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Churrasco patrocinado pela Toyama aos funcionários da Agraupe, em 12-01-2013 no Casaraão Eventos - Riacho Grande - SP
All photos property of Japonismo Contenidos de Viaje SC. Please contact us in case you want to license any of them (info at japonismo dot com)
This was a taxi driver in Toyama. He took me around Toyama for just over an hour, for the equivalent of about £17, stopping to let me take photos - he even found me an observation tower to get some aerial views - and wouldn't take a tip at the end of it. (Taxi drivers in England would never have refused the tip!) I hope he sees this picture even though it is a bit dark
I present to you the Snapper Kamaboko statue (can fish be statues?), which is found outside the Ume-kama Kamaboko factory in Toyama prefecture, Japan. Kamaboko, which can be translated as fish cake, is made from surimi and is a staple of the residents of Toyama. Toyama city ranks third nationwide in terms of kamaboko purchased per capita, with higher totals than the major city centers of Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. Kamaboko has a long history, dating back to around the 4th century when it was recorded as being served to the Empress. Kamaboko shapes vary throughout Japan, and Toyama is known for it's decoration kamaboko, as well as the maki-kamaboko (pictured under the fish), which is unique to the prefecture. Decoration kamaboko is when the kamaboko is shaped into various objects for special occasions, such as fish, boats, octopuses, flowers, etc. The red snapper, pictured, is commonly presented at Toyama weddings to guests to signify well-wishes and happiness. It is also used in a ceremony to celebrate the 100th day birthday of a baby. Chopsticks are placed in the baby's hand and pictures are taken, before the adults eat the kamaboko.
I knew kamaboko was famous in Toyama but it wasn't until I went to the factory that I realized that there were a number of kamaboko shapes and customs unique to this prefecture. Wow, that's kind of cool!
Strobist:
There are two stickers near the front of the maki-kamaboko saying, 'please do not rub the kamaboko', since Japanese people like to rub their hands on statues for good luck. I wanted to capture the imperfections of the statue to show it's age and I guess it's popularity, so I went for a hard light.
one sb-28 hard left up high, nearly in line with the fish head, with a gobo to keep the light from showing in the window. 1/2 power feathered away from the head. I like the highlights on the nose.
one sb-26 with gold stofen behind the fish at 1/32. both triggered by pw's.
one car dashboard reflector on the ground, to help light the front maki-kamabokos.
This was quite challenging with the glass behind. I spent so much time trying to hide the flashes. The rays coming out from under the fish were a nice surprise as I had just wanted to get separation from the background. I noticed the light coming out and adjusted it so it was even.
In lightroom I can boost the darks and blacken the back window out but I left it as is since this is about lighting. The put the statue away at 4:30pm so doing this at night was not an option.