Kamakura 1980

[madamasu]

Here are some more scanned slides from my four years in Japan.
Every weekend I went to see a friend, who lived in an old Japanese house in Kamakura, far away from the beaten tourist-track. No cars, no noise, absolutely idyllic.
All pictures were taken with the Nikon F, mostly with the 80-200, the last three with the 500 mirror-lense, as you can see from the bokeh.

1. The first one is at the entrance of the famous Kannon-temple in Hase:




2. A portrait of an old lady. Looks like it is taken with a soft filter, but I just didn't nail the focus well:





3. Reflections of the greenery in the windows of one of Kamakura's old and famous temples. I forgot, which one it is:





4. The red umbrella I already showed in another post, this time with a rain-drop:





5. The first picture I took with my newly acquired 500 mirror-lense. Not very successful, but OK, I guess:





6. Two high-school students in their uniforms:





7. The last one. An old gentleman:

[Rolf]

Hi

I like these old images. They show the life at that time and the way to see the world around was different.

Can you tell me something about your scan process ? What type of scanner, software. etc. ?

[Attila]

Geez! Have you been 4 yrs in Japan ? I am green from envy Nice images ! I wish to see more!

[kds315*]

Arigato domo for sharing! I'm sure these years left a very
deep impact on you.

[madamasu]

I taught German at a language school near the South-Entrance of Shinjuku train-station. Yes, I enjoyed my stay there enormously and learnt a lot, not only Japanese, which I speak well enough for some daily conversation, but I'm not a fluent speaker. I also learned a lot about Japanese cooking, as one of my best friends was the owner of a small restaurant, who also took me to the great Tokyo fish-market Tsukiji, where early in the moning the great tunas are auctioned (I will put some picture from this maket in the gallery later).
He was a natural teacher and could explain anything to me, using simple Japanese sentences. From him I learned something about Japanese cutting- und cooking-techniques.
I my spare time I also made Udon-noodles in a small restaurant in Yurigaoka, where I lived, a place run by two lovely old ladies from Osaka, who, when I asked them, how to make these noodles, invited me into their kitchen and showed me everything. I was quite a celebrity there, being a 2,02m tall foreigner, stamping the noodle-dough with my feet to develop the elasticity (it was wrapped in plastic, of course), beating and rolling it out and cutting it. I was standing in a glass-compartment, so I was visible to the guests. Quite an experience.

As for the scanning: I used an Epson 3170 flatbed-scanner and was surprised myself that the scans where that good. But I also had a chance to use a Nikon Coolscan from a friend for other slides, and these scans were better.

[my_photography]

Are the slides taken recently or it has been taken quite a while back? Interesting series.

[madamasu]

The slides are from 1980, all Ektachrome.

[poilu]

great series, thanks for sharing
digital cannot approach those colors and skin textures

[marty]

Excellent series. I like very much the portraits, all with perfect lighting.
You captured perfectly the pride and the posture of the young officers, the story and life of the old lady in the network of wrinkles on her face. I like very much how you rendered the lightheartedness of the young couple, they seem wrapped in the light like in an aura.

Cheers, Marty.

[madamasu]

Hi everybody,

thank you for your very favourable comments.

Thomas

[cooltouch]

[madamasu]

Hi Michael,

I'm definitely interested in seeing more of your slides. My time in Japan was wonderful and I wish I could relive it, if only by watching pictures of this time.

Thomas

[koji]

Todays' Shinjyuku south gate >



Under perpetual construction..

Can you find the station? It is in the centre low rise building with
the green latter JR XXX. (XXX = Shinjyuku Station in japanese)