This guy is awesome!

[Murph]

Ooookay, not sure what you mean, but I don't think he is a cliche. THose Japanese photographers are what I would call fetish or just out there in the cheap seats. For a better appreciation of Japanese photography try: http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l 1=0&pid=2K7O3R134UFJ&nm=Hiroji%20Kubota or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuhiro_Ishimoto or http://www.skjstudio.com/japanese/PF39004.html http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/activ...winners/10.htm http://www.skjstudio.com/japanese2/hayashi.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masao_Horino http://fotonoma.jp/photographer/

Originally Posted by johnastovall

I just see a lot of western visual clichés of Japan. If you want to see Japan see it through Japanese eyes for that I turn to photographers like Daido Moriyama or Nobuyoshi Araki.

[KdLaneJr]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

I just see a lot of western visual clichés of Japan. If you want to see Japan see it through Japanese eyes for that I turn to photographers like Daido Moriyama or Nobuyoshi Araki.

Not sure what's worse, the links you posted or the onslaught of obituaries you seem to relish in posting.

[d2creative]

haha, ok nice try changing my words Robert, but ummmm... no.

"A pity though that some were forced into that odd crop" is absolutely not "I'm right, so you must be wrong." It's more like, "That looks like a fantastic image that got cropped in an odd way and it bothers me that I can't see more". Hence, "it's a pity though that some were forced into that odd crop".

You are the one who said you didn't think enough of yourself to give your honest opinion, not me. I don't know you so I can't make that statement. I do think you have some great work in your pbase portfolio so you SHOULD think more highly of yourself. Maybe not take everything so seriously though, eh? Just because John and I had some different opinions than you doesn't make TPF all snooty and "upper crust".

And yes, I am very sarcastic. Thanks for noticing.

[ShutteredEye]

Originally Posted by d2creative

haha, ok nice try changing my words Robert, but ummmm... no.

"A pity though that some were forced into that odd crop" is absolutely not "I'm right, so you must be wrong." It's more like, "That looks like a fantastic image that got cropped in an odd way and it bothers me that I can't see more". Hence, "it's a pity though that some were forced into that odd crop".

You are the one who said you didn't think enough of yourself to give your honest opinion, not me. I don't know you so I can't make that statement. I do think you have some great work in your pbase portfolio so you SHOULD think more highly of yourself. Maybe not take everything so seriously though, eh? Just because John and I had some different opinions than you doesn't make TPF all snooty and "upper crust".

And yes, I am very sarcastic. Thanks for noticing.

Must be yet another case of perpetual misunderstanding due to lack of non-verbals over the intarweb. Thank you for clarifying your thoughts.

Now let me clarify what I intended by my comments. I did not say I thought so little of myself to refrain from an honest opinion. Rather, I would hope that I'd find a constructive way to express my opinion and open a dialogue as opposed to creating hostility and animosity.

In honor of Randy Pausch's passing a couple weeks ago, I've been revisiting his 'Last Lecture' series. One anecdote he relates tells of when he was first hired as a teaching assistant at CMU. The professor he was under pulled him aside one day and told him, "It's unfortunate that people perceive you as being so arrogant. I think it will end up limiting what you can achieve." Randy Pausch's comment was, "He could have just told me I was being a jerk." I have a real problem with coming across very arrogantly, mostly because my whole life I've enjoyed the benefits of a God-given intellect and parents who cared enough to instill in me a thirst for excellence. So, humility is something I've been working on full time. I figure if it was important enough for a man who knows he is quickly dying to relate in a lecture he admits he actually put together for the benefit of his kids, then maybe I should pay attention.

Thank you for taking the time to look through my pBase account--it's more than I did for you, (I'll remedy that when I'm through here.) I humbly appreciate your praise.

I look forward to reading your commentary on other's work--at least now I know it will be honest criticism.

[Murph]

This guy is about my favorite, his book Japan: The Four Seasons is a prized possession: http://www.johnny-hymas.net/HomepageEN.html

[alainphoto]

Internet is fun ... sometimes randomly in the year you take a look at your url referrals, and you end up in a texas forum

I'll try to answer a bit about the crop point, as it is a common question about my work :)

I use 3/2 cameras (20D and 1D3), and various formats. After some research and tries, I really think the 16/9 suits my taste better, I find it much stronger in term of compisition and like the way it make the eye travel into the picture.

This really suited my taste so I shoot most of my pics with this format in mind. I don't need gridlines in the viewfinder, it became really natural very quickly. I just take into acount than a bit of the top part and of the bottom part of the image will ot appear, that's all.

I therefore don't crop much more than this. The only limitations that makes me crop sometimes more than that are :
- focus points precisions of the outer AF points of the 20D, even with bright primes like 85II (solved by the 1D3)
- or if the actions is so quick that Idon't have time to select the correct AF point (fast dance is currently the only example)

Still, I use all format and you'll find a few square or 3/2 images.
Here is an exemple

For sure, some of the images are better than others. Sometimes the format suits one better than another. Some people shot pano and choose a different ratio for each image, but I choose differently, that's all.

Also, some images on the japan page are very old, and I hope I improved my vision as well as my technics with time. I have to sort them by year some time soon, but it takes time I don't really have

I hope I answered a few remarks about the crop format. It's a limitation as well as a strength for my work. I keep thinking about it and will evolve the the time is right. I'm not in a hurry.

Cheers Texas, and happy shooting ;)

Alain

PS sorry for my bad english !

[Murph]

Hello! Your English is fine, and thanks for joining our little site. Abel has done a marvelous job here, and there are some very friendly people on this site. Please stay and visit a while.

[alainphoto]

Thanks Murph ;)

I'll take a look around, some nice images here, and some good comments also :D constructive criticisum is a good way to improve ;)

[ShutteredEye]

Welcome Alain!

[Murph]

His stuff just gets better and better.