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Photography on the Big Screen

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There have been a couple of biographical films recently about photographers.

The first is Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens. It was released in the US in 2007 but I didn’t manage to see it in Japan until it was released on DVD a few months ago. I found it interesting especially the behind the scenes stories of working with various publications and the evolution from journalistic fly on the wall images to high fashion.

AnnieLeibovitz_web

The second movie Visual Acoustics is about the architectural photographer Julius Shulman.
You can see the trailer for the movie here. It was released at cinemas in the US last Friday (October 9th), so it may be a couple of years before I get to watch it. Something to look forward to!

visual-acoustics

Hachiko & Greyfriars Bobby

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Hachiko was an Akita dog that used to meet his owner at Shibuya station when he came home from work. One day his owner suffered a stroke while at work, died and never returned to the station. Hachiko, however, would return each night to the station ever waiting for his friend and master.

A bronze statue of Hachiko stands near the main crossroads in Shibuya. It is one of the most famous meeting spots in Tokyo.

Hachiko in Shibuya, Tokyo

Hachiko Statue, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Over on the other side of the world in Edinburgh, I photographed the statue of Greyfriars Bobby a Skye Terrier who spent  fourteen years guarding his owner’s grave.

Greyfriars Bobby Statue, Edinburgh, Scotland

Greyfriars Bobby Statue, Edinburgh, Scotland

Although unlikely, if I ever make it to the grave of Bobbie, the Wonder Dog in Oregon, I will have completed the Super Dog Triple.

Kamakura Festival

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Along with the horseback archery, last month’s festival at Kamakura included a parade of sacred horses and Shinto priests from Hachimangu Shrine. The weather was cloudy with sporadic rain but I was able to get some portraits of the priests and a few shots of the parade.

Festival at Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura

Festival at Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura

Shinto Priest, Kamakura

Shinto Priest, Kamakura

Shinto Priest, Kamakura

Shinto Priest, Kamakura

On the Bookshelf: South Southeast & In the Shadow of Mountains by Steve McCurry

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Along with the Annie Leibovitz retrospective from my parents, I got two other photography books for my birthday from Seiko, South Southeast and In the Shadow of Mountains both by Steve McCurry.

South Southeast by Steve McCurry

South Southeast is a big book in both physical size (39cm by 29cm) and scope (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Thailand, Cambodia and Burma). It is “a portfolio of the best of Steve McCurry’s photography” and it is simply fantastic. As a coffee table book it will draw oohs and aahs from visitors to you home. For photographers, however,  it is a master class in travel imagery that will make you think more about the shots you take and the places you want to explore.

In the Shadow of Mountains by Steve McCurry

In the Shadow of Mountains is a collection of images taken by Steve over the last three decades in Afghanistan. (Yes it does contain the image of the Afghan girl that appeared on the cover of National Geographic.) I actually prefer that this book focuses on just one country giving me a better feel for the place.

Wonderful images, inspiring stuff.

EarthDesk and the approaching typhoon.

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One little piece of software I have for my computer is EarthDesk. For 25 dollars it gives you god-like powers by transforming your desktop into a real time dynamic image of the planet.  You can gaze down on the Earth and see areas of day, night and moonlight. You can see city lights, the physical topography of the land and cloud cover. When I look at the screen right now I can even see a typhoon approaching from the east.

Here’s a screen shot from my computer.

Screen capture showing EarthDesk and a typhoon approaching.

Screen capture showing EarthDesk and a typhoon approaching.

Clever stuff.