Tsuhanami?

[omae mona]

[floatl][/floatl]
Photographer James Whitlow Delano has a very nice short series of photos on the New York Times website showing cherry blossoms in the midst of the tsunami disaster. I think it's worth a quick peek.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Personally, I feel the monotone dulls the effect the cherry blossoms could have had...but, what do I know, I'm not a fucking artiste.

[GomiGirl]

I agree with you. I think that cherries need to have colour - even if it is muted.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I'm going to have to agree with SDH and GG. In most of the photos I don't think I'd even realize I was looking at cherry blossoms if I hadn't been told.

[Coligny]

I'm going to have to agree with SDH and GG. In most of the photos I don't think I'd even realize I was looking at cherry blossoms if I hadn't been told.

Yes, leaving the rest of the picture in bw put having the cherry tree in color would have added to the kick in the nuts brought by most pictures... without, it's just your usual end-of-the-world stuffn way to asceptized... you end up believing only Toyotas, Mitsubishis and Nissans were killed in the tsunami

Because, look at this one from another site : http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/05/16/world/asia/20110516_RECOVERY.html?ref=asia

I don't know how it feels to be hit by a train but I might be as close to this experience as it is possible without having brain splattered onto the railtracks....

[Samurai_Jerk]

Yes, leaving the rest of the picture in bw

The beauty of Japan is it's not even necessary to use B&W photography.

[nikoneko]

...but, what do I know, I'm not a fucking artiste.

I actually am or rather have a degree in it (3d though not 2d) and completely agree with all in this thread. The B/W is a complete amateur move and takes away from the sea of pink that make sakura awesome. I thought he could have done the photoshop thing and only make them in color but I think it might have been even better to do full color sakura with subdued color in the backgrounds. Oh well, great idea though props to him for that.

[BigInJapan]

I actually am or rather have a degree in it (3d though not 2d) and completely agree with all in this thread.

Me two (with my minor in photography - way before digicams)... When I first saw the photos, I too thought the sakura got lost in some of the shots.
My first impression was that the photos look like the aftermath of war (probably his intention), and I wanted to see a Schindler's List type effect (with the little girl showing up in red in the B&W background).
He's used vignetting around the edges, and grainy high contrast for the retro look, but possibly he opted to not go for the colour highlighting as it's been done to death (and then some) with the iPhone Color Splash app...

[nikoneko]

but possibly he opted to not go for the colour highlighting as it's been done to death (and then some) with the iPhone Color Splash app...

That's why I was thinking a nice use of (modified) full color would have been best. He even could have got the after the war effect well with that too, recalling some of the great color shots from ww2. Hah I guess I repeat my oh well.. I particularly like 1, 4, and 7.

[nikoneko]

Something like the pics on this page, especially the 2nd and 3rd.
http://www.anglotopia.net/anglophilia/countries/england/anglophile-pictures-london-through-the-ages-pictures-from-life-magazine/
or this pic
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=0c9584cc2eef7077
If taken right no modification would even be needed to make the sakura stand out I think (that's your area haha, f-stop etc?). Anyway this cat's on the nytimes and I haven't been able to afford to even start an art career for 15 years, so he wins.

[Big Boy]

nice pics. too bad this mess killed most hanami events. obon's not looking good either. in my 'mura at least.

[tidbits]

nice pics. too bad this mess killed most hanami events. obon's not looking good either. in my 'mura at least.

AFAIK many of the Kanto area's hanabi events have been cancelled too.