Returning to Photo of the Month - March
March 19, 2021
Fortune - In the courtyard of a shinto shrine in Tokyo, a line of paper fortunes hang in the wind. They are tied in knots of hope that only the wind can unravel, carrying away each dark cloud that might settle. Reminiscent of spring Cherry Blossoms is their light pink color.
It is traditional to buy a fortune (O-mikuji) when you visit a shrine in Japan. Some fortunes bring good luck and some bring bad luck. Should you receive one of these bad fortunes, you must tie it to the line or tree on the grounds; the idea being that the bad luck will wait by the line or tree rather than attach itself to the bearer.
One year ago, I was supposed to be returning to Japan for my third visit. This trip I was expecting to gaze in awe upon all of the Cherry Blossoms and capture a new set of photographs to add to my portfolio. Of course that trip, like so many vacations for others, ended up being cancelled by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. As of March 15th 2021, Japan is still closed to all foreign visitors with Tokyo continuing its State of Emergency status. I’m hopeful that by this time next year, the island nation will have reopened and as many people as possible in all countries throughout the world will be vaccinated. It’s hard to imagine right now, but that’s the dream.
For over a year now, I have not updated this blog partly out of forgetfulness, partly out of laziness, and partly out of lack of inspiration. So what the have I been doing all this time? Instead, I’ve focused my energy towards writing a couple novels. Long before photography, I was writing. I still have half-filled notebooks with half-finished stories inside them from all the way back in middle school. I still have my first hardbound storybook that I made in first grade. So photography, and my dreams of selling work in a gallery someday, have been put to the wayside. I’ve even debated about closing this website since I’m not dedicated to the social media grind and it seems to me that is the only way to gain new interest from people outside my immediate friends and family. I plan on posting again soon regarding my thoughts on social media and will likely do that in an upcoming new website for my author profile. A link will be posted soon!
That’s not to say I’ve lost my love for photography. I still take my camera out and in the past couple years I have done family portraits for a couple coworkers and friends. I also did a whiskey-theme still-life for my brother’s housewarming present. I’ve purchase the cutest little Instax Mini 9 camera that creates good old-fashioned Polaroid pictures! Of course I bought the pink one. I’ve taken so many photography with that and it’s been challenging because it does not have a far reaching depth of field and even with the “sunny” setting, a bright day will be washed out easily. But it’s incredibly fun and instantly gratifying. The Polaroids are an easy gift to hand out to friends and they can hang them up on their refrigerator or in a little photo album. And some people hang them up with clothespins on a line (like the Japanese fortunes!).
However despite my random photo shoots, my inspiration for the craft has always been through my time traveling whether it’s domestic or international. I’m simply not as creative with it when I’m at home. I am hopeful that I will again be able to dedicate time to traveling and photography in the next year. It’s been a hard year and a half for everyone. Take care of yourself and your family and your friends and your neighbors. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride.