Yes indeed street photography seems to be quite an exquisite taste but if you know the model personally, the rest is just the backdrop. So on 31st Dec, I met up with Mariko, my really good friend and Hitomi to crash at a rather gorgeous looking club hidden in the back alleys of Roppongi. The DJ spinning was Mariko's friend, Takafumi and the club was named Ultra Lounge. This time round I had my camera hidden inside the rather menacing looking aluminum case so that I could fool the usual club security but to my surprised I was actually told to take pictures. Hmmm...strings attached I would presumed and yep, the manager actually requested me to take a lot of pictures and send it to him personally. I would have asked for a fee...dang! While busying snapping away, everyone started to count down from 10 to bring in the New Year. Me...I was still shooting people and colors and too amazed at this tiny but expensive toy. And that was how I embraced the New Year, an official self-proclaimed photographer slaving for the sake of inspiration.
Well it's really not that I am not in the mood to party but I thought I was really better off capturing these essential memories and storing them at a decent place online and also sharing with many others than simply keeping them all to myself inside my head which I will probably forget after some heavy drinking. Besides I have really passed those wild partying years to an extent that self preservation and respect for the elements around me are really more crucial than mindless exploitation of youth. Alrite...pardon that fleeting rant so back to business. Quite literally the more I embark on this photojournalism hobby, I seem to find a uncanny sort of connection with my subjects. The camera may seems rather conspicous and poking into people's life but at the same time the pictures taken are usually considered an ice breaker to these strangers. Most of the time, they simply end up online somewhere when I don't even remember their names. At least for me it's rather interesting how a camera and photos can connect strangers in the strangest places. It is also a way for me to get comfortable with my subjects before advancing to capture more shots.
So here are some of my amateurish attempt to utilise my new TOY to embrace 2009!
"Hitomi sandwiched between Mariko to the left and Mariko's friend to the right. And yes I always thought Hitomi was gorgeous."
"Here I am trying to capture the rainbow array of lights against the sea of plain white bottles."
"This had to be one of my favorites because the contrasting background gradient really enhanced subject in focus finished with such soft light."
Of course I cannot forget the remarkable trip up to Nozawa Onsen on 27th Dec 2008 with Cousin Denis and Li Fern. Like all other Singaporeans, we are a huge sucker for the snow. No pics because my precious camera was not ready to be brought up the mountain to sustain possible fatal injuries. Meeting up with my D and L in Tokyo again, this time round I had the honor to test this new pair of specimens for this amazingly wicked lens in the streets of Harajuku.
"Somehow the contrast was exactly what I was looking for so I was glad that it did turned out right."
"Definitely fun framing the small digicam with Li Fern in it."
You see with such large aperture that only a prime lens can offer, the doors of creativity are never lurking too far. Like most comments on the net photography forums, I was really missing out on a lot of aspects in photography before I got this amazing lens. Ok ok I know I am really obsessed with this lens now but hey, this post ain't all about the lens.
Ok here in Japan when it comes to New Year, there are all sort of those goodie bags labeled as "福袋" and boxes labeled as "福箱" in most major stores. These are huge bags or boxes tagged at a fixed price with random goods inside. When I say random I mean the designs and colors because these are actually categorized into sizes and prices. So picking up one of these goodie bags from Adidas would probably contain anything from 1 t shirts, 1 socks, 1 cap, 1 sweater, 1 wrist band, 1 mug, etc. Apparently these goodie bags are really popular in Japan because most of the time the items inside actually exceeds the price you actually pay for it. In the past when the economy is good, there used to be such goodie bags offered by more expensive brands and may contain diamonds and other jewels but the current economic loom had render such goodie bag unrealistic because of the lower disposal consumer income. That aside, Li Fern did pick up a couple of fantastic deals like a pair of limited edt Timberland with velvet trimmings at a ridiculous price of ￥7,000 odd as compared to the usual ￥20,000 price tag for Timberlands. Last year my brother's wife Evelyn picked up a really sweet Timberland cheap too. Too bad the assortment of ladies' boots are so adorable as compared to the limited and unsightly men's boots...UNFAIR!
Staying in my friend's apartment 5 minutes from Shinjuku station was really convenient because I could roam the streets till the wee hours and not worry about hitching a ride back home so I had to really convey a huge gratitude to Morris when he is back. While in Shinjuku, I found a really gorgeous drinking hole which is what I had been looking for all this while. Quiet, mysterious and really really classy. Too bad the music did not matched the setting because classical music doesn't really go well with granite settings. This place is not cheap but for the ambience, I would love to visit it one every couple of months.
My other plans was to visit Meiji Shrine in Harajuku but like every other city with such huge devotee count in major religion, I wasn't even 500 metres near the compound of the shrine. A stampede was the only factor putting me away because I wouldn't risk anything to subject my new to to such fatal possibilities. Well another time perhaps so the next stop had to be in Akihabara (yeah GEEK TOWN) with Denis and Li Fern. Being toy whores, Denis was quick to snap up all his favorite figures and the appeal of the Mario figures was also too astronomical for Li Fern. While for me, I have yet found the ones I am looking for so I ended up buying a plastic 1/6 scale chair. Besides I was also restricting my expenses after the hefty acquisition. In Akihabara, I guess other than the other foreigners, Denis, Li Fern and me, everyone else was pretty much your typical OTAKU stereotype. No I wasn't making fun of them on purpose but you can verify this fact with Denis and Li Fern. 99.9% of the OTAKUs that stormed Akihabara's inside-the-building toy stores wore glasses, geeky dressing, weird color combi, backpacks, off the fashion scale hair style and below average looks. Everyone of them is a male and because they are most likely to be rejected by living female counterparts, they tend to shun real females and prey on such fictional fantasies which of course subjects them to the usual satire.
But here in Japan it's pretty skewed because these OTAKUs are on the extreme edge of the scale the the society that they live in fuels their existence. The great thing about Akihabara is that I really love the collection of toys they offer, a place where I can check out the latest gear, cameras, techie stuffs and the lovely cosplayers and maids loitering around. No matter how many times I have been there, I never grew tired of it because I myself is a geek hidden beneath a up trend fashion conscious cast.
There is still so much of Japan that I am really eager to frame up but I guessed my itinery is pretty tight for this month. Saturday, 10 Jan, there will be a "成人式" which marks the coming of age for Japanese ladies where they turn 20, all dressed up in uber gorgeous looking kimonos with FUR. So this year I did managed to hook up with 1 particular 20 year old young lady to crash such a eye candy event. Hmmm with the new lens my confidence has reached a new level so once again donning my photographer facade, I shall capture the pictures (for my fellow readers of course). Then on 11 Jan, which is my birthday which of course I have no intention of remembering it because I really dread reminding myself that I am hitting 30 soon...DAMN! So God knows what sort of parties are in store for me. 24 Jan I will be heading down to Osaka with another fellow SGrean for a Singaporean Chinese New Year get-together (Thanks Wei Yuet for the invite). After that, laying low and storing up more yen for the Spring Break where I will most likely head down to Kyoto to catch the Cherry Blossoms and perhaps more camera equipment.
So how about everyone else, care to share your plans, thoughts, comments, etc?
P.S. A very Happy New Year to everyone whom I know, may have known or may not know. God bless.
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