Jason_Combs' photostream  

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Sunday I ran and finished the Tokyo Marathon. It was my first time to ever run a marathon and I wanted to start it with a major one, so what better than The Tokyo Marathon I thought. I didn't properly train for it, so I didn't have the stamina needed to finish without problems. The bottom of my feet were so tired and some time around the 25km mark my left knee that I twisted 6 years ago came back to haunt me. My time reflected that, but for the last 1km I picked up the pace and finished in the way I wanted to. Overall I'm very happy with it. I've wanted to do a marathon and complete it for a few years now. Finishing my first ever marathon is good enough for me.

One thing I did not expect was how it would restore a bit of my faith in humanity. In a world where everyone is more and more socially disconnected on a human level due to communicating via email, various smart apps, social networks, etc. People over the last decade just seem to be getting more and more wrapped up in themselves. Few people will take the time to help out a stranger they don’t know whom might be having trouble when they pass by. They always think that somebody else will help them. They just don’t have time or desire to do anything. At the marathon I was amazed as to how many non-official people were there to help out. I stopped at one point to stretch out my calves and while doing so, a middle aged Japanese man asked me if I was OK. I said, yeah and that I was just stretching out my calves as they had gotten a bit tight. He offered me a sports jelly drink that had essential vitamins etc. that you need during a race like this. I quickly downed it and he then offered to take the trash. I thanked him for my kindness and went on my way. Later I came across a person with a large box of grapes already picked off the vine so they were easy to consume. This might not sound like that big of a gesture, but to give you an idea. We all took a hand full and my adult size handful (which isn’t that much) would cost about $6.00 here in Tokyo. It didn’t stop there, people were offering free massages, anything just to help in any way they could. I’ve never experienced this before. When you watch the news and you see all the selfish things people do, or how people just walk by as someone else dies it leaves you feeling as if the world is selfish and uncaring. After running The Tokyo Marathon I now know that at least a bit of humanity is still in tact and they all get together at least once a year here in Tokyo. By far one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

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I shot this in November, but I didn't get it developed until just before Christmas and then forgot about it until just a few days ago. I've been really busy these last few months and only getting busier.

The Sea And Cake - Lyric

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Recently I got an idea for a photo project to shoot the photographers here in Tokyo that are the most inspiring for me. I really feel that Tokyo is in some sort of renaissance in the way of photography. I know that’s a bit of a bold statement due to Japanese being known for being camera people, but so much is happening here in the way of the countless numbers of galleries and the great work being produced.

So with that being said; I started my project with the the infamous Charlie Kirk. (a.k.a. Two Cute Dogs) To be honest, when I first came across his work I wasn’t sure what to think of it. His style is very different than my own in that on the surface it can seem very aggressive, but when you look deeper only then it becomes apparent what he is really doing. Everywhere and especially in Tokyo people put on a mask of sorts to project an image of how they want people to see them. Charlie’s work is as if he pulls off that mask, then captures what’s under that mask to reveal something more interesting. Of course this isn’t for everyone and some people don’t like it, but in a sea of mediocrity and many relying on post production to make their photos interesting Charlie is a breath of fresh air.

Currently Listening:

Supercar - Wonder Word

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Last month during a break at work I headed over to Hibya Park to check out the foliage change only to discover the battery that powers the light meter in my camera had died. I figured I would try to "eye it" and hope for the best.

Currently Listening:

I Am Robot And Proud - Vendredi Le 30 Mars

Happy Belated New Year to everyone! This year is already turning out to be a better year than last. Lots of good things going on at the moment that I will reveal later when I have something more to show and things are more solidified with it. I know I've seemed a bit absent from here and it's not due to a lack of interest or anything like that, but life has just been very busy as of late.

Also, I would like to thank all of my new followers I gained on Christmas Day. The Flickr Blog used one of my photos and then as a result of that somebody posted a link to my photo on Reddit which added even more traffic. Thanks again for all the nice comments and to those that are following me.

Currently Listening:

Tycho - Coastal Brake (Lusine remix)

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