J Bride

god…another Japanese story…

As I continue my quests for those perfect images from Waikiki, I wandered through the entrails of the Hyatt after shooting my usual randomness when I came across the usual Japanese bride in a rental dress being hustled by the wedding brokers from ceremony to limo to photo session to dinner to whatever for a fee…most likely a large fee…as wonderful weddings in Hawaii don’t come cheap.

She was no different than any Japanese bride I’ve seen at Ala Moana or Waikik…but the light flowing from the open corridors of the hotel caught this bride-to-be in a very beautiful way. I don’t think I captured her how I saw her as she seemed a bit unsure of what was going on…I mean, I walked in and she is sitting in the lobby dolled up in her wedding dress. No one is talking to her, no one is with her. I almost felt as if she got a dress, got dressed, and went down to hang out in the lobby.

The light streamed in from the street and caught her nicely. I approached her after circling a bit and slowly asked if I could snap a photo of her. I must have looked odd and/or pervertish for taking her shot but she was really nice and smiled big.

She told me she was from Osaka and I bowed to her a thank you and congratulations.

Nice moment from a stranger.

UPDATE…

I did notice her hands…they were gripping her dress. Uneasiness? Needed a cigarette?

Or was it me, the fat guy with a camera?

hmmmm……..

A Japanese splash

A loss of words fills my empty head on this image. I’m not sure why but I really caught something unique to my eye. A bit papparazi, voyeuristic, yet to me beautiful. A young beautiful girl caught in the crashing surf of Waikiki.

Umbrella

I’ve been working on a stock project for Frommer’s guide books on Oahu and have shot like a madman over the last few weeks. I been all over the island, seen and done many things I normally would not have done. Amazing how we locals forget how wonderfully beautiful Oahu is.

But in my eyes, sometimes life isn’t like a postcard or some beautiful stocky image you typically see in guide books. Shooting stock is challenging and I seem to always find the unique in what is around.

I walked down Waikiki beach hoping to catch some nice light and good looking people strolling or what not…I never expected to see something fun. I stumbled upon an older beach goer wrestling with a stubborn umbrella while standing in the sand during the sunset. I think the photo says enough.

Enjoy.

Photog as a model? Can you spot me?

As I recall, about seven years ago, I assisted NYC photographer Michael Prince on an ad job for Toshiba. The job was to be a multi-ethnic cast of your white, black, brown, and yellow crowd. I was part of a three man crew which included Sean Murray and Alfred Yan and we set up cameras and light for the shot. It was very easy and didn’t really seem out of the ordinary for any of us. It was quick and painless from what I recall.

After hours of hair and make-up, light tests, and arrangement of the furniture, the models lined up and pictures were taken. However, the art directors were not pleased…something was missing…an element they couldn’t figure out.

Whispers and fingers were starting to point around the room and all of a sudden, fingers were pointed at me. I got asked to a model in the ad! I figured they needed the Hispanic/Jewish/Mediterranean brown guy in the shot. I was thinner, carried myself well, and people noticed. Sean, surprisingly wasn’t asked and he was an ex model for Bruce Webber! He was much better looking than me but I guess they had their white guy in the shot and the same for Alfred as he’s Chinese and the token hot Asian girl was already staged. Hence the camera turned on me.

I got a quick haircut from the stylist, a boring sweater type jersey, and off I was on the set, pretending to engage in conversation with the model looking guy across from me. I recall being nervous as hell even though I am quite the ham in front of any camera. But a few moments later, I emerged as the hero of the shot and was even told by the photographer “…you pretty much made that shot.”

I walked away from that job with an assistant rate plus a fat modeling check! I quickly figured out lifestyle modeling might be the new career, I can see myself now…exotic locations, model girlfriends, waiter jobs on the side, airports, botox, champagne, flashing lights…ah…the good life. Alas, the road to success remained on the other side of the camera where my face will never get the action it deserves.