Japan Dispatch No. 5

Posted by Jaymal Nathwani on

“Even when the days and months are long, life is still short.”
-Japanese proverb

32mm / f16 / 100s / ISO 100

This dispatch is the last in the series. It has been a real joy sharing these new photographs with you and I'm grateful for the responses I've had as I have been releasing each set. 

All the images have been uploaded to the homepage of my website www.jaymalnathwani.photo and can be previewed there. I'm in the process of re-launching the site and store and these images will be available early 2021 where I also hope to announce a few plans to exhibit them! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any question or are interested in collecting any of the photos.  
 

Ethereal. Japan, 2019. 
23mm / f11 / 120s  / ISO 200
 
As promised in Dispatch No3, everyone who sponsored our EMpower cycle had upto 10 entries that would be entered into a draw to win a framed, edition 1 of any of these new photos shipped to anywhere in the world. I'm very happy to say that having drawn the names (using a computer generated web-program to make it fair!) the winner out of the 198 entries was:  William Wells!

In the spirit of generosity to everyone's kind donations I've decided to give away two unframed smaller edition prints as well and so picked two more names as well - Daniel Zaterman and Sergei Vasilenko were the two winners. See my Instagram for the video evidence!  

Together we raised £50,000 for EMpower and the overall challenge this year raised £2million.  Thank you again! 
 
 

Percipience. Japan, 2020.  
32mm / f16 / 60s  / ISO 200

In reading more about Japanese culture through both the photography trip, but also in the months whist I've been editing I came across the concept of Ikigai. Ikigai means: "reason for being" and in recently having a conversation with a friend about why or where the pursuit of photography had come from I realised that I could best explain it through this phrase. Rather than try to explain it myself, I thought I'd share a link to an article on the idea that I liked, but also this diagram that I thought was a neat representation.  



Photography has become my Ikigai, and in finding it I am convinced all of us have an Ikigai that we'll find if we look hard enough! 
 
 

Silent Island. Japan, 2019.  
45mm / f8 / 240s  / ISO 200

"It does not matter how slowly you are going, as long as you do not stop"
- Japanese Proverb 
 
With all of this said, 2020 certainly has felt like a year where the world stopped.. but in fact we've all found our way to keep going, slowly, and we have  nearly made it to the end.  So this leaves me to just wish you a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year, and to look forward to reconnecting in 2021.