Shop Owner of Okinawa

Original Post: 27JUL2016

Some of my favorite people to photograph while I was in Okinawa were the shop owners of the area.

The capital city of Naha, Okinawa was liveliest place with plenty of people in the form of tourism. From local Okinawan to main land Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, even as far away as South Korean visitors came to the area. Kokusai-dōri was mostly for nicknacks and gimmicky gifts along with plenty of bars and restaurants. Of which an Irish bar that was hidden out in a back alley was a favorited bar and my preference for food would have to be restaurants that sell local Okinawan dishes.

Heiwadori Market area was just an alley that split off further into Naha and away from the major tourist street. There you can find niche markets of exotic fruit, exotic seafood, as well as plenty of clothing shops and musical instruments shops selling Sanshin, the Okinawan 3 string guitar like instrument.

This shop owner in particular I must have photographed 3 times in different occasions. The other two are just as good, but they convey a different message than this one does. He was deep in testing this instrument and all he could do when I took the picture was glance at me and continue tuning the instrument. I remembered it clearly because after I shot the photo I approached a little closer and gave my signature “head nod and smile” in appreciation and he continued to tune the instrument.

Other shop owners would not get much patronage. So they will do things that would keep them busy otherwise. Like reading, organizing the shop, stocking the shelfs, sleeping… and my favorite, staring off into no where in particular.

Here I saw this man waiting for a customer to approach him. In Heiwadori where there are at least 10 more fruit markets like his own, it’s not easy to stay competitive. I lingered there for a moment in the essence of what it was to be him. He was so into his thoughts that he didn’t even notice me taking the shot and he stayed that way for a little while longer until he was actually approached by a customer.

It was early spring, and maybe the tourists weren’t looking for what the sleepy and pensive shop owners had for sale at the time. Regardless, the strong willed shop owners would open day after day. If you stay long enough you get to see the shop owners, proud of what they own, wind down. Then you were granted a backstage pass of what it was to be them. Selling the last few items at a discounted price, packing up their displays, and brining in all the merchandise into their shed.

It was all amazingly beautiful to live in the life of these shop owners. Equally as beautiful was being able to save a piece of it.

-Franco Pisano

P.S.

Photographers Metamorphosis

Original Post: 23JUL2016

Today I finally show you what I have been working on. Like I have mentioned I am still honing in my skill in the art of Street Photography. I am by no means a “Pro” not at least until I am considered one by some of the best in the scene. I really started shooting again this spring in Japan.

I went to Okinawa for what seemed like the perfect amount of time. Just enough to enjoy the area and get to know the people that live and work in Okinawa, Japan. At the time I was watching a lot of videos on youtube on cameras and such because I was interested in maybe getting a new one. As I watched DigitalRev TV’s YouTube channel I started to notice when they review cameras it was usually outdoors. It was in the city, the streets, deep in lives of the people. The host of the show was usually in peoples faces and for the most part the people didn’t really care that they were being photographed. I found it amazing how easy it was for him to do it. When they showed what the shots looked like, that is when I felt a deep connection with the art.

Anyone who knows me knows, I love people. I like to get to know them all. The who aspect of who they are, what they are doing at that very moment. That is what I like capturing in a photo.

When I look back at my first few photographs I noticed a trend… that I shot the photos from far away.

And that I captured people in unobtrusive angles.

Things that didn’t really take away from the photograph, but it didn’t really make them stand out in the way that I wanted them to stand out.

The previous two were shot using a Nikon D3100 and a 50mm lens. The camera I have had for a really long time. About 5 years actually and I love it. I took it everywhere and it was a trooper through and through. I noticed that the camera was a little underpowered for what I wanted really. Maybe because I was still scared of approaching people and I wanted something that was full frame so that I may crop a photo if I really needed to with out loosing too much detail in the process. The only problem with that is when you crop too much you still notice the detail loss and well, what am I to do?

So I did what I always do and I impulse bought the camera anyways. Now I shoot with a Nikon D810 with the 50mm practically married to the lens. I rarely shoot with any other lens unless I am going for a different style of photo and I will share that later in the future.

I had to change my approach and start shooting like a street photographer  and begin to approach people with out any barriers. Language, language was a barrier, but I over came with my broken Japanese.

I rarely take more than one maybe two photographs. Mainly because I really dislike editing. It just takes so much time and can get annoying and frustrating. Maybe I can hire someone in the future, or maybe someone or some company can hire me.

Another reason is that when I had film I was restricted to shooting a limited amount of times. I had to get it right the first time and be happy with what I shot.

I had to get comfortable with people knowing that I am taking a picture of them. Below is the first picture that I took with the person noticing. He really didn’t mind it. After I took the picture he went on with his business.

Then I started to talk to them and photograph them.

They really didn’t mind that I didn’t speak Japanese that well. They must have sensed something about me that looked like I knew what I was doing and I continued to do so through out my stay in Japan.

With out giving too many pictures away in one post I am going to end it here. As you saw I developed something in me that changed how I photograph people. Till this day I am discovering new things about myself and that is all part of the fun.

Stay posted for my next entry.

-Franco Pisano

P.S. Here are some additional photographs.