THE JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES #2 - SHOMEI TOMATSU

Shomei Tomatsu (1930 - 2012) is considered the most influential Japanese photographer of the postwar era. 

photo by Shomei Tomatsu

His photography offers an acute and subtle gaze on more than six decades of Japan's life and history. Working in both black and white and colour, over the course of his career Tomatsu built up a vast corpus of images in which he expressed an aesthetic imbued with a realist element but one also characterised on occasion by visual innovations and experiments. From the outset, subjects relating to society can undoubtedly be considered particularly important in his oeuvre, but his approach to them avoids emphatic, one-sided statements and rather moves in intermediary zones. Using the two techniques of posed and instantly captured images, Tomatsu set out to chart - albeit not with an all-encompassing intent - the life of the Japanese people in relation to both the harsh postwar period and the military presence of American troops, as well as the student protests and uprisings of the late 1960s. Worthy of separate mention is the personal and professional relationship that he maintained with Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, which he first visited in 1969. Tomatsu regularly returned to the islands over the following decades, attracted by a population that maintained its traditions and customs and which resolutely defended its way of life and spiritual freedom. This book include photographs loaned from different Japanese institutions and private collections, offering a chronological and thematic survey of an intense creative career and one that is required knowledge for an understanding of the social transformations of a country that has played a key role in conflicts in the region of Asia as well as in a global context since the second half of the twentieth century. 

JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES - It's All About Hiroshi Sugimoto - a short video

A short video interview with one of the giants of conceptual photography.

COLD FRONT - THE EDGE OF WINTER

 

LISTEN CAREFULLY TO PHOTOGRAPHS

RIPPLES - LIGHT AND WATER

©Michael G. O'Brien

In my view, there's a difference between 'looking' at photographs and 'seeing' photographs - for me looking is like skimming a page of a book, while truly reading is a more engaged, active reading process, where we work towards a deeper comprehension and meaning. Similarly, 'seeing' a photograph involves looking deeply into it with our whole being, opening to it, and not judging it. I'm setting myself a goal, during the 2023 Contact Photography Festival in Toronto this month, of opening myself up as completely as I can to the work of other photographers....of seeing/listening to the images in the manner described below.

"Listening is a far more difficult process than most people imagine. Really to listen in the way that is meant by the masters, is to let go utterly of ourselves, to let go of all the information, all the concepts, all the ideas, and all the prejudices that our heads are stuffed with. If you really listen to the teachings, those concepts, which are our real hindrance - the one thing that stands between us and our true nature - can slowly and steadily be washed away." from the book Glimpse After Glimpse by Sogyal Rinpoche

If we substitute the word 'see' for listen then you get the drift of what I'm trying to convey here.

 

THE PELOURINHO DISTRICT IN SALVADOR DE BAHIA, BRAZIL

In 2001 this is how the Pelourinho - a famous neighborhood in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil - looked. In a counter-intuitive move, I decided to photograph this location, so famous for it's pastel colors, in black and white, using Kodak Hi Speed Infrared film - it felt to me that this film would help express the distinct vision I had of the place; a place which seems to exist in the past, present and future all at once. 

Despite (or maybe even because of) all the horrific things that happened to black people in this area during the time of slavery, there was a psychic vibrational density to the air that had an almost hallucinogenic effect on me all the time I was there. It has real presence maybe because of all the ancestors present and the fact it is such a cultural centre for people in this part of Salvador. 

The Pelourinho, Salvador, Brazil 
©Michael G.O'Brien

The Pelourinho is a historic neighborhood in western Salvador de Bahia. It was the city's center during the Portuguese colonial period and was named for the whipping post (pillar) in its central plaza. The Historic Center is extremely rich in historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil and the city is one of the oldest in the New World (founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers). It was also the first slave market on the continent, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations.This area is in the older part of the upper city (Cidade Alta) of Salvador. It encompasses several blocks around the triangular Largo, and it is the location for music, dining and nightlife. In the 1990s, a major restoration effort resulted in making the area a highly desirable tourist attraction. It has a place on the national historic register and was named a world cultural center by UNESCO in 1985.Easily walkable, Pelo has something to see along every street, including churches, cafes, restaurants, shops and the pastel-hued buildings. Police patrol the area to ensure safety.

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS MORE THAN EVER

 It has become more and more common in the current digital era to look at things in color, which means that we often forget about how important black and white photography can be for our creativity, our perception of the world, and our photography. Despite the fact that black and white (bw) photography may not be as prevalent as it once was, it’s still an important tool in a photographer’s creative toolbox—especially if you want to develop your own unique style as a photographer.

Family photo from the 50s

photo credit M.G. O'Brien Sr.

History - the first 100 years of photography is dominated by black and white imagery. 'Shooting' in bw is not just a technique or 'trick', it's an integral part of that history and when we make bw photographs we have a chance to step into that tradition - to let it carry us along, study it and be inspired by it because without understanding that history, we're not properly equipped to truly understand photography. All great photographers look back. Understanding our past, seeing what others have done with their cameras before us is a critical element of knowing where we are today and how we got here; it's an important part of our photographic perception. Because photography has such a short (in both a historical and technical sense) past as an art form, looking back at those early pioneers in bw photography can really open up new ways to see - which is why it might be worth exploring.

Winter - going home after work,

downtown Toronto

photo credit Michael G. O'Brien

Seeing In Black and White - while there is much said about 'seeing' in bw, the most effective way of learning and improving this creative tool is to study the masters, commit to make monochrome images and study the results - then repeat. My first four years in photography I worked mainly in bw - this grounded me in it's 'feel' and how a colour scene could be transformed into a bw negative and then a print....it's a process - a creative process.

Snow Tree Shadow

photo credit Michael G. O'Brien

Enhancing Our Creativity - since we see in colour, bw images provide a means for us to perceive the world around us differently - once removed so to speak. Some say bw lends a surreal sense to our photos. Since monochrome imagery emphasizes different elements of a subject, such as shape and texture, we gradually come to interpret what we see in a way unique to bw.

Urban snowstorm - Toronto, Canada

photo credit Michael G. O'Brien

It is fascinating how different an image can look when its primary colors are stripped away. One of things that intrigues me most about bw is how one could create scenes/images which would not otherwise be possible if colour were added to it. Without colour, it forces you to think more deeply about each photograph you want to make and provide your own interpretation of what you’re seeing rather than letting colours do it for you. This goes hand in hand with photographs having unique interpretations. Over time, artists have adopted monochrome as a style, perhaps because they preferred it but also because they noticed some incredible results that came from being limited. When taking good photographs starts becoming easy for us we tend to look for new challenges to overcome – such as creating bw images. This can help us become better photographers.

untitled - Toronto 2021 photo credit Michael G. O'Brien 

Study The Masters Of Black And White Photography 

Studying the masters of bw photography is a way to become inspired and to learn how certain scenes and subjects look in bw, as rendered by masters of the craft - through this study we develop a familiarity with its language and syntax.

Mary Ellen Mark, Diane Arbus, Fay Godwin, Walker Evans, Mark Ruwedal...studying the work of masters like these opens our eyes - the act of seeing is not just a passive activity; it’s an active process. When we say that we see something, we mean that we take in visual information and extract meaning from it. The more you train your eyes to look at things in new ways—seeing elements of a scene that others miss—the better your images will be. This is why it’s important to study bw photography. It can help you to consider elements of a scene like texture, tonality, contrast and shape in a different way than colour photography does - for example, what does a blue sky, a green forest or a huge fishing net drying in the sun look like in bw. 

Chanteuse, Paris  

photo credit Robert Doisneau

Practice, Practice, Practice - taking our cameras out regularly is crucial to improving our bw images and understanding the process. One way to strengthen technique in bw is to commit to making the photo in bw. Digital photography allows us to render a photo in colour, bw, or many other possibilities.Tell yourself before arriving at your location that the images you make today are going to be in bw. This discipline will help to eventually create some strong bw photographs.

Hawaiian Elder 

evoking the Aloha blessing at the Sacred Fire

Parliament of World Religions Conference

Toronto, Canada 

photo credit Michael G. O'Brien

Understanding how to interpret light will help us develop a strong sense of bw interpretation. We learn that seeing in bw can be more difficult than seeing in colour, because of its simplicity: with only one channel for information, we have to interpret scenes without colour cues. This requires special training and/or lots of practice.. But it also has an advantage; it lets you concentrate more on other visual elements – like forms, shapes and contours.The relationship between your subject matter and background is crucial when making photographs in bw - it helps create contrast between lighter areas (your subject) and darker areas (your background). This can help give your photograph dramatic impact. 

Farewell To Winter - the 'COLD SNAP' series

 

THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S TOOLBOX - INNER AND OUTER

Lattice At Night
©Michael G. O'Brien 

The way I see it the photographer's 'outer' toolbox consists of equipment and technique - while the 'inner' toolbox consists of whatever internal processes support our creativity - things like grit, courage, love, inventiveness and our ability to surrender to the impersonal creative power that moves through each of us.

When this surrender happens some describe it as a state of flow or complete absorption in what we are doing - our concerns about the past and future vanish - we are completely present - this is where I want to be when working at my photography or at anything else.

These are a few of the tools I use and pathways I follow along the creative journey. When we can gather safely I will organize a workshops and some meet-ups to help people work on both inner and outer toolboxes to create a deeper experience of photography. Email me if you're you'd like to talk about this.

PHOTOGRAPH WHAT YOU LOVE

   From the CLOUD series

   Michael O'Brien

There are many reasons to photograph what you love. It's natural, it's fun and it tends to bring out the best in us. We feel enthusiastic when we are making those kind of pictures, so resistance falls to the wayside  - we are filled with energy. If we photograph what we are truly interested in, and truly value, it brings about an alignment of creative powers within us and without. Things fall into place, we lose track of time, we become aligned with the stars - we enter into the flow. 

Do yourself a favour - if you want to uplift your photography, then this day, month and year, make a promise to yourself to find out what you love and start photographing it. This will deepen the relationship between yourself and everything else around you. It's a wholistic approach...a sense of fulfillment will follow. Try it.

WHY I LOVE TO MAKE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Glenn - PEOPLE IN BLACK AND WHITE 

Over the last few years there's been considerable interest in my black and white images, especially the portraits. I made the move from film to digital equipment long ago and didn't shoot any film for about five years after that. 

However some clients who saw my black and white portfolio began asking if I would use film again and print the results for them in the traditional 'analog' way i.e. in the darkroom. This came as a surprise, nevertheless I got out my Hasselblad medium format camera again and started using it. 

I disassembled my darkroom after 'going digital' in 2003; so for print making I have found an awesome darkroom space to rent at Gallery 44: Centre for Contemporary Photography. Whenever possible I make my black and white prints by hand, in the darkroom, on fibre based paper and process for archival quality. 

Now, when making b/w photos of people, I use both digital and film platforms, sometimes during the same session. This can be tricky, since each of the camera systems requires is a different type of tool that requires a different approach. However, I love working with that challenge because the results can be really powerful. Since switching from a film camera to digital can break the flow of the shoot, I divide the portrait session into 'digital' and 'film' segments; this helps me make a smooth transition between the two approaches.

 
When using both platforms in a session I usually start shooting with my Canon 5D MkII and an 85mm lens - I also love using my 50mm - 1.8. It's light, sharp and discrete - a beautiful lens for portraits. This allows plenty of shooting with no concern for film and processing costs while also creating a nice warm up period - a time for the subject and I to relax. 

After the rapport is established, at some point, I switch to my Hasselblad with a film back (usually on a tripod). I like the 150mm and 80mm Zeiss lenses. For black and white I use two films, Kodak 320 TXP and Kodak 100 TMX; these give me the feel I like in my portraits. Dividing the session like this gives me the space necessary to slip into 'medium format film mode'.

VEILED WOMAN - THE ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT

VEILED WOMAN

This portrait was made using natural light coming in through the window to camera right. Prior to the shoot we talked for a long time before she decided to dress in a way that reflected an identity with many layers. She started with modern western clothing then progressed through five wardrobe changes until we got to this one - she is wearing traditional scarves from her mother's village. This took about 5-6 hours.

We started shooting in digital with a Canon 5D, 85mm - f1.8 combo; this allowed a relaxed pace to develop with minimal hassle. Then I switched to Kodak film loaded in a Hasselblad with a Zeiss 150mm lens - a lens that I love for it's softness. Of course the cameras were tripod mounted.

The way to create the setting or mood for this type of portrait is to keep it real; be respectful of the subject's requests at all times....really listen and be attentive to the body language as it unfolds during the session; for instance move the camera closer to create more intimacy but watch closely for nervous fidgeting, shielding movements etc. If the person is clearly uncomfortable, then back off no matter what they say. Many people, just to be polite, will say they are comfortable when you ask them, even though they clearly are not. I keep talking while shooting....but not superficial chatter - I ask questions, probe, build on the rapport and trust established during our previous meetings. Trust is the key. Respect is the volition. Hiding behind the camera creates a barrier so I try my best to open to the other person in a real way, to give something of myself so it is an exchange rather than a one way street with me in control. If this isn't received well then I just listen and move the session along with a question here and there.

About my workflow: I develop any film myself, then scan it with an Imacon scanner and upload the file into Lightroom.....from there we open it in Photoshop and an action for portraits is applied. Sometimes the next step is to use Silver Efex for B&W conversion. NIK Silver Efex helps me achieve the feel and technical excellence that I want in my work. Then we bring the PS image back into Lightroom to use the 'yellow filter' preset - this gives me the emulsion colour I'm looking for.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TIP FROM A MASTER

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter" - Alfred Eisenstaedt

Student Rally on the occasion of José Marti's birthday
Placa de la Revolucion
Habana, Cuba
©Michael O'Brien

YOSHIHIKO ITO

 

                                       From the 'TIME' series by Yoshihiko Ito

I see Japanese photographer YOSHIHIKO ITO is a magician who takes 'everyday' subjects and, with his singular vision, weaves them into alternate realities. The first time I saw the work of Yoshihiko Ito was in New York City during an AIPAD exhibition. His highly unique black and white images are quite shamanic in nature; it's like he dives into the archetypal world then brings back truly intriguing works of art. Many of his pieces are made in editions of one. 

ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOULD-BE ARTISTS FROM HIROSHI SUGIMOTO

 

DO SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY? A TED TALK BY KEN ROBINSON

Check out this really important (and very funny) talk by Ken Robinson. It's about how education systems around the world squeeze the life out of the creativity of our children. 

FINDING THE GOLDEN THREAD - HOW TO MAKE A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Triptych from the Horizon series 
©Michael O'Brien

What Is A Series Of Photos

And Why Should We Start One?

The 'golden thread' is a term I use to name something that makes a group of images work together. It can be a visual theme, a narrative, a colour, a 'look' or a subject matter. Sometimes the thread is obvious in a group of photographs and sometimes it's not. Finding it can fuel a series of photos.

Creating a series of photographs can deepen

and enrich our experience of photography.

After we make photos (maybe during a trip or outing) it can take weeks, months, or years before we see a thread running through them - sadly, often we never see it. That's because the golden thread can be hard to see in our own photos. After buying our cameras, learning our technique, exploring different kinds of photography, what's left? This is where many people give up on photography - they hit the wall created by the question - why am I doing this?

For many aspiring photographers it’s a rite

of passage to develop a series that originates in themselves.

What is a series? simply put, it's a group of related images. For example, if we make fifty photographs of fifty different seashells, all with the same focal length, on the same background, in the same light, then we have made a series. In a series often the images are related through similarity of subject matter or theme. To see an example of a series we made one night after a thunderstorm click here.

A series can become an agent of personal growth and artistic growth - self-expression and self-discovery.

Unless we intentionally start to make a series most of us need help to see a latent one in our own photos - an editor, teacher or trusted mentor - someone who is 100% on our side. Some of the best photographers in the world need help with this process. An example is epic photographer Sebastiao Salgado and his wife Lélia Salgado - she's worked hand in glove with him to develop and produce his heroic themes and narratives - she also designs his books and how his work appears in exhibitions. All this led them to what they describe as their most fulfilling work - the Instituto Terra.

WHAT IS JOURNALING REALLY? AND WHY SHOULD I DO IT?

Staircase inside The Museum of the American Indian,
Manhattan, New York City
©Michael G.O'Brien

How do we start the journaling process? - what is it actually for? and what can it do for us? For starters, journaling is not the same as keeping a diary or log. It's more than a dry description of the daily events in our lives, however useful such a log may be - it's not a bunch of lists. Sometimes journaling involves giving accounts of events in our lives, but then goes on to explore how the event impacts us (or not) and how we feel about the event. The journal entry may then go on to explore why that event affects us the way it does.

There are many different ways and reasons for journaling - ultimately we need adapt journaling to suit our needs - in this sense it becomes a very individual creative process whereby we build a bridge for emotions and images from the unconscious part of mind to cross over into our conscious. This unconscious mind has been described as being as vast as the ocean is to a single human - and just as full of nutrients and treasures.

The following quote sums up one aspect of journaling:

"Particularly among creative people – from Leonardo da Vinci to Anais Nin – journal-keeping has historically been a vehicle for releasing tensions, resolving conflicts, working through crises and connecting with the intuitive inner self – the “person within the person,” as philosopher/psychologist Ira Progoff described it, who can be the source of so much sound guidance and wisdom – your best counselor and spiritual advisor, in fact". 

Quoted from 'Life Examined – The Progoff Intensive Journal Process' by Ellen Littleton click here to see the whole article - it's really good.

David Gilmour - Then I Close My Eyes 2006 (Hayao Miyazaki) 24/96

GREEN MEDICINE - visual forest bathing / shinrin-yoku

GREEN MEDICINE
The Healing Forests Of The Pacific Northwest 

We have a long and deep relationship with trees. Humanity has historically looked to trees for their healing properties and medicines. While we’ve made preparations from the leaves, bark or roots, humans have also known that to simply be in the presence of plant beings can be healing and can be ‘plant medicine'.

Trees are potent living sources and symbols of spiritual and physical healing, regeneration, immortality and salvation. Tree medicine also works on us at a deep psychological/spiritual level beyond our awareness; trees have been seen as channels for divine energy for millennia. I believe we are still touched by that ancient world view even if we aren’t consciously aware of it. This can be seen in the recent phenomenon of Japanese ‘forest bathing’ now reaching the West, where people are guided into forests so they may be washed, cleansed and purified by the spiritual forces that pulsate through the woods in an all-encompassing unity – like a green baptism.

The impetus behind this series comes from my empathy for Indigenous culture and spirituality - many thanks to the generous Indigenous elders and friends who've guided and taught me along the way. They shared with me ways and viewpoints that provided a roadmap that’s helped me to feel Spirit in my own culture and everywhere around me. Using this roadmap brought about a shift in my worldview – a shift that opened me to the beauty of nature again. Now I use photography as a tool to explore the raw elemental power of the natural world by visiting and re-visiting places I’m drawn to in order to be touched by their spiritual essence. I try to receive images from these sacred places that contain this essence so it may be shared with others.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AT WORK part two

PHOTOGRAPHERS AT WORK part one

A PORTRAIT OF JEFF THOMAS - INDIGENOUS PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Thomas is a 2019 winner of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts. Directed by Pixie Cram.

Co-production of the Canada Council for the Arts and Saw Video Media Arts Centre. Presentation of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Independent Media Arts Alliance

THE POWER OF LIGHT COURSE - some comments by students

“Michael O’Brien’s “The Power of Light” course gave me a deep appreciation how important the elements of light and exposure are to photography.  Michael taught me how to seek out interesting light and use it properly in my composition. Now my photos have more emotional and visual impact.”…….from Lee-Ann Richer  

“I really like the structure of the lessons and the examples that you show us to help us understand the concepts. I also like the assignments. After the shadow and reflection assignments it made me look differently at incorporating these details to make a more interesting picture. I'm a "big" picture person and don't focus on the little details but it made me realize that these things can make a picture more interesting. So I'm enjoying the content, the context you provide via examples and on-site shooting with all the tips you provide.” …….. from Priscilla Yu

An excerpt from a letter to GBC administrators:

“I especially wanted to mention how much I enjoyed the Power of Light course. The material taught in this course is critical for any photographer to understand. It is not limited to any specific type of photography. Understanding light is vital in any photographic situation. It is for this reason I feel very strongly that this course should be a required course for the program. I can't imagine anyone completing the current requirements, and attaining the certificate without ever having taken a course dedicated to understanding light and then calling themselves a photographer.”……..from Deepak Verma

“Hi Michael - thank you for the great course you gave on the Power of Light. It really helped me understand the potential of light in photography, and how to deal with light in the digital age.

   The course was a great motivator to get out and shoot pictures - it really gave me an opportunity to experiment and grow as a photographer, all under your expert guidance.

   It was clear to me that you have great passion for your craft and I found that contagious.  I know it is important to share the experience and expertise in photography that you have, and the passion that you show. There are lots more photographers out there who can benefit from your great POL course.”

from Mike Campbell