Just back from another good trip to Japan. I spent time in both Kyoto and Tokyo, flying out of Osaka both ways. A two week trip, so jet lag coming home this week was especially tough.
One of the things I always try to do on these trips is to reconnect with friends. This time I got to hang out with Dave Powell from ShootTokyo. We have know each other for years, with many common interests and shared challenges. It is particularly nice as we know and appreciate each others families also.
It was Dave that got me to move into the world of Leica. Actually he also saved me from moving away from Leica as the first few months were tough for me. Using manual focus, all manual settings was interesting as I had come from a razor sharp, auto everything Nikon set up. There was a pivotal day when Dave and I did a photo walk together in Tokyo, where he patiently helped me get the Leica M rangefinder dialed. From that day on I have been shooting Leica exclusively for my street type photography.
On this trip we had a chance to take some photos, have a few beers and eat some awesome yakitori.
Here is Dave having fun on the YouTube set in Roppangi Hills. Note the cap still on the prop beer bottle!
Tokyo, 2016
Pro Tip: It is good to be proactive on maintaining relationships. It had been awhile since our schedules worked out, so really nice to see Dave again.