Lawrence Ripsher's Photo Journal

The Contender Asia - Episode 12

Episode 12 saw Dzhabar Askerov and Soren Mongkontong square off against each other. It was a highly anticipated match and one that was tough to call as both fighters brought contrasting styles and excellent track records. How it ended though, no one could have predicted. In the first round, Dzhabar Askerov through two huge hooks. The first had Soren down for an eight count. The second caused the most vicious knockout I've yet seen in the flesh. Best shots below.

Gnite Tokyo

The last shot I’ll be uploading from my Japan trip… What a great 10 days that was and I’m so pleased with the images I got. The trip turned out to be the perfect way to reignite my photography after a good layoff. No clients, no restrictions, no barriers… just an amazing reminder of why I love this thing-we-call-a-hobby. You can see the whole set of pictures from my Japan vacation in the travel section on this blog.

Japan Trip - Architecture

For fans of architecture, Tokyo must be close to a photographic heaven. I didn't shoot much of the surrounding buildings but a couple of images stood out for me. These are below.

The controversial Yasukuni shrine

Building in Tokyo - shot with my Hasselblad 500 C/M

Garden in Shibamata (no processing)

Contender Asia Episode 11

Episode 11 was the last of the quarter finalists. This bout saw a match up between John Wayne Parr of Australia and Zidov Dominic of Croatia. Both fighters had become great friends in the house, adding to the drama on the night to see them face off against each other. Wayne Parr is a world champion and considered one of world's best fighters - and it was clear from the beginning that Zidov wanted to make the most of this unique opportunity. However, despite battling valiantly, the fight was over in round 3 when the fight was stopped. And so JWP became the fourth and final quarter finalist. Five of my favourite images follow.

Zidov immediately makes his presence felt, showing he came to fight.

A stunning flying kick from John Wayne finds its mark, sending Zidov reeling

Sensing victory, John Wayne steps it up a gear, attacking with an increased intensity

After the match, John Wayne Parr dries himself off as his Australian flag hangs proudly in the background

Zidov, sits in his changing room alone, aware of the fact that he'll be leaving the Contender Asia house tonight.

Japan Trip - Tsukji Fish Market

Without question, one of the highlights of my trip was the visit to Tsukiji Fish Market. According to Wikipedia, Tsukiji is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. After two hours there, I believe it too. The place is vast. And chaotic. To experience it properly, you need to arrive before 5:30am to see the famous Tuna auctions. For me, that meant staying overnight in Tokyo in a capsule hotel.

It was worth it. Tsukiji is now on my top 3 recommendations for things to do in Tokyo. Also, while I knew Tuna were impressive animals, nothing prepared me for actually seeing them in the flesh. I eat fish (although not much meat and even that is rapidly dwindling), and after seeing them, I doubt I will ever eat Tuna again. Even frozen, laid on the floor, they are magnificent creatures. Not the reaction that many might expect from my trip there (many fish / food lovers salivate when seeing 20k USD tuna laid out in front of them) and not the subject of this post but it was definitely something that had an emotional as well as visual impact on me...

Anyway, Tsukiji is a photographic treasure trove. I hope it lasts for a hundred years as its an incredible experience. A selection of my pictures follow.

Japan Trip - Street Portraits

A simple collection of some of the portrait shots I took while on the streets of Japan. Some are "faceless" - occasionally my favourite kind. The last image was particularly interesting for me. I shot it on a bridge over Kamakura (a city about an hour outside of Tokyo). Initially, I barely noticed as we walked past a group of teenagers leaning over the edge of the bridge. However, as I turned back to see what they were doing, I realised that these otherwise normal adolescents were blowing bubbles and watching them float away. It was such a startlingly simple scene, it almost didn't register.

Then it occurred to me that in the UK (where I am from), such a scene would almost certainly mean these kids would instead be spitting off the edge, throwing trash or beer cans or just smoking... It'd be hard to imagine anything else. Certainly not this. I always thought that the idea of teenagers spending an afternoon like that had been long lost to the passage of time.. Even if it was a one off, it was a pretty cool throwback.

Geisha in Asakusa, Tokyo
(Canon G9)

Young couple in Kamakura
(Canon 1D Mk III + 85mm /f1.8)

Tattooed man in Shibuya, Tokyo
(Canon 1D Mk III + 24mm /f1.4)

Akuri in Enoshima
(Canon 1D Mk III + 24mm /f1.4)

My friend's 1 yo daughter, Naka-meguro, Tokyo
(Canon 1D Mk III + 24mm /f1.4)

Akuri in Asakusa, Tokyo
(Hasselblad 500 C/M)

Young boy in Kamakura
(Canon 1D Mk III + 85mm /f1.8)

Teenagers in Kamakura
(Canon 1D Mk III + 85mm /f1.8)

Japan Trip - Streets

Tokyo (東京 Tōkyō?), formally Tokyo Metropolis, is home to nearly 13M people. The Greater Tokyo Area, centered on Tokyo but also including Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama, is the most populous metropolitan area in the world with a population of over 35 million people.

The streets get a little crowded from time to time.

Here are three city scenes from my recent trip. As you would imagine, all three shots contain the odd person or two.

Asakusa Shrine, Tokyo

The famous Shibuya crossing, Tokyo

Ginza, Tokyo

Japan Trip - Fallen Sakura

I'm not exactly known for flower shots. In fact, if anything I'm known amongst my photographic friends of being harshly (overly) critical of them. That's not because I'm against the idea in general - just that too often flowers are what people shoot when they can't think of anything else. A bit like cats.

For this reason, I consider them mostly anti-creative, standing in the way of a more interesting subject that could have been shot if the photographer felt forced to get out there.

Now, that's not to say I don't like flower (or cat!) shots at all. Or that I think they can't be done creatively. Far from it.

Anyway, in Japan, we arrived during the time of year when Cherry Blossom (sakura) season had just finished. Often we'd see masses of fallen sakura lining the floors. Even in death, they offered outstanding beauty. So, here were a handful of shots I did actually take of flowers in Japan.

Are they creative or very different? Perhaps... Perhaps not. Maybe after all this it doesn't really matter - in the end I just felt like sharing them.

Japan Trip - Capsule Hotel

Is there anything more uniquely Japanese than a capsule hotel?

I asked myself that question last week as I wondered how I was going to be able to get into Tokyo by 5AM to get to the Tuna auctions at Tsukiji fish market. Like many Japanese business men who needed a place to crash - in order to rise early - I had become the Capsule Hotel's target market.

4,000 yen (40 USD) later, I was booked into Akihabara's Capsule Hotel for the night. I'm not sure I'll experience this again in a hurry but the night there meant I ended up with some photographs that I know I'll revisit again, and again whenever I want to remember just one of the aspects that make Japan... well... Japanese.

Contender Episode 10

Episode 10 saw Yukay Karlsson of Sweeden and Sean Wright of Scotland go up against each other in the second quarter final. Both men had won their first round matches by way of knockout and many (including myself) were looking forward to this bout. Unfortunately for Yukay, Sean finished this match in the same way he had his previous - by winning through a series of devastating leg kicks. My favourite five images follow.

Yukay immediately goes on the offensive with a high leg kick

Sean retaliates with a series of crushing leg kicks

Yukay is temoprarily downed, taking an eight count

The pain becomes debilitating and finally Yukay succumbs

Yukay receives treatment backstage while coming to terms with the fact that tonight was his last match in season one of the Contender Asia