1000 Words at a Time



Sudan, 1993  -  Famine victim in a feeding center
James Nachtway
http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/



John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Annie Leibovitz
 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/
annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/



  

Since even before the digital camera hit the scene, the use of cameras by the average person has been very common.  If there are people at any given place or event, most likely there are also cameras, (the majority of of cell phones are equipped with a lens nowadays).  It is the way in which the person behind the camera uses this tool to see and capture the world around them that sets certain people apart fromt he rest.

World famous photographers,  Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey, have captured some of the most notable and powerful images in the history of photography. Their work is a perfect example of how incredibly broad the art of photography can be.  While the two of them are similar in the sense that their careers are based on the use of a camera to capture people, places and events...what these two photographers see through these lenses are worlds apart. 

The images shown above exhibit a way in which two photographs can convey immensely different emotions to the viewer.  Annie Leibovitz'z picture of Yoko Ono and the world famous musical icon John Lennon,  is an artistic way of capturing the loving interaction between two people.  Annie uses photography to show the world a part of the popular culture through various abstract methods. While much of Annie's career work is for the Rolling Stone Magazine and others,  James Nachtway worked differently.  He is a war photographer and also those events and people who suffer from the harshness of life such as famine, poverty, terrorism and disease.  James' photography, like the image above, brings to light what many humans in the world would never be aware of if it wasn't for the use of photography in magazine and the internet.  It is far too easy to be ignorant to the horrors of the world. 

These two photographers show the potential power that is held within a camera.  Photography is limitless and the topics can either please the viewer or motivate the viewer to make changes in the world.  It is interesting to look at these two images and what makes them so powerful.  Both men are on the brink of death, whether they are aware of this are not.  The Sudanese man is obviously struggling to survive, while John Lennon was shot and killed five hours after the photo was taken, making this picture even more historical.  What is it that decides the strength of a photo?  Is it death or is it life in its finest?  Photography and what makes it so beautiful is equally vast as life itself, and life and death is the main focus of these two photographers careers.  

Hamilton! I found them!



As usual, what was intended to be an innocent and simple Saturday afternoon, quickly took a turn towards weird and exciting.  I have been in Hirakata for a little over a month now and have met many people.  The vast majority of the people I have met have not only been females but incredibly fashionable females.  But too be honest, its not at all the fashion I was expecting to see quite a bit of, my best bud Hamilton, who has a deep love and interest in Japanese culture, had me picturing something a little different.  I was looking for people, well, girls, which dress similar to how he dresses back home (plaid skirts, fishnets, spikes, chains, etc.).  Then, suddenly, there they were.

Hanging out at Triangle Park on Saturday I met a few people my age that are interested in what in the US is called the “Industrial Goth” scene.  I didn’t make assumptions based on the way that they were dressed, although I guess that would have been okay, but I talked with them about what they were up to for the night…and of course, they were heading to a concert.  They’re unique style made me feel right at home (or Hamilton’s home).  As you can see, one of the females was wearing more colors then I even knew existed.  From head to toe, and with colors and ornaments hanging everywhere, she was far from subtle.  Although that annoying, ever present language barrier limited our conversation, it was quite obvious that she is not the shy type.

My other two friends, and their spikes, leather bracelets, colored hair, zombie-stomping boots, and fishnets fell under a similar category.  After a short talk about my unsuccessful mission of finding shoes that actually fit, they did what Nihonjins do, they walked me to a new place themselves.  We hung out for a while, my friend let me ride his skateboard around the crowded city streets and then, when the time came, we went our separate ways.  Just like that, I met some people that, like myself, stick out like a sore thumb in the stereotypically westerly fashioned environment.  Thanks guys, let’s all get stared at together.    

These pictures may make this court look like a lonely, quiet place, but indeed it is not.  I decided to write about the small basketball court, which is a few minute walk from the Seminar house that I am living in, as my topic for living in a Hirakata neighborhood. Unfortunately, since I made this decision, there has been about a week straight of rainy days which made it difficult to capture a photo that justifies the vibrancy of this park. The park is one the local hang outs for people who like to play sports, like myself, so I jumped right on in.

              When I first went to the park I rode up on my bicycle feeling slightly uncomfortable.  There were about twenty people, who all knew each and did not speak my language, playing ball with each other.  I walked over and started shooting.  As typical of Japan , all of the people there were very friendly, if your ball got away from you, then they would quickly go chase it down and bring it back for you.  Within, five minutes one of the other players asked me to be on his team for a game of four-on-four.  Good ole fashioned pickup game.

              The basketball court is my way of best describing the all around friendliness and hospitality that is found basically everywhere you go in Hirakata neighborhoods.  I now have friends that I have never even really exchanged a sentence with.  We all have a tiny enough vocabulary to greet each other crack some jokes but that’s about it.  Although we made not speak the same language we all have one thing in common, we ball on the same court, apparently that’s all you need to make friends around these parts.