TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“Any“)
© Masashi Ohata

Daily observations of life, light as a feather. Masashi Ohata trains his eye on familiar everyday scenes, imbuing them with a dream-like quality.

Do you dream in technicolor?

More on his portfolio.

TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“Kee Lung“)
© Michio Yamauchi, 2007

Call it wanderlust but the mere sight of Michio Yamauchi’s street documentary incited a deep yearning to explore the world. When looking at his images, the viewer senses the photographer’s presence, exposed in stark black-and-white or muted monotone.

For more: visit Michio Yamuchi’s portfolio or join his page on Facebook.

TOP TO BOTTOM, © Ikuko Hirose

Based in Tokyo, Ikuko Hirose, is a freelance photographer who shoots primarily portraits. I like the clean style that translates between her portraits and landscapes. Visit her website to see more.

TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“soliloquy“)© Terence Teo, 2010

Documentary photographer and long-term drinks buddy, Terence Teo, is finally having his first solo exhibition at Objectifs from Oct 29 to Nov 18. soliloquy is his conversation with nature, the result of a journey through Japan in 2010. After years of documenting disasters throughout Asia, Terence sought a quieter side of nature, to contemplate, to discover and ultimately, to answer many unanswerable questions in life.

I think that his images and travelogue made something tingle within – a need to embark on my own journey one day; when I have had enough of this life. And after that, I shall begin the next phase. Till then, I rattle my chains and smile grimly.

Visit his tumblr site for some images from the exhibition (and other amazing images from the trip) and his portfolio to throw some jobs his way. (Mention my name so I can get a few rounds.)

TOP TO BOTTOM, © Tetsuomi Sukeda, 2005

Portfolio here, images here and here.

What a better way of saying, “Hi, I’m back. I think.”

I miss the blog and all you strangers out there.

TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“Drifted“)
© Kanako Sasaki, 2008

Inspired by astronomy, Drifted is a series that questions our whereabouts, our existence and the relationship between the moon and the Earth. If one was acquainted with her earlier works, especially Wanderlust, one could easily pinpoint the various sources of inspiration and recognize the dreamlike quality of her images.

A lone female character inhabits the series, surrounded by amazing scenery, playing out a narrative. Using a few images (and an installation), the photographer managed to invoke a sense of wonderment; of how things are so much more interesting out there in the world. It made my day and I hope it would make yours too.

Here’s an interview of the photographer by the beautiful people of Nymphoto. Also, do look at her other series, Wanderlust and Walking in the Jungle. It’s a series that would put a smile on your face. Visit her website for more.

TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“9#, Sk8 and Toy-kyo“)
© Joji Shinamoto

Street culture graces the portfolio of Japanese photographer, Joji Shimamoto, as he traverses between New York City and Tokyo. Born and raised in Japan, he has since relocated to the Big Apple as a freelance photographer. Recently featured in Japan’s Photographica magazine and studio voice, this young photographer’s future looks bright.

Visit his portfolio to see more. A collection is also available here.

TOP TO MIDDLE, from (“Tokyo Suburbia“)
© Takashi Homma, 1998

BOTTOM, from (“New Waves“)
© Takashi Homma, 2003

Takashi Homma captures the dark ominous side of Tokyo in the late nineties in his series ‘Tokyo Suburbia’. Japan was at the cusp of an economic doldrum, where an asset bubble caused many subsequent years of recession. It was this darkness that swallowed the dreams of many individuals, where the young grew up disconnected from society.

With a detached eye, Takashi recorded the suburban houses that residents left behind on weekends and the youths roaming the streets. The empty streets and houses become a reflection of the people it housed. The future of the nation posing with an air of nonchalance and defiance. More than a decade later, how has this changed?

More about the photographer here.

TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“?? (silent and loneliness) world“)
© Noriko Ishihara, 2009

Highly abstruse, the images’ visual references and palette create an ominous and fantastical feel to the entire series. Yet, beneath the abstract layers lie truths kept away from the world.

Rinko Kawauchi would be having an exhibition at Mountain Fold Gallery in New York for an entire month. The show, “Condensation”, is a collection of new and old works from the Japanese photographer. I’ve always been a fan of Kawauchi and would love to be there. An interesting aspect of the show would be to see how Kawauchi’s normally thematic images work together out of context and placed side by side. Her work possesses a melancholic peacefulness, soft and ethereal but always etched in reality. Do drop by if you’re in NYC.

Exhibition details:
Oct 19 – Nov 28
Mountain Fold Gallery
55 Fifth Avenue 18th Floor
New York, NY, 10003