立乃さん

Posted by Alfredo J. Martiz J. (Panama City, Panama) on 1 November 2007 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.

Today I continued looking for a site for my new design assignment for the University. Yesterday when I was at the University after my site visit, I started looking the place I walked through using Google Earth and I found another interesting strange configuration in the city and then another one so I knew I had to make more site visits. I started in Kitasenju, around my apartment and then I went to Meguro and Shimo-meguro again. Now I have to analyze what I saw but I think I will have to make one or two more site visits to different locations, I hope to find a interesting place for the project.
While I was walking around Shimo-meguro I passed in front of a cool restaurant that had many old signs decorating the facade, I took a photo and continued walking, taking a look at that sector.
On the way back I passed in front of that same store again and decided to take another photo and then an old man stopped and decided to take photos too. He crossed the street and started taking photos of the details in the facade. When I saw him taking photos I thought, hmmm, that would be nice (it was raining, just a bit), I crossed the street and started taking photos too, the guy looked at me and I said, this is interesting so many old signs and posters, he said, you should take a photo of the master of this place too.
The man got near the entrance and looked at the master of the place, I looked at the master too. I said to the old master that he has a really nice place, that I liked the old signs and posters, he allowed me to take a look inside.
Getting inside was like traveling in time, it had many posters from movies of the 50s and 60s, photos of Marilyn Monroe, posters of beer and sake advertisement from the 50s and 60s, old objects, but what gave the place a warmer feeling were the photos of the owner of the place.
Taking a look at his photos from different moments of his life, you realize that he is an adventurer and relaxed person, he is owner of a Harley Davidson and in many photos you could see him proudly posing with his motorcycle.
After taking a look at the place I asked him if I could take a portrait photo, he kindly agreed and I first started inside, very low light conditions but I refused to use flash.
After those photos I thought that it was time to go back but then he moved outside and placed a small chair and sat there in order to watch people and cars passing by, to take a rest and feel the air outside. I couldn't resist and I asked him if I could take more photos of him, he agreed and well, this is one of the photos, my favorite portrait of 立乃さん (たてのさん / Tateno San).
I wanted to give this portrait the feeling of the old posters and signs from that place, the loss of color as time passes by, the memory of a distant moment in time.
A new month begins, I wish you a wonderful month, full of fantastic moments!

Shimo-meguro. November 1st, 2007

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