The dark jacket is perhaps a nod of sorts to conformity. The mini tache and silver hat, on the other hand, are wonderfully idiosyncratic. A man seemingly of the past, present and a 1950s inspired future.
Photographs from a small group of islands
The dark jacket is perhaps a nod of sorts to conformity. The mini tache and silver hat, on the other hand, are wonderfully idiosyncratic. A man seemingly of the past, present and a 1950s inspired future.
john says
What is the sound of one man pedalling?
Lee says
I fear it might be similar to the sound of slight indignation…
john says
Slightly so :O).
That was a traffic koan by the way, in the event that you were also about to overlook it.
Lee says
Cheers. Yeah, I was a bit slow off the mark there. My excuse is a few very unpleasantly busy days…
john says
I do hope that the busyness wasn’t unpleasantly medical.
I was reminded by the prominently placed cone of an earnest young man who once told me that he rather liked cones … puzzled until I discovered that there was an accident of pronunciation going on.
Lee says
Thanks. For once that was mercifully only a small part of it.
That’s funny. Although with the sheer variety of cones on display in Tokyo, I wouldn’t be at all be surprised to find that there are various factions of cone spotters out there…
john says
That is good to know.
Cone study in Japan might take years ;o)
Denton says
More people should wear silver hats! 🙂
Lee says
Maybe, but then at the same time they wouldn’t be so special…
Miki says
Your website has many beautiful photos but some people do not look happy to be having photo taken. Do you ask before you take someone’s photo? Japan has very strict privacy laws about taking photo of human faces and putting photos on internet without person’s permission. I am sure many people will not be happy to see their photo on internet. Please consider my point.
Lee says
That’s a fair comment. It’s true that some people don’t look happy. Some genuinely aren’t too, which I have to say gives me no pleasure at all. I never set out to upset people. That’s not at all what I want. Thankfully with most people I share a smile and sometimes a word after the initial surprise. In fact if that wasn’t the case, I couldn’t keep doing it. I’m not a big fan of conflict. But either way, it’s very rare I ask permission for a photo. Generally only when I can’t get a shot any other way, or I know for certain that not asking will cause problems. For me, posed street photos are, on the whole, uninteresting. Too set up. Too forced. And most important of all, too false. We can all pose and smile regardless of how our day/life is going, but by doing so we show absolutely nothing of how we are feeling, or in some respects, who we actually are. I personally don’t see the point in that.
The issue about Japan’s privacy laws, however, isn’t valid. Japan has produced a huge number of wonderful and incredibly influential street photographers — a good number of whom are still out photographing, as are far more people who they and others have inspired. There are simply no restrictions. At least not for non-commercial work. If someone’s face was used for a campaign or ad of course, that would be different. But to put it bluntly, for a photobook, website, exhibition etc, anybody on the street is fair game.
A lot of people disagree with this. And taking photos like I and countless others do is therefore considered wrong. An invasion of privacy etc. And that’s fair enough. We can only agree to disagree. The world would be a boring place if we all thought the same. It’d also be equally boring if every photo we saw was posed.
Miki says
Thank you Lee-san for your detailed comments. I understand now how you are thinking about taking photos of people. Yes, people make photos, and the more natural they appear, it is better. Me too, I don’t like false posing. Sometimes photos without people are also great, especially haikyo, mountains, nature and urban jungle. Respect for who you are taking photos of also important. From what you wrote, it seems your photography manner is subtle and gentle and if someone did ask you not to publish their photo, I am sure you would respect their wish. Yes, conflict should be avoided. My understanding of Japanese privacy laws is different to yours, and my interpretation might be wrong. If so, please accept my apologies for any incorrect statement I wrote above. It seems to be a very ‘gray’ area and not so black and white (like many Japanese laws). I am so use to seeing many Japanese blogs and websites brushing out human faces (maybe as a courtesy, and not the actual law), so I assumed it was not legal to publish human face photos. I will check the law in more detail. Please keep clicking and publishing many beautiful photos of natural pose and human interaction! Again, thank you for your very kind reply. Miki.
Lee says
Thanks. And for the kind words. Always good to talk about these things. A grey area sums it up perfectly. Apart from commercial stuff, there really don’t seem to be any restrictions. The way it should be I think. If the freedom to take photos was taken away, what other things could be restricted by the government further down the line?
If you do find out any details, let me know please. I’ve always wondered why so many Japanese take the time to block out strangers faces in photos. Seems like an awful lot of trouble. Totally ruins the picture too!
cdilla says
Having watched NHK World TV programs for several years I have become used to seeing peoples faces and other personal identifying material blurred out, even when it obscures more than half the screen. It’s certainly more prevalent than the equivalent UK broadcasting.
Lee says
Definitely seems to be a Japanese thing. When Google street view started out here there were complaints about privacy too, if I remember correctly.
d. minnis says
I was wondering how you would answer that last comment Lee, and you did an excellent job. I want so bad to take pictures like this but I just don’t have the balls for it (I don’t have them anyway since i’m female) You do a fantastic job Lee…and that mustache is one that I will never forget.
Lee says
Thank you very much, on both counts!
It’s a fascinating little tache, isn’t it? Almost like a rogue eyebrow.
It took me a long while to feel comfortable getting close to people when photographing them. I started out with longer lenses, and would often place myself in a good spot, allowing me to discreetly take photos of people passing by. Then slowly but surely I moved down to the 35mm I use today. I equally slowly began to move myself more towards my subjects too. That way it was a very gradual progress. Even now there are plenty of times when I hesitate. Just depends how I feel really, along with the situation I find myself in.
So it’s very possible to do. Balls or no balls! Just takes a bit of time that’s all. But it’s enjoyablely spent time, so definitely worth it.
john says
It is great to hear views on this, and to be kindly reminded. Respect of course also applies to any comments made >about< the image regardless of the law.
I rather like images using shadow and blur that convey meaning/emotion without people in the scene being identifiable, but to those on the lens side, this intention will be far from obvious. Even photographing reflections in a car bumper can cause upset.
Thanks!
Lee says
It’s a topic that interests me too. So many different views on it. So many different reactions from people on the street too. You never quite know what’s going to happen, do you? Although in many respects that’s the beauty of it.
Respect is definitely key. In many ways. Certainly some photos I’ve taken I’ve never used. Others I’ve sat on for a long time before deciding to post. Always tricky, straddling that fine line between documenting life, and at the same time respecting it…
Matt Talbot says
Very interesting discussion going on here about photography and privacy. As a videographer, I have had occasion to be harrassed by security people who don’t want me videoing on a public street, for whatever reason. However, I always politely but firmly tell them that I am perfectly entitled to video in a public place and to go away and let me do my job. The law in most countries allows that. It’s only when one plys ones trade in a place where someone would have an expectation of privacy i.e. photographing someone through the window of their home, or in their back garden, that a breach of the law might arise.
I think how you produce your photos, Lee, is absolutely acceptable and long may it continue.
Lee says
Thanks a lot. That’s very good to hear.
That’s how I’ve always understood the law here. So long as it’s a public space, there are no restrictions.
The only issue then is with the person taking the photos or video I guess. Deciding what’s usable, and for whatever reason, isn’t. That’s often the tricky bit for me.
Matt Talbot says
I do wonder though, Lee, where you stand legally when taking a photo in a bar as you so often brilliantly do. It’s that grey area of a bar being a private establishment that allows the public in – very different to a public thoroughfare.
There’s also the question of captions. For example, I know that when our national broadcaster is talking about unemployment, for any videos of people walking on the street used in conjunction with that report, the faces will be blurred. This is so that no one can make the link between these particular people and unemployment.
Or you might quite legally photograph someone in a public place but get in trouble for your caption. Or dare I say it, something said in the comments. Tricky.
Lee says
Hmm, that’s a very good point. One that I have no genuine knowledge how to answer either. Personally I’ve always seen a bar as an extension of the street. A place where people meet and enjoy themselves, in a pubic place. But yeah, it is also a privately owned property, that simply allows the public in. There again, so are many other places I guess. The whole thing is a minefield, isn’t it?
In that respect I suppose, the decision of the photographer/videographer is key. The decision of what to shoot or not shoot. Or perhaps most difficult of all, what to use…