My friend often says to me: “You’re an expressionlessman.”
Certainly,it might beso. I can’t laugh very well.
My friend asks me: ” Why do you always have a sad face? “
友達が、僕によくこう言う。「あなたは無表情な人ね。」
確かにその通りだと思う。僕は上手く笑うことができない。
友達が僕にきく。「なんでいつもそんなに悲しそうな顔をしているの？」
MYSTERY TRAIN
I took this photograph on my way home from work in January 2015. Around this time, I was absorbed in taking photos using the randomize function of the Hipstamatic app, with an iPhone 5s . When I was able to take this, I was very excited: “It’s really cool picture!” To me, this photograph is an image like the Jim Jarmusch film “MYSTERY TRAIN“. Or, an image representing Tom Waits song, “Downtown Train”. ” MYSTERY TRAIN ” is one of my favorite films.
Here is our favorite place. The good old bowling alley in our town. Don’t you think it also looks like a station platform? My wife and son are standing. We’ll ride the “MYSTERY TRAIN” at this station.
ここは、お気に入りの場所。
僕らの町にある昔ながらの古いボーリング場だ。
なんかさ、列車の駅のように見えると思わない？
僕の妻と息子が立っている。
僕らは、この駅で『MYSTERY TRAIN』に乗る。
THE KING
Before we get on the “MYSTERY TRAIN” we take a commemorative photo. This boy is my son. He is my supporter. He gave me a life there along with the photographs. In this photograph he’s so cool, as Christian Slater who appeared in the movie “TRUE ROMANCE“. I’m in the sunglasses lens. My wife is beside me. She’s also my supporter. She’s the first person who praised the photos I took.
View from the “MYSTERY TRAIN” . Every time I see a Ferris wheel, I take a lot of photos. I like the eternity and very quiet feeling of a Ferris wheel. It’s an image that reminds me of the Bjork song.
『MYSTERY TRAIN』からの眺めだよ。
観覧車を見かける度に、僕は何枚も何枚も写真を撮る。
なんかさ、観覧車のさ、はてしなく永遠な感じとかとてもとても静かな感じがさ、好きなんだよね。
ビョークの曲『IT’S OH SO QUIET』のようなイメージだ。
HUMANITY
When we get off the “MYSTERY TRAIN“, the trumpeter robot greets us. My wife and Itakea littletime towarm up to the robot. But our son was friendly with the robot immediately.
『MYSTERY TRAIN』から降りた時、ラッパを吹くロボットが出迎えてくれた。
妻と僕は、ロボットと意思疎通するまでに少し時間がかかった。
だけどさ、僕らの息子は、あっという間にロボットと仲良しになっちゃったんだ。
NAKED CITY BLUES
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
THE GUIDING LIGHT
Then we walked the city. Webuyicecream from the vending machine, crossthefront of theplanetarium, and climbthelongstairs. It is afamiliarlocation, but it feels like awhole new world.
それから僕らは、街を歩いた。
自販機でアイスクリームを買って、プラネタリウムの前を横切り、長い階段を登った。
どこも僕らには馴染みの場所だ。けど、全く新しい世界のように感じた。
LOVIN’ SPOONFUL
INNOCENT WHEN YOU DREAM
Westayina strangehotel. The room is full ofballoons. My sonplays with the balloons, until, too tired to play, he falls directly asleep. A balloon was swaying happily to meet my son rolling over…
Takingphotosgreatly changedmy life. I began to cherish life. I think it gave me the ability to see things in a variety of perspectives. I wouldonly seeone sideofthings, but then Itake a picture. Every placeis aplaygroundfor menow.
A philosopherthinks on every point of view to find the essence of things. A comedian talks with an interesting perspective to make people happy. I want to be able to take pictures like both a philosopher and a comedian.
Ibegan totake picturesbecausemy wifegave mea complimentfor photos I took of our son. Huge thanks to my family.
僕らは、変なホテルに泊まった。部屋中、風船だらけでね。
息子はひとしきり風船と遊んで、遊び疲れてそのまま眠ってしまった。
彼の寝返りに合わせて、風船が楽し気に揺れていた・・・。
写真を撮るようになって、僕の人生は大きく変わった。人生を大切に思えるようになった。
物事を色んな視座で見れるようになったんだと思う。
写真を撮るようになる前は、僕には物事の一面しか見えなかったんだ。
今じゃ、いる場所いる場所どこだって、僕の遊び場だ。
哲学者はさ、物事の本質を見つけるためにあらゆる視点から考えるでしょ。
お笑い芸人は、人を笑わせるために面白い視点で話をするじゃん。
僕は、そんな風に写真が撮れるようになりたい。
息子の写真を妻が褒めてくれたから、僕は写真を撮るようになった。
家族には、感謝の他ないよ。
BRAND NEW DAY
MORNING HOTEL
Now.
A new day begins today.
さあ。
新しい一日が、今日も始まる。
HAVE LOVE WILL TRAVEL
MYSTERY TRAIN IS RUNNING
My friend often asks me this: ”Why do you always have a sad face?”
I answer: “I’m happy at any time. This face is my face.”
And I laugh just a little bit.
友達が、僕にこうきく。「なんでいつもそんなに悲しそうな顔をしているの？」
僕は答える。「いつでもハッピーだよ。これが俺の顔なんだ。」
そして、僕はほんの少しだけ笑うんだ。
One Snap, One Love.
Life is art. Record all.
I’m Yoshihisa Egami. Japanese man. I love rock music, cinema, and taking photos. I’m an Instagrammer. @YOSHIBOWORKS on Instagram. I’mvery excitedto meetyou on Instagram!
“We would have said that I existed of two manners, between what I was for me and what I was for the others. There was no relationship.”
– Simone de Beauvoir
I think of defining myself by these few lines…
In my head is a winter decor, a Baudelaire’s Spleen that I mask by my daily life, my social life; two completely different and opposed aspects which find themselves in a person: me!
I make self portraits, and I try to transmit a sensation, a moment of thought.
I am ‘schizophrenic’; it’s as if my different faces show themselves through my photos.
To escape a too traditional and classic life which sometimes suffocates, I calm down thanks to my selfs, living as something else, a moment suspended in the labyrinth of my own mind.
It is not a thought out approach, it is really the work which I execute on the spot; I start with a very classic self portrait and later, according to my mood, by instinct, I surf through apps. It is always an internal pulse.
Hence this therapeutic need to seize the fleeting moment in which I find myself. It is very intimate.
Then, I pass from one state to the other without any link. It is an exercise which is not studied, I do not make a series of photos; there is no coherence.
My moodboard is a mixture of reading, poetry, music, painting, and photos by which I am profoundly inspired, I suck the life blood out of them in order to spit them out in my own way!
Thanks to iPhoneography, I have been able to thrive on being able to make everything with a single purpose: taking the photo, editing it, and posting it.
I compare it to therapy: appointment with the psychologist, I speak to him and then pay his session.
Every session is different, except for the fact that it is always related to the same person.
I like this unlimited side, instant and unique, which is offered by mobile photography.
I take all my pictures with my iPhone 6. Regarding apps, I think I have an addiction, because I use almost twenty! But I principally use VSCO, iColorama, Mextures, Paint FX, and Noir. It is really a special intimate work which leads to satisfaction or a failure, depending the result…
“On aurait dit que j’existais de deux manières, entre ce que j’étais pour moi et ce que j’étais pour les autres. Il n’y avait aucun rapport.”
– Simone de Beauvoir
Je pense me définir par ces quelques lignes…
Dans ma tête, c’est un décors d hiver, un spleen à la Baudelaire que je masque par mon quotidien, ma vie sociale, deux aspects complètement différents, opposés mais qui se retrouve en une personne moi!
Je fais surtout des self-portraits, j essaie de transmettre une sensation, un état d esprit du moment.
Je suis comme “schizophrène”, c’est comme si je vivais à travers plusieurs visages par le biais de mes photos.
Pour échapper à une vie trop traditionnelle et classique dans laquelle parfois j étouffe je m apaise grâce à mes selfs je vie autre chose, un moment suspendu dans le labyrinthe de mon esprit.
Ce n est pas une démarche réfléchie, c’est vraiment une œuvre que j exécute sur le vif, je part d un self-portrait très classique et après en fonction de mon humeur, à l instinct je me balade dans les applications c’est toujours une impulsion.
D’où ce besoin thérapeutique de saisir le moment fugace dans lequel je suis, c’est très intime.
Et je passe d un état à l autre sans forcément de lien.
C’est un exercice qui n est pas étudié, je ne fais pas de série, il n y a pas de cohérence d une photo à l autre.
Mon moonboard est un mélange de lecture, poème, musique, peinture, photographies dont je m’inspire profondément, je les vampirise pour les recracher à ma façon!
Grâce à l’ iphonographie, j ai pu m épanouir sur le fait de pouvoir tout faire avec un seul objet: prendre la photo, l éditer et la poster.
Je compare cela à une thérapie : Rdv chez le psy, lui parler, payer sa séance.
Chaque séance est différente à l exception que c’est toujours de la même personne qu il s agit!
J aime ce côté infini, instantané et unique que m offre la photographie mobile. Je prend toutes mes photos avec mon IPhone 6. En ce qui concerne les applications, je crois vraiment avoir une addiction car je dois en avoir une vingtaine! Je me sers principalement de VsoCam, Icolorama, Paintfx et Noir. C’est vraiment un travail très intimiste qui se définit soit par une satisfaction ou un échec en fonction du résultat.
My main occupation in the last ten years or so is song writing, which mainly means writing lyrics to songs in close cooperation with musicians and performing artists.
The last two years have been dramatically overwhelming in my personal life. For 25 years I’ve lived in Tel-Aviv, the Israeli Big Apple, a liberal city, full of ongoing cultural and social happenings, but I was forced to leave and move to a small and culturally isolated village and then move again, within a year, to another city, not far from Tel-Aviv but miles away in every other aspect.
Concerns the go
During these two years I’ve also experienced the loss of my Father and of young, precious, family members, and so I found myself with bare skin, withdrawing into myself, writing less and finding solace in photography.
Something in the immediacy of photography and even more, in street photography, makes it (in my own eyes) an expression tool that doesn’t involve hard decision making and/or agony.
And like in writing – In photography I can take on different roles and express my personal feelings through other characters.
Stairway to nowhere
My daily wonderings in various geographic/urban environments, meeting different inhabitants and energies – evoked an inner urge to document and frame random, unique moments that are also very expressive and silently moving.
One precise frame of a human situation in the middle of the street can tell us a whole story, without struggling with a single word.
Black Friday
I “use” other people’s body language and facial expressions to express situations I feel inside of me, but without giving them away physically and verbally.
Self-awareness
Street Photography is such a category that demands and forces all my senses to be wide awake and identify in a split of a second, passing, but powerful, worthy situations to document.
Those conditions exist, in fact, every time I enter a public space, whereas my iPhone allows me to blend in with people, without getting noticed, something not quite possible with a big intimidating DSLR.
Existential detachment
When I walk the streets, I identify (in a very natural way) compositions, frames, light and shadow, contrast and ambience (a walking Snapseed…).
I love the speed needed to react to the various happenings all around me. Sometimes I identify a situation immediately and shoot it spontaneously, and sometimes I realise I have to freeze in my place, in front of certain background and wait until an interesting figure will walk into the frame. A half spontaneous, half planned photo.
Dreams vs Reality
There are these days I get off the bus and feel that all the street happening is a one big, orchestrated theatre show. All the characters jump out from all directions in front of my eyes, like a 3D Greeting Card, and perfectly align in the most wonderful compositions. Such days fill me with the most positive adrenalin. But that’s the easy case.
Grumpy Lady
When I’m in a less interesting place, or a place where nothing much is happening, I go from Macro to Micro, looking for little gestures inside the bigger image. It could be a woman’s profile, palm of a child’s hand, the texture of a hat or a dog’s tail. If the element is aligned in a way that conveys an interesting story, or hints of a story that won’t be fully revealed, it’s a justified photograph for me.
Investigative inner world of childhood
We are all a bit trapped
Looking for little gestures inside the bigger image
BTW –
When I look at my edited image, I always hear music. A soundtrack that accompanies the image I caught. So, in the end of it all, photography does connect to words and music, and it’s how, in fact, I close a circle and feel my creation is whole and connected to my original occupation.
I must admit that my greatest dream is to get a hold of the “Cloak of invisibility” which will allow me to get closer, much closer to the people I’d like to photograph, without being noticed.
Just to think about all the photos and rare moments I missed or gave up on completely, just for being nice 🙂
Socially isolated
This is Racheli’s first article for Grryo. You can find her work on Instagram.
Hello everyone! It’s Nga Hoang (@ngahoang0812). I am from Hanoi, Vietnam. Bitten by the storytelling bug at an early age, I have evolved from an avid listener of my tailor-grandfather’s exotic tales to a passionate travel writer and a hobbyist photographer. When not on assignment, I enjoy wandering aimlessly around the streets with my camera and capturing the odds and quirks of everyday life. I am very delighted to share my photo essay about the West Lake lifestyle in Hanoi with the Grryo community.
In a city that is built on lowlands between rivers, there is no shortage of waterfront retreats, and West Lake is up there with the best of them. It serves as a rare green lung amid the ever-growing concrete jungle, an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle. Once a sleepy north Hanoi suburb thronged with fishing villages, the West Lake, or Tay Ho neighbourhood, has been transformed into an area of urban cool. It offers all the elements of the cosmopolitan lifestyle that modern city dwellers hunger after, with the added benefit of a lakefront setting. It is not for nothing that royal families built summer retreats near its shores as long as 400 years ago. With its fresh air, scenic views and tranquil surroundings, it is very clear why. With a camera in hand, I’ve documented a juxtaposition of lifestyles and offer a glimpse into the lives of the people in the West Lake neighbourhood.
A group of kayakers gather around a pier overlooking the West Lake for a training session.
Young Vietnamese kayakers in matching tracksuits from the Hanoi Kayak Club take part in a training session for the national rowing team.
With sampling its waters being free of charge, an intriguing mix of retirees, young families and pets can be found taking a dip in the early morning and late afternoon.
As the oldest temple complex dating back more than 1500 years Tran Quoc Pagoda, which translates as The Guardian of the Nation, draws in large numbers of worshippers and visitors alike. It juts out over a small island near the east bank of Hanoi’s West Lake. The octagonal 6-sided brick tower is made up of 11 levels, with each level housing small white Buddha statues which represent several stages of the life of Buddha.
The ceramic dragon gates at the far end of the West Lake were initially set up to mark the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.
With water and the cityscape stretching as far as the eye can see, the West Lake acts as something of an urban beach for local residents.
Few places can compete with West Lake for a spot to soak up the sunset in Hanoi. This image depicts a sense of urban isolation in Hanoi.
The odd charm of West Lake is revealed in the almost ghost-like, worn-out ferris wheels at the Tay Ho water park that run intermittently. The ferris wheels were reflected off the water which was dotted with withering lotus flowers during winter times.
Secluded and idyllic, West Lake is as good a spot for fishing as it is for swimming. Fishing is quite well established as a favourite local pastime, but it is a real test of patience. Urban fishermen can be seen balancing themselves on stepping stones as they cast their bamboo poles out into the waters. They might spend a whole day under the baking sun and catch nothing.
A young diving enthusiast takes delight in diving off a high board at the semi-deserted Tay Ho water park.
If you’d like to view more of Nga’s work, you can find her on Instagram
Of all the things I could do in my life, I never imagined that a photography exhibition in Tehran would be one of them. Instead, a few weeks ago I found myself (@eauditalie) on a plane bound for Tehran, for the first group exhibition of Hikari Creative, the Instagram photography group that Q. Sakamaki, Ako Salemi, Eric Mencher and I founded in December 2014 to create and curate artistic street photography, showcasing the best pictures from around the world. Since we launched, Hikari Creative has become a significant point of reference for artistic street photography on Instagram, which is something we’re truly proud of.
The Hikari Creative team (minus one): Ako Salemi (right), Q. Sakamaki (centre) and me.
The exhibition – called Chance Encounters – was held at N.6 Gallery in Tehran and was a big success. An amazing crowd turned up for the opening and it was great to discover that in Tehran there is a wonderful community of people passionate about photography. In many ways this isn’t surprising, if you think of the great film directors and photographers that Iran has produced over the past decades and the fact that for millennia Iran has been a cradle of visual beauty.
Ako Salemi, the man who made it all happen
This passion for the arts is what made our first Hikari Creative exhibition happen in Tehran instead of – for example – Rome or New York: the owner of the gallery, Mrs. Katy Dechamani, is a great fan of Ako Salemi’s work, and it was thanks to her and Ako that we founders of Hikari Creative had our first collective show.
Q. Sakamaki taking pictures at the exhibition
Eric Mencher’s wall at the exhibition
Some of my photos up on the wall
In all I spent just three days in Tehran because my official job (which is that of creating perfumes) didn’t allow me to take more time off, but thanks to Ako’s Salemi brilliant flair for organization I was able – together with Q. Sakamaki and his wife Kuniko – to spend all of my free time photographing the streets and people of Tehran.
Devotees at the Shrine of Imamzadeh Saleh in north Tehran
Ladies at the Shrine
For me the most interesting places to shoot were the Shrine of Imamzadeh Saleh in North Tehran, the bazaars – particularly Tajrish bazaar, which is one of the oldest – and also the giant cemetery outside Tehran, which is next to Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum, still under construction.
Carpet seller in the Grand Bazaar
Closing time, Tajrish Bazaar
Tehran is a city blighted by smog so, even though the sun was out, we actually never saw it. The good side to the pollution was that it gave a rather melancholy and mysterious atmosphere to most situations, which is something I really like in photography. Everybody everywhere was helpful, charming and kind, and I was able to shoot in each place as much as I wanted.
Lone woman walking outside the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum
Child playing in front of Imam Khomeini’s portrait at the Mausoleum
Mosque under construction
Martyr’s tomb at the Tehran Cementery
I only wish I’d had more time in Tehran. I hope to go back soon to see and photograph more of the country and its wonderful people – till then Tehran will remain in my heart as one of the most fascinating and interesting places I’ve ever been to.
Floating memories – Tehran
To see more of Marinas’ fantastic images please visit :
Every city has its own flair and specialty. We often don’t observe and see things that are right in front of us. When it comes to exploring our city, we tend to get carried away with our life and daily routine. Many times we travel the world and express how great a city or a country is, forgetting that the grass may be greenest in our own garden. Being born and raised in Jakarta, there have been times in the past that I have complained about the city. Jakarta’s traffic can be crazy, the unending line of malls everywhere can be dull, and the pollution is bad too. Nonetheless, I have learned to look at my city with a new pair of eyes.
There are many ways to explore a city; alone or with friends. I have managed to discover my city with a group of explorers by visiting different parts of the city. Little did I know that despite the traffic and modernization, our city is still rich in history and culture. There are many places I didn’t know about and the experience has broadened my horizons completely. I shall highlight some of the places I enjoyed exploring and learning about. Capturing moments through these trips was an interesting experience. It helped by enhancing my knowledge in photography and practicing to shoot in manual mode. Even while capturing on the iPhone I was able to learn more in terms of exposure, contrast and finding the right balance when shooting.
In Jakarta we have various aspects of culture and history spread in different parts of the city such as museums, historical sites, markets, or even the harbor. As much as I love going to museums, I’d like to highlight the places that made me appreciate my city more.
Glodok
Glodok is considered our “Chinatown” although it is completely different from the Chinatown in other cities around the world. The history of this area dates back to the Dutch era, where they were brought to Indonesia as slaves from China. They resided in this area and many of them have remained in the area till date. Although, currently the local chinese community have moved to different areas in Jakarta, Glodok still remains the main hub for their supplies of food, vegetables, and medicines. The tour around this place was thoroughly fun. In Jakarta, we are used to traveling around in cars, unlike other cities where you can enjoy the pleasure of walking and taking the local transportation. Thus, walking around Glodok and the markets was a new experience for me. We learned about the cultural heritage and historical treasures. The narrow alleys, the muddy streets and the rundown buildings were part of our adventure. We were able to see a few Buddhist Temples that still exist, and had a good walk around the markets to understand more about the traditional foods among the Chinese community. Taking pictures of the surroundings made one feel like part of their daily routine.
Kota Tua
Kota Tua means Old Town, which is the original downtown area of Jakarta. It is also known as Old Batavia. It’s called Old Town because it is the older part of Jakarta which was built during the Dutch colonial rule. There are a few museums around Kota Tua, namely the Wayang Museum (Puppet Museum), the Historical Museum, and the Fine Art & Ceramic Museum. Whilst touring this area, I didn’t feel I was in Jakarta. The architecture and the layout transports you to another place. There is much hope to restore this area to rejuvenate Old Jakarta’s legacy. Some of the buildings are run down but still have some heritage. On the inside of one of the buildings we found stained glass windows, which date back to older times. This was a very rare find and a fascinating one too.
Mosque and Church
The Masjid Istiqlal (Independence Mosque) is known to be one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia. The national mosque was built to commemorate Indonesian Independence. When entering the Mosque, as any other religious holy place, you feel peaceful and calm. It was a fulfilling experience to explore the architecture of the mosque and feel the atmosphere inside it. It is a massive building and can accommodate up to more than 120,000 people. The building near the Mosque, the Jakarta Cathedral (Roman Catholic Cathedral), also has a very fine and intricate architecture. This building reminded me of the churches we see in European countries. The way it’s built, the feeling inside the church and the complete structure of it is beautiful. It was irresistible not to take a snap or two to capture the details of these buildings.
Sunda Kelapa Harbor
Lastly, our famous Sunda Kelapa harbor, located north of Jakarta, is the old port of our city. Although it is now only a minor port, Jakarta had its origins in Sunda Kelapa and it played a significant role in the city’s development. While walking around the area, there were some interesting spots like the Watch Tower and Maritime Museum. Some of the buildings and the Museum in this area have a lot of history and make one feel nostalgic. The way the ships were lined up, as well as the people and the scenes from the harbor, make you want to capture the moments.
There are still many more interesting sites to see in my wonderful city. It is filled with various colors and exploring it like a tourist, has made me value it even more. I look forward to many more moments of discovering the wonders of Jakarta. I hope you enjoyed walking with me through my pictures and short story. Jakarta may not have a perfect description but it is a part of Indonesia, a country which is diverse, yet united.
Simran is a passionate photographer. She writes for INK361 and with this article we welcome her to the GRRYO team.
Antonio Denti has been a Reuters staff cameraman for 17 years, covering historical events in different parts of the world: from Indonesia to Turkey to the Vatican.
Instagram has become the avenue for Antonio to process his experience as a news cameraman into a personal artistic expression. His images are provoking as they serve as evidence of historical events as they unfold. Here is Antonio’s story by his words and images.
Even though I have worked on stories alongside famed photographers, journalists and documentarists, most news cameramen like me are anonymous. For example, many may know Robert Capa as the one who photographed D-day, but very few know the names of the other cameramen who documented and risked their lives to record that event.
Besides anonymity, the work of a news cameraman is like the life of a mayfly. Very quick passages in one-minute TV reports. I don’t even know if some of the stories that meant more to me, like the one on Baghdad’s mental hospital at the start of my Instagram project, were ever aired by any news channel.
When my first son started walking, this last winter, something changed. I continue to respect the job that feeds me and my family, but I wanted to give some space to the real reasons why I have chosen this field of work.
As a photographer, I study the lives of others as as a profession. The people I have photographed were the ones really affected by what was happening. In every place and situation, even though I was there, I was the least affected. What allowed me to feel that I could look at them in the eyes and keep working was not a moral motive, but a personal one.
I would try my best to get the essence of what was happening to them, the spirit behind the facts, the expression (good or bad) of the universal human condition that was happening in their lives and take it with me, to try and learn something of myself and of my life. I do not believe media coverage necessarily helps people. Sometimes it can damage them. However, I think that human affairs are important and precious, meaningful and full of sense. And if you try to catch that sense, a portion of that sense, you celebrate and respect the people whose lives you have intruded upon.
This principle, which is very important for me, has no room in news coverage as it is now, despite the great freedom and respect I have enjoyed from the agency I work for.
Instagram gave me a platform to work on it, as a laboratory for this random cameraman’s diary. Also because, when I think back of things I have seen, they usually come back as stills, not as moving pictures.
The project is entirely made by iPhone captures of my own professional photography over the years. I try to post an image every Thursday, with no definite theme or plan. Like many of my ‘experienced colleagues’ (as in aging) I have captured a lot of moments of people’s lives and this project will continue for some time… I hope.
You can find Antonio’s project on his Instagram page, where he is @antclick.
Dawn of October 3, 2015 ushered in a weekend of meeting new people during Instagram’s World Wide Instameet 12. The theme to encourage these worldwide encounters was #todayimet. We at Grryo went one step more and asked our followers to tag portraits of people they met, along with a short story about their new friends. We present to you those great portraits and stories in a two part collection from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, USA in our collection of #todayimet. Today I Met: USA here.
It was a strikingly hot Sydney day, but what struck me most as I approached Cave Urban’s stunning 21 metre tall sculpture made of bamboo, was the huge mass of Sydneysiders that had turned up for Instagrams’ 12th Worldwide Instameet! I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Organised by the good people of @sydneyfolk, the day was mostly focused on practising portraiture, due to Instagrams’ weekend theme of #todayimet. It was an incredible afternoon filled with the perfect mix of meeting many wonderfully creative individuals, lots of messy coloured powder and most importantly people putting their hands up to pose for portraits! I was lucky enough to take a few portraits and experiment with different portraiture styles, but I really love this one in particular of my friend De @twistdee against a lemon backdrop.
Today I @sombra_y_luz met the lovely Hussein @hussw during a walk around Melbourne University with the @igersmelbourne Originally from Somalia, home is now Oz. Great to finally meet so many of you.Hussein follows @takubeats and @paristoribio What a great community this is!
Today I met a brilliant talent at #WWIM12JavaConnect. His name is Bamby, a great photographer from Bandung Coret. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him directly, but yesterday is the first time that I had a conversation with him. I learned so many lessons from him such as, how to take a great picture like he does . . . everyday. I think He’s a funny and kind person. I like how he keeps a low profile. I loved when people said, “Eh bamby, yang keren mulu fotonya!” He would reply, “Ah bisa aja, Yang kamu lebih keren!” (Eh Bamby, you take really cool pics all the time. “Ah, nah, yours is even cooler!”). His response made me remember of a girl who posted a selfie, with a six grid and the same type of faces, then somebody says, “ih, Cantik banget kak!”(oh, how gorgeous sis!) and she answers it with “Ahh, kamu lebih cantik kok!” (Ahh, you’re way prettier!). Uh liars!
Yesterday was a great day. I made so many friends just like the event said, ‘Java Connect’. I am really connected.
Today I met Evan Imran Palubri salah satu instagramer yang dateng jauh dari tegal buat gabung WWIM 12 Java Connect di Bandung ! Mas Evan ini karakternya unik, ramah pokoknya nyaman deh orangnya untuk diajak sharing. Mas Evan ini baru aktif instagram sekitar 1 tahun terakhir dimana banyak hal hal positif yang didapat karena instagram, salah satunya dapat pengalaman lebih dan relasi yang lebih luas. Tanpa disadari Instagram menfasilitasi penggunanya untuk kenal satu dengan yang lainnya, dimana rata rata yang memang mempunya hobi atau passion yang sama ya contohnya Mas Evan ini, Berawal dari ikut gabung explore semarang lalu Mas Evan dapat banyak relasi, ilmu dan inspirasi. Sampai akhirnya Mas Evan melihat potensi di daerahnya (Tegal) yang kaya akan tempat pariwisata yang cukup menarik dari situ langsung Mas Evan tergerak untuk membuat @exploretegal.
English Translation:
Today I met Evan Imran Palubri, one of the instagrammers who came all the way from Tegal to join WWIM12 Java Connect in Bandung! Mas Evan has a unique character. He is friendly and definitely made me feel comfortable to share with him. He has only been active on Instagram in the past year where he has gained more experience and made broader connections. Without realizing it, Instagram facilitated his ability to meet others, where he found like minded people who shared the same hobby or passion. For example, Mas Evan, began by joining Explore Semarang where he gained a lot of connections, knowledge, and inspiration. He finally saw potential in his local area of Tegal which is rich in tourism and is a very interesting place. From that experience Mas Evan was moved to start @exploretegal.
This is Riki. One of the friendliest guys I have ever met. He can instantly make a conversation with strangers: like me! Asking plenty of questions and making you feel important. Today he was part of our WWIM 12 Helsinki and today I met him. When I asked him who he followed his answer was @david_rivolier.
For WWIM12 Venice, I follow girls still smiling to life : they don’t need to be photographed from behind or as profile like any random fashion blogger, they can gently stand a camera with a smile, they are as we say in Italian “come i miei nonni” (like my grandparents) – “magnifiche” (magnificent). They come from a gilded era when Italians were putting labels on real and great products, not on stupid marketing tricks, and, yes, as we say in Venice le xè venexiane not Venetians.
Today I met Leonardo Stephán. This is what makes life so interesting to live, all the opportunities that lie ahead of us, meeting interesting people, the conversations awaiting and enriching us.
Spiral in the Palace and also Benedetto Demaio. He’s one of those people who can make you laugh despite your actual mood and that’s a quality I, Marzia, really appreciate in friends. His Instagram stream is full of turquoise which happens to be one of my favorite colors. All these people I have met thanks to Instagram: five years of photos, five years of new friends.
She is the lovely Antonietta Portioli. I, Valeria, met her today while attending with @igersmilano the Art Exibition La Grande Madre (The Great Mother) organized by Fondazione Trussardi at the Royal Palace in Milan, Italy. Antonietta is an Italian architect and although owner of a powerful camera she loves shooting with an iPhone 4S as easier and always handy. She doesn’t care about the noise sometimes present as she thinks is part of that image. Furthermore she loves grain. Two of her preferred accounts are @tutto_occupato and @morozzi. Here is posing with the awesome work AMAZING GRACE by Nari Ward. Thank you deeply Antonietta for this great afternoon together.
Today I met the volcanic and very talented Valeria at the exhibition ‘La Grande Madre’ during the WWIM 12 Milan. Thank you Valeria for the nice time we spent together and for suggesting to use this mirror to try an uncommon portrait. Also thanks to @igersmilano team for the perfect organization.
Me gusta encontrarme con personas que viven la experiencia de Instagram de una forma sana y saludable. Gente que disfruta con la fotografía y que aún no ha sucumbido al yugo de las modas, las tendencias, el marketing y la deshumanización como bandera. Gente cuyo único y noble propósito es el de divertirse con esto y relacionarse con personas afines, desvirtualizándose mutuamente con estos instameets que de vez en cuando se organizan en distintas partes del mundo. Hubo un tiempo muy lejano en el que todo era así; estas quedadas son pequeños y raros oasis que nos recuerdan que esto antes no era el desierto en el que finalmente se convirtió. En la foto, Pablo @pabloalekoh. Tuve la suerte de conocerle ayer. Y amablemente se prestó para esta foto, haciéndome sentir como que nos conocíamos de siempre, a pesar de que nos seguimos desde hace muy poco. También conocí a @josenphoto, un tío muy versátil y con tantas ganas de explorar como yo. A Piluca @piluca_sun, una mujer a quien su corazón no le cabe en el pecho. A @tonicoy, alguien a quien llevaba mucho tiempo queriendo conocer personalmente. A @yocomu, con quien intercambié impresiones sobre en qué se han convertido las RRSS. A la gente de @photon_festival, que nos acercó en su charla al género de la fotografía documental, y que he admirado desde siempre. A @evefox y a @nereanp, a @bejealginet, a @mjoseos, @ladymsc72… ¿A quién sigo? #whoifollow A todos ellos. Porque como digo muchas veces, la foto es lo de menos. Porque galerías y fotos “cool” hay muchas. Gente sana, sencilla y buena, cada vez menos. Y por ello tienen todos mi más profunda admiración. Se me queda mucha gente atrás, pero ha sido un placer conocerles a todos. Gracias @igersvalencia, @mercadocentralvalencia, @monorxata, @cervezaturia, y a todos los responsables de que la mañana de ayer fuera estupenda.
English Translation:
I like to meet people on Instagram and the experience for me is lively and healthy. I like connecting with people who enjoy photography and have not succumbed to the hype of trends in fashion and marketing that dehumanize us. These world-wide instameets are perfect for those whose purpose is to have fun with their photography and interact with like-minded people. In this photo is @pabloalekoh. I was lucky to meet him yesterday, and he was kind enough to share this photo. Even though I had just met him, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. I also met @josenphoto, a very versatile guy and so eager to explore like me. Glad to have met @piluca_sun as well, a woman whose heart is too large to fit in her body. @tonicoy was someone who I had long wanted to meet personally. @yocomu, with whom we exchanged views on what has become the RRSS. @photon_festival approached us, and we discussed the genre of documentary photography. I’ve always admired his work. @evefox@nereanp@bejealginet@mjoseos, @ladymsc72 are #whoifollow
As I have said many times before, the picture is not important. There are plenty of “cool” photo galleries. The ones with honest, simple and fine galleries are few, and those are the ones who have my deepest admiration. There are more who I haven’t mentioned, but it was a pleasure to meet everyone.
Today I metDane Pollardat the WWIM12 in Manchester, UK. I, Elaine, had a fantastic day and was fortunate to meet a great bunch of igers, including a very cute dog called Princess Roy. Thanks for organizing such a fab meet up Dane.
Atomic shelter, refugees, drug addicts, 5000 buses and a mystery theater, all gathered together in the World’s second largest bus station, located in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Part I – Construction
The new Bus Station (as opposed to the old one, that still exists) was completed in 1993, covering 2,480,000 square feet, and a total area of 10.8 acres. Initially it had six floors, and a seventh one was built ten years ago, causing the lower two levels to close (changing its original purpose, and becoming an atomic shelter suitable for 16,000 people).
The station was supposed to be one of the largest malls in Tel-Aviv, with thousands of stores, but today there are only around 600 stores, and all the rest are closed.
The station has also been criticized for its complicated design which makes it hard to get around, and for being built in a neighborhood that didn’t fit its character. The nearest train station is a couple of hundred meters away, but there wasn’t any connection made between them.
Part II – Crime and the city solution
Walking through the dark hollows of the station can be a frightening experience, especially in the lower levels that are not being used for transportation. As the station is located in the poorest part of the city, numerous drug addicts, prostitutes and homeless people take residence there on occasion.
One should never walk alone in those areas at any time of the day (or night). There are some 100 security cams, 120 security officers on patrol through out the day, but still, horrid things are happening, as there is no way to cover all the dark corners of the station.
Part III – Art takeover
Now, half empty, artists are drawn to the station. With its empty spaces, low rent, and exquisite atmosphere, lots of art studios are now covering the fifth floor.
The large space at the center holds an open art gallery with various installments, and there’s even a Yiddish museum, with a large library containing rare books.
The seventh floor holds a permanent graffiti display all over the walls, only adding up to the overall atmosphere of despair. And this is where all the pieces come together, on A Thursday night, 10PM, on the seventh floor of the second largest bus station in the world.
Part IV – The Mystorin (Hebrew for Mystery) Theater
The Mystorin Theater Group is a Israeli theater group that brings the beauty of ancient Hebrew texts to Israeli and international audiences, creating a unique theatrical poetry.
The original theatrical language of the group is rich in visual images, full of different meanings and interpretations.
Through video, movement, singing and visual theatre, the performances of the Mystorin group reflect the narrative of ancient texts and communicate with the audience both as a story and as a total mystical experience with a strong emotional impact.
The group specializes in environment dependent performances, adjusting the show to the location where it takes place.
…We stand at the exact spot where we were told to wait. Then, suddenly, the group appears and takes you on a magical tour throughout all levels of the station, using only the station’s illumination and horror movie spaces. There’s special music written for the show that will suddenly arrive from nowhere, adding an addictive mystery element to it all (Later on we’ll spot a guy hiding in the shadows with a small but powerful speaker…).
Giant puppets, vampires, rubber circles turning into sound playing horns, ancient chanting, amazing acoustics, and the constant smell of urine and decay – all turn the bus station into a tantalizing visual, sensual experience.
About Eitan:
I’m Eitan Shavit (48), from Israel, going by the name @strongcomet.
I have been taking photographs since my childhood, went to art school to study photography, but never took the next step into making it a profession.
Before joining Instagram towards the end of 2011, I just used the app to capture photos on my 1st generation iPhone, apply some filters and later uploading them to my Facebook account. The first iPhone’s camera was simply horrible, so I was quite disappointed with the results and thought it wasn’t going anywhere. When Facebook purchased Instagram, the buzz reached me, and only at that time I realized it had a real strong social network feature, and dived right back in. From that point on, I’m constantly trying different approaches to photography, using different apps and techniques.
I’m a proud Founder Artist for the New Era Museum, a member of the AMPt Community, and always exploring new ways of sharing my art, as well as being exposed to other artists from all over the world.
Paula Broom’s exhibit is showing at GKJE Gallery 1 in Sydney, Australia during the month of September.
Here, in her own words, she tells us a bit about herself and how the exhibit came about:
I am a visual artist and iPhoneographer, currently working on an exhibition and social media project that explores issues of biodiversity loss, extinction and conservation. In March and April this year, scientists at the Australian Museum kindly opened their doors and allowed me access to photograph threatened and endangered native species, mostly lesser known invertebrates from their collections, and ask them endless questions about their research.
The first species I photographed at the Museum was Thersites mitchellae or Mitchell’s rainforest snail from north eastern NSW. It has lost much of its coastal habitat to land clearing for development, with the small remnant areas of habitat still at risk of further urban expansion. In my image “High Rise Reverberation” (below), a composite image and one of my more figurative ones, I juxtaposed the snail shells with an image of a high rise development, one of the very drivers of its demise, in order to play on ideas of displacement and habitat.
The beauty of this next species rather eluded me, even using the macro lens of my olloclip: this was the endangered Pericryptodrilus nanus, or the Lord Howe earthworm. At threat of extinction, it is only found in the Mount Gower area of Lord Howe Island. It took a lot of playful editing before I succeeded in showing this species in a much more abstracted way, which I feel it needed for interest.
The beach hoppers (Microrchestia bousfieldi) from the South West Rocks area of NSW were a lot more interesting and detailed to look at. They feed on detritus in the intertidal zone and are removed from the ecosystem with seaweed harvesting and clearing, as undertaken on many Australian beaches. This threatens not only their survival but that of the seabirds and other species that rely on them. The image of these beach hoppers, “Shallow Grave”, has been edited to resemble an old fashioned “plate” from an encyclopaedia.
The image, “Fade Away” has one of my photos of a Corroboree Frog disappearing into a superimposed background map of its home range. The critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frog, the Pseudophryne corroboree from the Kosciuszko National Park, is dangerously close to becoming extinct in the wild, predominantly due to a disease called chytridiomycosis that is responsible for amphibian extinctions worldwide. When live, Corroboree Frogs are quite striking and instantly recognisable, having an almost stripped black and yellow pattern over their bodies: preserved in alcohol, they lose their colouring. Looking at their little, lifeless bodies, tags and all, almost stockpiled in the storage jars, I had the uncomfortable thought that perhaps there were more Corroboree Frogs, albeit dead, in those jars than in the wild nowadays. Surprisingly I found it more challenging producing imagery for these little critters than I did for the invertebrate species.
Sadly the survival of many species nowadays relies on the interventions of scientists. Invertebrates aren’t to everyone’s liking for sure, and indeed they are often much neglected components of our ecosystems that we fail to recognise. If a much cherished and striking creature like the Corroboree Frog is not immune from threat of extinction, you have to ask yourself what chance to our less attractive species have? I realised though from talking to the passionate scientists who devote their entire lives to researching these species that having a thorough understanding of ecology and ecosystems makes you aware that everything is important in the overall equation and that, in the end, looks aren’t everything. It got me thinking that if ecology was taught, much like English and mathematics, from primary school upwards, then perhaps we wouldn’t currently be causing the World’s sixth mass extinction ever.
{Grryo is hosting a challenge on Instagram related to this exhibition for the month of September. Visit the feed if you’d like to participate.}
TRAIN STATION
INNOCENT WHEN YOU DREAM
Concerns the go
Stairway to nowhere
Black Friday
Self-awareness
Existential detachment
Dreams vs Reality
Grumpy Lady
Investigative inner world of childhood
We are all a bit trapped
