I can’t believe it is not ISO 400!
Neopan 1600 Super Presto #1
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Tag Archives: black and white
Ode to FujiFilm NeoPan 1600 Super Presto
Matter of factly you sat
In your green and black packs
Neo Pan 1600 Super Presto
In a 2 by 5 grid. With gusto
Punching open the box
Popping off the gray lid
Out slid Super Presto
Into my camera “un momento”
36 clicks later
Back into the canister you go
My heart doth beat faster
The negative is my master
Pour, shake, rinse and repeat
Can’t wait to see how positively neat
Your solid blacks and silky grays
Really makes my nights and days
Black and white lace
“Light & Shadow” by Daido Moriyama
Here’s another Daido book I picked up on my recent trip to Tokyo called “Light & Shadow.”
It is the same exact size as the “Buenos Aires” one which is also a re-release. You can refer to my previous post on that book here.
To be honest with you I have no idea how to interpret this book. It is a dense and constant bombardment of low-fi black and white images. But that’s exactly why I love it because it’s a celebration of just that: Light & Shadow.
From what I can tell, there’s no story or theme running through it but pure unadulterated visual stimuli of the black and white variety. It’s a great way to teach yourself to see things in their own context as pure graphic elements.
I can recommend this book without any reservation!
As much as I love this copy I do envy those who own the original version:
For previews of the book you can check this link out here.
Other books by Daido Moriyama:
“Buenos Aires”
“Buenos Aires” Picture Previews
Here are some sample images taken from the book. (It was really hard to choose there are so many good ones!)
Here’s the link to the first edition of Buenos Aires
Other books by Daido Moriyama:
“Light & Shadow”
“Buenos Aires” Daido Moriyama
[UPDATE] Be sure to check out the book preview with sample images here
On my recent trip to Tokyo I picked up a bunch of photo books three of them by Daido Moriyama: “Buenos Aires”; “Light & Shadow” and “Erotica”. I’ll first review the “Buenos Aires” in this post.
This 2009 edition is a re-release of a larger and more expensive book initially published in 2005 by Kodansha. The original edition’s dimensions are 11.5 x 8.5 inches while this one being more portable and easy to flip through stands at 7 x 4.5 inches. Though cheaper than the original it is no less well packaged as it has an obi band and a softcover dust jacket. The green cover you see in the photo comes off to reveal a darker greenish gray cover which on closer inspection is a subtlety printed photo. All pages have matte finishing.
The book’s first dozen pages depicts sparsely populated streets and open spaces. As it progresses the visual rhythm picks up and the streets get more crowded and frenetic activity starts taking over. The restaurants and the bars become full with couples dancing – legs and bodies entwined. Packed subway, cluttered storefront displays and a merry go round spinning wildly at night bring the book to a crescendo which then begins to finish the way it started. Desolate streets, a pile of garbage and stray dog mark the final pages.
What I most appreciate about “Buenos Aires” is that it begs to be picked up and flipped through revealing new details and insights each time over the course of several readings. It’s a great book for those who enjoy street photography whether Daido fan or not.
Here’s the link to the first edition of Buenos Aires
Adventures in Photography 