Stay Sharp

Friday, December 30, 2011

Amputated in Tokyo

After an unforeseen link of non-connected actions I am now sitting camera less sipping my morning coffee in Japan. I'm back in a frozen Tokyo after 2 years finishing off leg #1 of a blue collar project, left with an eerie feeling in my guts knowing that if I shoot something it will be with either a Mamiya 6x6 or a mobile phone. I happen to be one of the few remaining iPhone-less people left (heard that the camera and all the applications are great) and a medium format tripod-needing Mamiya is not an option for how and what I shoot now. How I ended up here like this? First, mirror fell off/out of my secondary 5D shooting for a portrait of a friend (see below, this portrait was one of the last before camera fail. Ended up shooting with his camera the last shots…fubar). Second, Sold my main 5D to a friend in need the day before mirror downer. Third, when back in Thailand my trusted side arm i.e G9 just failed to even start up. All cameras now at Canon center in West Shinjuku here in Tokyo, including the one I sold since it needed a proper clean up as well. I will not have time to pick up since I will return to South East Asia shortly, leaving everything in the hands of a trusted friend to pay and pick up and ship to my next destination (not yet known). This is the first time I am without a camera for 23 years when I got my dads old 35mm SLR gear and began to shoot. To make things even more stressful, the online company I ordered an GX1 kit from (will give the mirror-less micro MFT system a chance) are on holiday and the whole thing is just in messy limbo. Japan is the land of quick handling and fast service, but a new year is lurking so people have decided to put everything on hold and stop the "machine" rolling. Hate holidays, don't have time for them and in this time and age who needs them, I don't?!





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