2018: Top 10 Photos (6-10)

January 11, 2019January 11, 2019Posted in Blog, film, jtinseoul, Leica, neverland, UncategorizedTagged 35mm color skopar, 50mm summilux version 2, asia, iksan, jt white photography, Jtinseoul, kodak tmax 400, korea, leica m3, leica m8, photography blog, pushed film, seoul, street photography, travel photography12 Comments

So, here goes. My top ten photos of 2018. Well, in fact this post will just go through 6-10 in reverse order.

Above is number 10. Admittedly this year was slim pickings for street photography. I quite literally didn’t do much of it. In February I participated in the 24 hour project in Busan. That was probably the only time I really concentrated on taking street photos in any seriousness. I took the above in Busan, but not during that event. My wife and I went back later for a housing convention. These people were having their eyes massaged. Honestly, this type of photo I’ve seen hundreds of times. I don’t really want to like it but I kind of do. Their blank expressions perfectly mimicked my own boredom at that moment. Picking tiles, not my thing.

This is a photo of one of my bros and mentors, Junku Nishimura, and my wife Seonju. They have become quite close. He treats me like a little brother so I guess they spend lots of their time discussing my ineptness at being a real man, ha. He is easily my favourite photographer. I think it is easy to see the influence. He came to Korea in May for our wedding even though it was the busiest time of his year. I think their pose was great. Like some noir movie. Also in one of my favourite places in Iksan, a place we just call Palm Tree because of the outside neon palm tree shaped light. It’s gone now.

I’m not sure many people will agree with this one. It is just a photo of a tree. I remember that day well. It had snowed all night and was a proper snow storm in the afternoon as well. I took photos of this tree often as I left my house as a kind of warm up (guess I’m still an athlete at heart). I moved from this place shortly after this. I am happy I have this photo. It is an important memory.

Well, you’ll start to see a theme from here on out. This is my wife. I make no excuses for this. I love taking photos of my wife. You may be surprised it is a colour photo. This is one of those moments I was so happy I had a digital camera instead of a film one. The sunset behind her was so great. The light from an oncoming car light her face. One of those moments I could never recreate.

Ironically this is from the same roll as the mushroom cloud tree above. Three photos from that roll were among my favourite ten of the year. This photo is a good example of why I think I need to shoot film the majority of the time. The was the sixth photo of six I took of the same scene. The first five were rubbish. This one, ended up being one of my favourites of the year. Interesting that. If I’d been shooting digital I’d have just left after the first looked trash. With film, I had the hope that any one of them would be good. It is kind of the opposite of what most people would think. I guess that is just the strange way my brain works. One thing I’ve come to realize however is that considering all the cameras I change one thing always stays similar. Of my best photos the best digital photos are usually from small cameras. Exactly the opposite with film. Go figure.

That was 6-10 of my favourite photos this year. You can probably guess some of the rest if you’ve followed me long enough. Have a go in the comments 😉

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming support with me picking the blog back up again.

Much love.

Josh

Five Goals For 2019

January 7, 2019Posted in Blog, film, jtinseoul, Leica, VlogTagged asia, documentary photography, film photography, Jtinseoul, korea, leica, leica m10, leica m8, photography blog korea, seoul, travel photography15 Comments

So, it is 2019. How time flies. I can’t believe last year went by so quickly. Was shocking to me. Was really one of the best years in my life. That is, at least personally. It almost felt like a vacation of a year. 2019 is here and I need to buckle down and get productive. Here are my five goals for 2019:

Number One: Blog More

This one is kind of a must. The beginning of all this photography stuff from me came from my blog. I’ve become more lazy when it comes to my blog. I posted five or six times all of last year. That isn’t enough. I need to be better.

I plan to blog at least once a week, rain or shine. Some of the posts may very well be boring. I am still going to write them though. It is something I need to do for me.

I purchased a domain for the first time in my life today: jtinseoul.com.

#feelsgoodman

Number Two: Take More Photos

This one may seem obvious. I took around 500 photos last year. That is down from the 800 the year before. Down again from the 1100 in 2016. I need to be better at this too. I think this goes hand in hand with my blog posts being down. I write my blog posts based on my photos and not the other way round.

I have started walking in the mornings with my camera. This isn’t something I’d done in a really long time. I very rarely just take photos. I always needed to have a purpose. Another purpose. I consider my other purpose to be getting in better shape.

Number Three: Get in Better Shape

Well, how about that for a segway. I have gained 15kgs since 2016. Not good. Basically the happier I am the lazier I am. Also not good. Last year was a happy year. That means lots of beer, good food, and very little exercise. Time to change that. I plan on doing those morning walks every day. It may not seem like much but it is a hell of a lot more than I’ve been doing for about 18 months. Hopefully I can keep this up. I promised my wife I would lose weight this year. I have to keep my promise. She literally dances like a ballerina while she cleans (see above picture) so I have a tough critic to please.

Number Four: Actually Start my YouTube Channel

This one I have been promising for years. I have tried several times to get it going but have never had the gumption nor the equipment to do it properly. Truth be told I was never really sure how to start. I was never really sure what content you guys may want. I will gladly take advice on this! I filmed a video last week about a laptop I got from Samsung. An unboxing, of sorts. Not sure how well it turned out yet. I’m scared to sit down and edit it, haha. I will do so this week. It won’t be the first video I post, however. I plan on shooting a channel introduction this week as well. I even hired someone to help me shoot it. No turning back now!

Number Five: Transitional Year

During this year one thing I really want to do is transition into an artist. Sounds cliche. Sounds stupid even. I’ve never given this lifestyle a real chance. I have never really taken this whole thing very seriously. I know it isn’t easy. I know it is in fact, really hard. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. I feel I owe it to myself to try. So, I will do so! I have already started the remodeling process of a darkroom and studio in my house. I have always dreamed about having an analogue studio in my house and I am going to make it happen. I am most excited about this of all the things I’ve mentioned so far.

This is perhaps the biggest of these goals. Again, I’m open to advice! In fact, I really enjoyed reading the advice from some of you after my post last weekend. It all helps.

Up Next: My favourite 10 Photos of 2018. Stay tuned 😉 One of the photos in this post is on the list.. can you guess which? haha.

September 15th Artist Talk – Leica Store Gangnam

September 10, 2018September 10, 2018Posted in Blog, jtinseoul, Leica, UncategorizedTagged artist talk, asia, documentary photography, josh white, jt white, Jtinseoul, korea, leica, leica akademie korea, leica camera, seoul, street photography1 Comment

Hi Everyone!

It’s been a while. Some new stuff to announce!

As of this week I started as the Leica Akademie Ambassador in Korea. What does this mean? It means workshops, lectures, exhibitions and more! I’m really excited by what is to come.

First! This Saturday, September 15th at 1:00 at the Leica Store Gangnam I will be having an artist talk introducing myself and my work. It costs just 10,000 won and drinks will be served! So if you’re in an around Seoul please stop by and say hi!

There are limited spots available, so please sign up at the website below. If you have any questions please let me know!

http://leica-store.co.kr/main/akademie/akademie_view.php?idx=79

Who wouldn’t want to come out and see this face?

haha.

See you soon 😉

Birthday

August 13, 2018August 13, 2018Posted in Back Stories, jtinseoul, Leica, UncategorizedTagged 35mm color skopar, asia, Jtinseoul, korea, Korean food, korean girl, leica camera, leica m8, leica m8.2, night time, Portrait, raw beef, street photography, travel photography, Voigtlander 35mm Color Skopar9 Comments

It was my birthday yesterday. I tend to forget. They kind of just happen.

I’d asked people on my Instagram in the morning what I should have for dinner. It seemed a fine enough idea. The choices were raw beef or sushi.

I’d put on shorts and paint stained t-shirt to go out. Since renovating our house it seems like everything I own is paint stained.

My wife, on the other hand looked as beautiful as always. Her sense of style is one of the things I love about her. I can’t quite place it, but I love it nevertheless.

20180812_195324-01 — Iksan, August, 2018.

Sushi won the Instagram vote. Only one vote matters.

We had raw beef. It was amazing. It is served with pear and raw egg. It’s probably my favourite food in Korea. I also requested it for our wedding meal.

Wasn’t a popular choice, ha.

She was happier than she looks here. She was trying to look “noir” as she put it.

I like that she plays along with the photographer thing. She lets me have my hobby.

On my birthday, at least.

August, 2018.

Iksan, South Korea.

Workshop: Jtinseoul in Seoul

July 3, 2018Posted in jtinseoul, Teaching, UncategorizedTagged asia, documentary photography, film photography, Jtinseoul, korea, seoul, street photography, workshop3 Comments

Processed with VSCOcam with b1 preset — Seoul, South Korea.

Hello everyone! I’m happy to announce a workshop I will be hosting in Seoul at the end of July.

Here is all the info:

Workshop: Jtinseoul in Seoul

07.29.2018

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Overview

This workshop is meant to be an informal, fun, and informative. During the workshop, students will spend time with myself, JT, in the streets of Seoul. We will take photos, edit photos, discuss projects, and most importantly, have fun!

Goals

Students will experience be given a small and fun tasks to complete on the street. These will be fun and easy but informative. Students will take photos together with the instructor and receive instruction as necessary during this time.
Students will join the teacher to discuss their photos, their goals, and concerns they currently have.
Workshop will not focus much on the technical aspects of photography. It is meant more to help the students feel more comfortable taking photos on both the street and in their personal life. Of course, any technical questions will be answered by myself if needed.

Schedule (Tentative)

– We will start with a short meeting in the morning (10:00AM) to discuss the goals for the day.

– Everyone will share a small sample of their work with the group as well as give a short introduction of themselves.

– We will shoot for 3-4 hours and then sit down in an informal atmosphere to talk about, process, and talk about the day’s photos.

– I will give a short presentation on the processing and editing I do to my photos and share some tips and tricks that relate to the day’s shooting. We will wrap up around 17:00.

– Students are welcome to join myself for dinner afterwards.

Equipment needed

Digital Camera

Students will be asked to use a digital camera during the day’s shooting. I know some of us enjoy shooting film, however, shooting with a digital camera during the day means we can discuss the photos taking during the day during the second part of the workshop.

Note: Any digital camera is fine for this situation. You can use anything from a Leica to a DSLR to a smartphone. All of the things discussed in the workshop will apply to any type of camera.
A Computer, Tablet, or Smartphone

Students will be asked to bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to use during the “processing” part of the workshop. These will basically be used to edit and share your work with the other participants of the workshop.

Price

In order to find out pricing information please email me at the email address below. This price includes one signed print of any photo of the students choice (225mm x 160mm approx.).

Attendance and Payment

To confirm attendance please reply to this email. Payment options will be sent following confirmation of attendance. The workshop will be capped at 6-8 students to be determined by a first come, first serve basis.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me jtinseoul@gmail.com.

The workshop will be held on July 29th, Sunday. The workshop will be capped at 6-8 students. If demand permits a second workshop will be scheduled for July 28th, Saturday.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Best regards,

General Update and Upcoming Review (Leica T)

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018Posted in Blog, Gear, iPhone, Leica, neverland, UncategorizedTagged 28mm zeiss zm, asia, iphone x, Jtinseoul, korea, leica m6 panda, leica t, shotoniphonex, snapseed9 Comments

Been a while again. I know I said I was going to try and blog more. I think I say that at some point during every post. Reality is, things are always so busy that I rarely have a chance to do anything aside from eat and sleep, ha.

So, consider this an update on things to come! May promises to be a busy month. My mom is coming on the 13th from Canada. I’m getting married on the 20th. I have friends from all over the globe coming on the 19th. On top of that, I spend 8 hours a day trying to renovate the house I bought before people come and spend the other 8 hours working my day job.

I only really take pictures near my house because that is all the time I really have. I sometimes take a break to take photos in the neighbourhood. I mostly just use my iPhone because I’m too dirty to grab anything else.

My nieces are becoming some of my favourite subjects. Sadly they aren’t round too often now since the house is a construction site.

So, the upcoming review! I’ve been “using” the Leica T for around a month. I say using, but in fact I’ve barely had time to use it aside from around my room. That said, I have been preparing some thoughts on the camera. You’d probably be surprised, but I really like it.

CC68510/SdCard//DCIM/131LEICA/L1311486.JPG — stLeica T.

I am completely over the idea that I need a viewfinder. I actually find it dumb when people say this. It is very rare that someone tells me they need a viewfinder and the reasoning is not related to some deep embedded hipster nonsense. The only excuse I can see for wanting a viewfinder is in super bright light and the huge screen does more than well enough from what I’ve seen.

As a bit of a precursor to my “review” I would say that there are lots of things I like but also lots of things I don’t like about the camera. The grip, being the thing I hated the most. I’ll explain how this was completely fixed by a simple accessory, though. Anyway, stay tuned for my full thoughts.

Scan-180505-0001-Edit — Leica M6, 28mm Zeiss. HP5 at 3200.

Also have a post coming up about Children’s Day here in Korea. I shot my school’s party with an M6 and a 28mm Zeiss on HP5 at 3200. It was a blast! I missed shooting flash on a Leica. Also, the results turned out to be great from HP5 at 3200. I’ll talk about all of those things in that post.

CC68510/SdCard//DCIM/131LEICA/L1311478.JPG — Leica M6 “Panda.”

I’ve been borrowing this M6 to shoot some flash and shoot 28mm and have loved it. Feels great to get back to the focal length that I loved for so long. I look forward to talking more about this in a future post as well. The 28mm Zeiss that I have been using on both the T and the M6 is such a great lens. About as “good” of a lens as I’ve used.

Anyway, that is about it for today’s update! Still more busy times ahead! Hopefully I’ll have time for some posts about my family and friends being here, moving into the house, and of course the wedding!

Iksan, 2018.

24 Hour Project: Busan (Final Kit Bag)

April 6, 2018April 6, 2018Posted in Blog, film, fujifilm, Gear, jtinseoul, Leica, UncategorizedTagged 24 hour project, asia, busan, fujifilm x100, Jtinseoul, korea, leica 50mm summilux, leica m3, leica t, macbook air, street photography, travel photographyLeave a comment

So, this is my bag for the @24hourproject this year. I’ll leave work tonight and head for the port/beach city of Busan. The cameras I’ve decided to take are the original Fujifilm X100, the Leica T (with 50mm Summilux v2), and my phone. I’ll use the Fuji for street, the Leica for portraits, and the phone if everything else dies haha. I chose the Leica T (which I’m sure will surprise some people) because the battery can be charged in camera with a power bank and the Summilux becomes a good portrait length on it. The Fuji, I chose because I literally have the most batteries for it. I don’t shoot that much but it’s meant to be cold tonight so they might come in handy. It’s the original x100 that I took some of my favourite photos with (smoking lady, for example). I’ve decided to take a MacBook Air just in case and since it’s small it doesn’t take up much room in my bag. The other stuff you can see are some airpods, the Fuji charger, and a huge power bank. The bag is a@vanguardworld Havana 48. I’m bringing my Leica M3, well, because I want to ;).

I did a live on my Instagram (@jt_inseoul) today talking a little about the kit as well as the project in general and some other things.

Also, just wanted to extend a huge thanks to my good friend Jay from @leicastore_seoul_bando in Seoul for helping me get the T on short notice! And for always dealing with the most difficult customer in the world 😉 If you need anything Leica related be sure to check them out! Plus, they have one of the coolest collections of Leica memorabilia that I’ve seen.

Anyway, that’s about it! Hopefully I survive. If you have any questions, leave them in comments or on my Instagram. Answering them might help keep me up.

24 Hour Project: Busan Edition 2018 (Prep 1)

April 5, 2018Posted in Blog, fujifilm, Gear, jtinseoul, Leica, neverland, UncategorizedTagged 24 hour project, asia, busan, fujifilm asia, fujifilm korea, fujifilm x100, iksan, jitinseoul, Jtinseoul, street photography, travel photography2 Comments

So I’ve done the 24 Hour Project for four years in a row. It is a difficult thing to do, in fact, sometimes it outright sucks. I don’t know why I keep doing it. Well, I guess I kind of do.

The memories. I do the project selfishly. Even though it is always a struggle the memories are always great. This year, for the first time, I’m doing the project in Busan instead of Seoul.

The gist of the project is that the participants are to take one photo per hour (and post to Instagram) for 24 straight hours. I usually get a lot of questions about what gear I’m going to use for the project so I’m going to make a couple of posts (more on this later) outlining the gear I’m going to bring. Consider this a kind of warm-up.

The first camera I decided to take with me to Busan is the original Fujifilm X100. This camera has been with me forever (my wife uses it now) and I still love it. It looks as though it has been through several wars but still works perfectly.

There were a couple of reasons I decided to take the X100. First is that I have three batteries for it. That’s a big deal when it comes to this kind of marathon event. On top of that, I am just really comfortable with this camera. It is the closest thing to my Leica I have that is also digital, haha. I’ve quite honestly sold more prints and had more “successful” photos from this camera than any other in my life.

One thing I haven’t decided is whether to shoot in colour or black and white.

I’ll transfer the photos to my phone via a usb dongle thing I got from the Apple store. I’ll edit them in Snapseed. This camera is 35mm equiv and the second camera I’m bringing is 75mm so I think they will work well together. I plan to take some portraits with the 75mm and do more street with the X100.

Care to guess what the second camera is 😉 ?

I’ll write a short post about it, and the other gear I’m taking on the project tomorrow. Stay tuned 😉