Week 10

I've been thinking about some of my heros of the last century who have made it to Japan or other foreign places to photograph life there as an outsider. Like Moriyama, William Klien, Michael Kenna or Robert Frank, they all seem to capture on film what most people would ingore in their own country and dismiss as the everyday or boring.


Robert Frank's The Americans was frowned upon in the U.S. for it's post-war outsider view of the U.S. at that time.







All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 9

I love Japan and for so many years in Tokyo I've photographed the strange or the outstanding. I always tended to look for the unusual subjects, which, to a foreigner, there is an abundance of around Japan. Not since I've started this project have I seen such depth in the everyday places and lives of Tokyoites. Why couldn't I see stuff like this before? (stop questioning and just shoot!)

(Although the title of this book is Visions of Japan, it was shot entirely in Paris.)

Could I be turning more and more Japanese by the day, but remaining foreign as a photographer? I think that'd be a nice combo. Keeping one foreign eye wide open, and the other only sheepishly open , not wanting to cause or acknowledge problems. Falling back into the crowd, but being tall enough to shoot over everyone's heads. Ha. Maybe I'm not looking at Japan as that foreign anymore.

Or maybe it's just the drama and contrast of black and white? I don't know. But even these trees near our apartment seem to stand out to me more recently and that is exactly what I was hoping to see come out in my images 9 weeks ago.




I hate to post two bicycle shots within two weeks, but this is typically how you see police in Japan...biking around and scratching their heads.
All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 8

So now I'm caught up on my backed up weeks for "29" the online version. Feel free to scoll down and check out the last 8 weeks and check in next week sometime for week 9 and so on. Thanks and yoroshiku.



A new version of an old restuarant reopened near our place. They managed to caputre the old atmosphere of the place in a new, earthquake friendly building. A rare thing to see in Japan. But this place had quite the history which was clearly reconized and retained. And Yakitori (chicken on a stick) for only 80yen! Iseya 2008


Mike posing with a security gaurd with a nice haircut.


All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 7

After a misunderstaning several years ago on a beach, I very rarely intrude with my camera on trains or in such situations as the following photo. But they were standing right in front of me and didn't seem to notice anything other than themselves anyway. I was glad I interviend. The girl eventually got on the train and went home.







All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 6

This week had some scratches on the negs again. But I always seem to get a few that work and that are not noticeably damaged.


How many cans can you fit on a bike?

I took this shot going down a glass elevator.

A self portrait.

A colleague reading.
All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 5

This is Mr. Kugimiya. He is 76 years old. He worked in the World Trade Centers in NY for a few years in the 70s, lived through the Tokyo bombings of WWII and claims to have a giant tortoise in his backyard he smuggled on the plane after a vactaion in Okinawa 25 years ago. I enjoy talking with him about post-war Tokyo.






All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 4

All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 3

I used half a roll on this dancing lady. She was sit dancing at first, but couldn't contain herself and had to stand up. The song ended and I clapped. What did this kid expect on a Wednesday afternoon? An old lady and a foreign photographer passing by with a camera.





All photos are the property of Tyler Ensrude at
www.tylerensrude.com

Week 2

I think this same week I heard about an escalator accident. They must have been searching for that lost Croc.

Week 1

Being that I may forget to turn in my film, I set a deadline for every week end between Friday and Sunday to drop it off. So far I've been right-on.

This project is definitely keeping me shooting and I think that is the main thing I was hoping to get out of it first. 29 will at least be on film...

I walked by a lady dancing to herself in the park. No ipod. Slightly humming. She noticed me and laughed.

Week 0 (Shots from April 14th)

All images are scanned from original prints of a set of 24 shots on a regular, weekly basis. This blog is for my record and for you to follow the progress as the year goes on.

I had a roll of B&W film which I turned in on the day of my birthday. They were shots from that day and the weekend before. This is when my plan for "29" was hatched, so to speak. So I will start from there. Week 0. The day I was born.

The week following my birthday I continued with my plan and dropped off another roll of film from that week(Week 1)on the weekend and picked up the images from my birthday. So now you get the idea. I've been repeting that ever since. It's now June 10th and I've decided to start posting.

I found my shots forced at first. I had been using my Nikon D70 digital for years and I felt more worried about wasting film, paying attention to the light and getting used to my camera again.

The results were ok. I noticed two holes on the crow negative and on the print when I got the prints back. I actually like it though, adds a little personality to it. But it made me feel like maybe I was one of the few still shooting B&W in Tokyo. Had they gotten sloppy with the developing process? Were the holes from my camera? Anyway, It's raw and I like it (more mistakes with future rolls as well). Here are a few selections from week 0.

Preview Exhibition Opening Party for "29"

I will have a preview exhibition party for "29" on Friday the 13th of June at Gallery Gamuso in Asagaya, Tokyo (www.gamuso.com). If you can't make it to the party, It will be up for about a month, so swing by if you have time. No time? Not even in Tokyo? Then keep coming back here for more weekly posts of "29" over the year. I'll probably do weeks 1-7 all in one day (read the "about me" to learn more about "29") Now that I have a posting blog up and running.

5 of my favorite original prints thus far will be available to view (possibly for sale) at Gamuso. Mail me at tensrude@gmail.com if you are interested. More posts coming soon.
Tyler