Memories from abroad - The real beginning of photography for me

It's funny how the most important journeys of our lives

Sometimes have the most innocuous of starts. For me it was meeting a guy named Joe. I honestly can't even remember how we first got in contact. Like many things that happened to me in Japan, it was a random series of events. But something clicked when I met this guy all those years ago and to this day we exchange bad jokes and photo critiques with each other. Not as much as we'd like, but that's how life goes when you're separated by half a world and a decade of different life experiences. Getting married and having kids will do that to you, hehe.

I had a camera, and had been shooting since I was a kid. But, still like a child, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew the basics but my camera rarely left an automatic mode of some kind. I had lenses, an expensive camera, but no real direction.

Enter: Joe.

A man steeped in knowledge, from technical to artistic, and a desire to shoot, like, all the time. Because of him I saw more of Kyoto than most locals. Every time I went to teach my class student were amazed by the places 'I' (read Joe) had found. We did photo walks several times a week, digging into the nooks and crannies of the endless mysteries of Kyoto.

This particular series of photos has a special meaning to me. Seemingly just another day at that time, it now sticks out like a beacon. I didn't even shoot these on my camera, but one of Joes spares. I can't remember if he had just gotten a new lens, or a new body, but he dragged me up to the roof of his apartment and said, 'let's shoot!'

'Shoot what?' I wondered.

But, the more I looked around, the more I saw that was cool. The idea that even the most common of scenes could be turned into a part of a visual story, I don't think had really occurred to me before. I mean, I shot a lot of stuff, but never like this before. Depth of field, how to set things in manual, how to frame...lot's of unknowns brought forth countless questions that he was more than happy to answer. Before I had shot to remember, now I shot to create stories for other people.

I have no idea what I'd be doing with my life had I not met this man. What course it might have taken. None whatsoever. Which is fine because I'm on the path I'm on and I love it. Even on the bad days I turn to creation of some kind to get the nasty out. Without having been taught how to see the world differently, through a lens, not just for myself but for others, well, I'm glad I met Joe.

Moral of this story:

Pay attention and be open to the people you meet because you never know how they may change the course of your life. Be open, be willing to try new things, learn new skills, challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. I had the luck to be in an awesome place like Japan, but wherever you are can be just as awesome, if you just open your eyes and really look :)

Thanks for stopping by and reading another one of my memories. I'd love to hear any stories you have about friends that changed the course of your life, or about Japan. Let me know! :)

Please check out Joe's work HERE as he's an amazing artist that deserves to be seen!

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