Gallery: PAW 2004-24

Okonomiyaki Stand
Ameyokochô, Ueno, Tokyo

This man was selling okonomiyaki (Japanese stuffed pancakes made with a flour batter, cabbage, egg, etc.) in a street stall in the busy Ameyokochô area near Ueno Park. Ameyokochô (American Side Street) used to be one of the major black market areas after the end of the Pacific War. It sold US Army surplus goods to Japanese citizens who were starved of even the basic supplies. Even sixty years, it hasn't developed much beyond that concept. Now there are hundreds of small stalls selling Chinese knockoff watches, fake jeans, and like-a-Nike shoes.

To those who argue that you can't tell the difference between lens quality with web-size photographs, compare this photo with the series immediately preceding it. This photograph is colder and sharper. Much of this is because it was shot using a modern 35mm f/2 Summicron rather than the classic 35mm f/2.8 Summaron. It was also shot using slide film, which has a higher contrast and greater resolution. These differences should be readily apparent.

Which lens you choose and which film you use are both important decisions for a photographer. What are you trying to portray? The softness of neighborhood life or the hustle and bustle of a busy city?

Filename: 041009a-03-Tokyo-M7.jpg
Equipment: Leica M7, 35mm f/2 Summicron; Provia 100F