sungphoto wrote:
Commercial designer and calligraphy artist Kotaro-san, in his studio in Sapporo Japan, with a Z8 and 24-70 f4. This is part of a personal series I entered in the 2023 International Photo Awards, and it won an official selection and honorable mention
as a calligraphy enjoyer i appreciate this image a lot and is an image that is well-executed. i like how it presented itself as almost 2 dimensional art (that was a compliment i swear i just couldn't put it into words) which is fitting because calligraphy is 2d irl. idk what the other entries in that contest but would be a shame if this didn't get higher prize because the judges missed that subtlety.
dalegaspi wrote:
as a calligraphy enjoyer i appreciate this image a lot and is an image that is well-executed. i like how it presented itself as almost 2 dimensional art (that was a compliment i swear i just couldn't put it into words) which is fitting because calligraphy is 2d irl. idk what the other entries in that contest but would be a shame if this didn't get higher prize because the judges missed that subtlety.
Oh thank you! Competitions are fun but I’ve learned they are generally about what’s trendy and how much clout you and your subjects (if you’re a portrait photographer) have. I have a couple friends that won 1st place in editorial and concept still life, and they pretty much feel the same. That said being recognized amongst a sea of over 14000 entries from 120+ countries was cool.
On the subject of calligraphy, I’ve been wanting to work with a practitioner that does this large scale performance work for years. Kotaro-san has studied calligraphy from the age of 5, continued his studies at the prestigious Kyoto University, and works in commercial design as a day job for clients in Tokyo, London and New York. We met via instagram, and after a short video call we decided to collaborate while I was in Japan. One of the best days of the year
With the Z8 and 35 1.8 S. Sous chef to Matt Dillon (James Beard award winning restauranteur and chef). I find smudging the filter with a bit of finger oil gives me a bit of vintage haze (or maybe I'm just making excuses for not cleaning my lenses)
