Blain - photoblog

Happy faces and pounding drums

Blain Armstrong — 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

]]> Japanese festivals are a time for people to remember the roots of their culture, as well as to revel in the joy of having such a rich and storied history. It's also a time for parents to introduce their children to some of the many things that are a deep part of the Japanese identity. And it's a chance for the children to connect with a part of ther tradition that some believe is starting to wane.

The joy of drumming

Blain Armstrong — 2008-05-25T00:00:00Z

]]> Drums are such a universal instrument. It's probably the one instrument that you can find in any culture, anywhere on the planet. It has an almost primal feel to it. Like a heartbeat, it can be slow and methodical or fast and pulsating. It can whip people up into a frenzy, or slow them down to a crawl. Children seem especially drawn to drums, as they're so simple and fun to play, yet so powerful.

From Generation to Generation

Blain Armstrong — 2008-05-18T00:00:00Z

]]> Every summer in Japan, entire streets shut down for an entire evening as the local citizens put on a festival at the neighbourhood shrine. There are food stalls, souvenir stalls, games for kids, and musical performances. At this particular festival in Toride (where I live), a group of taiko drummers were teaching young children how to play the taiko drums. In a country that's so proud of its history, culture, and traditions, they feel it's very important to pass these traditions down to the next generation.

Roshka and Ammon

Blain Armstrong — 2008-05-11T00:00:00Z

]]> These are my Australian friends Roshka and Ammon. They look like they belong in a fashion magazine. We took this picture in front of the little pond in front of Tsukuba Shrine.

Tsukuba Shrine

Blain Armstrong — 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

]]> This is a picture I took quite some time ago. We were so lucky to have such good weather that day, not to mention being able to see the moon despite being broad daylight.

Paper fortunes

Blain Armstrong — 2008-01-06T00:00:00Z

]]> I just got back from a three-week trip to Canada, which is why I haven't posted anything in a long time. But I'm back and all relaxed. This is a shot from Mt. Tsukuba. These pieces of paper tied to the branches are bad fortunes. People tie the bad fortunes they receive to trees near the shrine, and then the priests come to collect and later burn them, thus burning away the bad fortune.

Hydrangea

Blain Armstrong — 2007-12-08T00:00:00Z

]]> I've really come to love taking pictures of flowers, especially macros. There's just something about capturing all the colour and texture that's very appealing. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and left comments.

Purple

Blain Armstrong — 2007-12-03T00:00:00Z

]]> I have no idea what kind of flower this is, but I loved the soft purple colour so I decided to break out my extension tubes and get as good a close-up as I possibly could. I consider this shot to be the piece de resistance of the Nagano series.

Velvety waterfall

Blain Armstrong — 2007-12-02T00:00:00Z

]]> Thanks to everyone who comes in here to look at my pictures, and an even bigger thanks to those who leave their helpful comments. This is another shot I took in Nagano. I'd been wanting to do another long exposure on running water for a while, so when I saw this creek I just had to go for it.

Goat face

Blain Armstrong — 2007-11-30T00:00:00Z

]]> I was so happy that this goat decided to stick around and model for me.

Two goats

Blain Armstrong — 2007-11-29T00:00:00Z

]]> The farm near Naka's cabin also has an abundance of livestock. These two goats were relaxing and enjoying the warm, sunny weather.

Country Breakfast

Blain Armstrong — 2007-11-28T00:00:00Z

]]> Okay, so I've been on yet another hiatus. My work schedule kept me so bloody busy, and with band practice and martial arts training I've scarcely been able to find any time to myself. Fortunately, work's slowing down a bit, and I'm getting ready to go home for the holidays in a few weeks. In the meantime, here's a continuation of the series I'd started back in summer. This is a scene at the breakfast table of my student Naka's country house in the mountains of Nagano. My friend Guy and I must have spent about half an hour setting up our respective shots. But this shot was well worth the time taken to get it IMHO.