Depths of our City

Depths of our City, originally uploaded by TokyoTImeFlickr.

The underground subway system of NYC is a pretty astonishing and epic thing.
This was shot in the Whitehall stop on the R train. The last stop before entering Brooklyn. In this place all I see are tourists and suits.
Not my scene, really.

I wonder if the subway walls are amused by the masses of people coming and going. Fashion trends and new faces of different cultures emerging all the time. New tracks, new trains, and new conductors.
They even witness the stalactites of filth forming.

I wonder...

Oil in Swan Lake Dance

Oil in Swan Lake 2, originally uploaded by TokyoTImeFlickr.

Hello all!

I've come back from a bit of a hiatus.
Just wandering in my thoughts is all. In my wandering I found that I have to come back to showing people my photos. I never stopped taking photos but I lost interest in showing them to other people.

A friend of mine who is traveling the country at the moment sent some encouraging words about my photos. I didn't realize anyone was viewing or even interested. I started this so I might be able to inspire others through my photos. I've lost track of what that means and lost faith in people.
When you lose faith in people, you lose faith in yourself.
Because you are in fact a part of the people.

I'm also changing how I upload pictures.
I'm going back to my old way.
Mainly for the ease of it. ^_^
They will appear smaller now, but you can just click it to get to a bigger picture! see? Baby food.

I used to work with a day laborer in my rooftop gardening days who would call easy tasks, Baby Food.
''You want me to carry this soil up two floors? Oh that's baby food, no problem".

Each picture will be a separate post for dramatic viewing!
And cus it's easier for me!
But mainly because it's easier for me. ^_^

Thank you,
and I apologize for the 3 month hiatus.

-Yuj

Oil in Swan Lake Exposed

Oil in Swan Lake Exposed, originally uploaded by TokyoTImeFlickr.

I encountered this one day during a normal commute to work through Time square.

A dreaded place it is. Mobbed with tourists, beggars, and walking advertisements.

Sometimes there are woman with their whole bodies completely painted. Sometimes there are break dancers putting on a really "Urban" show. And other times shiny cars are placed in the center of it all showcasing the newest models.

Often I wonder how many tourists have pictures of loved ones with me in the background with a watering can strapped to my backpack. Now that's amusing.

Oil in Swan Lake

Oil in Swan Lake, originally uploaded by TokyoTImeFlickr.

But my favorite part these days about the awful Time square are the tourists from around the world wearing T-shirts that say "American Idiot" on it. Classic.

We're dumb, we're fat, we're proud and we don't give a shit. The American way.

The Ghosts of Our Past.

Hi there!

102 degrees got ya down?
Never mind that nonsense!
You're here to look at more pictures, right?
so enjoy yourself on the interwebs.
My most recent batch of pictures I had developed were...well..not very good.
but I have a couple of alright shots.
ya just have to keep on shooting. Good or Bad.
I do it out of necessity.
It's a need to record my life in fragments and moments.
So that moment has play back value.
I can feel that fraction of a second all over again, pulling the entire memory even closer.
My time is mine to record. Who else will, if I don't?

This first shot is of Jaggery performing at a Yoga studio in Manhattan.
Spaciousness that would make a young woman curl up her toes and dance to the music only she can hear. It was a very intimate and dimly lit set. This shot was set in Bulb mode and I left the shutter open for about 15 seconds.
Singer Mali is that mass of wispy white dress on the left.
The ghost of Mali haunts us after every performance.

The Ghost of Singer Mali
Yogaworks, Manhattan

The Ghost of Scott Seelig.
Cafe Orwell, Brooklyn

The Ghost of Vessela.
Cafe Orwell, Brooklyn

The Ghost of Goli.
Cafe Orwell, Brooklyn

Thank you for viewing!
Next will be my first roll of film with a Zenit 3M freshly shipped from the Ukraine!

Photos in this post are taken with a Belomo Vilia.

The God Effect.

So...do you ever shoot with Digital anymore?

no..not really. Sometimes.

Why not?

Because of the God Effect.


Hello all,

Welcome back to A Hundred Thousand Lucks.
I was asked today why I don't shoot in digital much anymore.
I first started to really love photography when I received my first digital camera(canon elph SD500) as a gift. Easy to carry, everything is pretty much automated and it taught me composition at a rapid pace. Few years later I graduated to a used Pentax *istD. This is how I learned of the workings of an SLR. Simple to understand, easy to operate, but with endless possibilities. Add the post-editing mindset and you have a highly altered digital photo creating process.
Sure it looks crisp, clear and pretty. Photos can easily be made to look hyper-realistic with the technology and editing skills available to us today. But something inside me tells me that these impeccable photos are not truthful. They're manipulated to seem impeccable.
It's a rare occasion to see in hyper-reality. It absolutely does happen, though. The right conditions have to match up with the right timing and the right emotions.(And camera)
This is what I call the God Effect. Sometimes God is ready for you to click that shutter for a perfect photo and other times God doesn't give a damn about your artistic vision. The God effect is the unknown. The seemingly random things that bless us and curse us. It's present in everyday things like a Poker game, cooking, fishing, etc. It's different from luck in the way that it doesn't come from within us but works around us. It's everywhere.
Shooting in film gives me a chance to capture moments in all its honesty.
It is in fact only a chance and I may find one good photo out of a hundred rolls of film, but I can proudly say that that one photo is honest, pure, and true.
I am in love with the God Effect and I will pursue the unknown to whatever end.



The God Effect.
Dumbo, Brooklyn

Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass.
Dumbo, Brooklyn

Portrait of an Odyssey.
Leonia, NJ

The Aura of Intention.
Brooklyn Boulders, Park Slope

Skywalking.
Brooklyn Boulders, Park Slope

Inspired By Spires.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral, NYC.

Ghost Train Cometh.
WTC Station, Financial District NYC

Thank you all for coming and I hope you enjoyed your stay!
Come again soon!

-Yuji

Photos in this post are taken with a Smena 8M and Kodak 400CN B&W film.

It's a new Layout! BIRDIES!

Hello Hello!

Welcome back for more strange pictures taken with crappy cameras!
I've taken a liking to the Kodak 400CN B&W 35mm film.
Our film technology has advanced leaps and bounds since the original production of Belomo Vilias.
It almost compensates for how inefficient my machines are. (almost)

Speaking of inefficient machines. I recently broke down and purchased a Zenit 3M!
It's a real old Russian SLR originally produced from 1962 up to 70.
It's based off of a camera that's a copy of the popular Leica II's.
Which means it's a copy of a copy of a Leica. It's also alot cheaper. ^_^
I'm pretty excited!...but I must be patient. It's flying all the way from the Ukraine.
It won't be here anytime soon....




oh right..so anyway! some pictures!
Some are from the new Highline park in Manhattan. Some are from the Met museum and even from a merrill lynch building that I visit for work every tuesday.
The subway car shot was a fun experiment. We were on the first cart going forward.
I squeezed my camera against the tinted window. Then I held the aperture open for 10, 12 seconds as we emerged out from the tunnel into the next station. And despite the window being tinted, I thought it came out quite nice.
There are also some pictures that are a mystery as to where I took them...that's not surprising is it? meeeh well what can ya do?

I hope you enjoy your stay here!



Unknown Shot.
?,?

Keep your eyes on the tracks.
E train, Manhattan

Ghosts in the shot.
Office Building, Manhattan

Unnatural Nature.
Office Building, Manhattan

City fauna.
Highline Park, Manhattan (shot from)

More Bamboo!
Bamboo Exhibit.
The Met, Manhattan

I Can Tell When Your Mind is Elsewhere.
The Met, Manhattan

Thank you so much for viewing!
Much love to you all.

Photos in this post are taken with a Belomo Vilia and Kodak 400CN B&W film.

Poaceae and a Bridge.

Poaceae is the Grass family.
Bamboo is actually a grass. I bet you learned that from a snapple cap.
It is in fact the largest growing grass. It's also extremely strong and flexible.
Some of these shots are from an exhibit at the Met.
With a guided tour you can go on the bamboo paths and walk up and around through the structure.
I didn't get a chance to do this because of time restrictions but perhaps I will get to visit again.
The rest are from Central Park.
I've walked across the Park countless times but never have I seen this amazing bridge.
I tend to get to my destination by instinct. I have a general idea of direction but for the most part I am going by common sense and feel. This type of navigation is by no means actually good.
But it seems to be good for me. When I start to feel completely lost, I'll try and do things like visualize the name of the block i'm trying to get to on a street sign. This method has never failed me. I always end up finding my destination, but in the meantime I'm also worried sick that I might be hopelessly lost.

This roll was very educational. I learned that my viewfinder is so inaccurate because I am supposed to be shooting within a bracket inside the viewfinder. But the lines are so faded that I never knew they even existed! I was only able to see them after very close inspection.
There will be no more cutting off of foreheads! Enjoy!


Bamboo Exhibit.
The Met, Manhattan

Bamboo Exhibit.
The Met, Manhattan

Bamboo Exhibit.
The Met, Manhattan

Petaluma and Bamboo.
The Met, Manhattan

Timeless Bridge.
Central Park, Manhattan

Petaluma and the Timeless Bridge.
Central Park, Manhattan

Petaluma.
Somewhere, Manhattan

Thank you for viewing!
-y
Photos in this post are taken with a Belomo Vilia and Kodak 400CN B&W film.

Sights from a Cloud

Here are some shots from an expired Fuji 400 color roll, using my Belomo Vilia.
I bought a bunch of these rolls because they were just so cheap.
But it's true. You get what you pay for.
These were exceptionally crappy because they only have 12 shots in a roll.
I will never return to crappy film again.
My cameras are crappy enough, my film should be at least...unexpired.

But that doesn't mean I'll turn down any free expired film. *wink*


The first three are shots from the Cloud Club in Boston.
Half of the fourth is a window view from an attic and the other half is the bus.

I don't really know what this is. A vent?
Cloud Club, Boston

Doors of a cloud.
Cloud Club, Boston

Green Horsey.
Cloud Club, Boston

Daydreaming on the way to work.
Attic/Bus


I've decided to put up some bonus shots from the last two rolls of Panoramic and B&W film.
The shot of the building with all of its magnificent reflections was inspired by Alyse Liebovich.
She has many published photos and is an overall dynamic person. Her photos are just as dynamic, if not more.
She captures reflections and patterns that make you look twice.

The second shot is of well...a tree! and a REALLY dark chandelier.
I really like how the left half with the light bulbs came out so dark and soft.


Reflecting patterns.
Undisclosed location, Mid-town

Treedelier.
My home/Quercus

Thanks for viewing!
-y

Look who it is!

And these are the last of the black and white roll, but certainly not the least.
This is the beautiful Petaluma Vale at her University after receiving her scholarly awards.
Congratulations!

This was around 6 or 7pm. The Sun was setting and the skies became overcast.
I love when far from optimal conditions create surprising effects like this.
Just because your conditions aren't optimal doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it anyway.
Keep Shooting. Don't stop.
As my main man Chosan would say.
Keep Shining.






Hope you enjoyed this roll. More to come with expired color film from the 80's.
-y