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"Perfectly expressing different shades of blue, the E-1 captures subtleties of atmosphere."
In May, on another job for the same photography school, I went to Borneo. There, I was able to take shots of heavy rain falling in a tropical rain forest, aiming up through the trees, without worrying about equipment problems. Thanks to Olympus, I actually look forward to rainy weather. The E-1's dust reduction system and water-resistant body open the door to more shooting possibilities than ever.
I also really like what many people call "Olympus blue" because it's particularly close to the color of the African sky. The photo shown here entitled "Kilimanjaro" is a shot of Kibo, one of the mountain's three faces. Taken before the break of dawn, it beautifully captures the deep cobalt blue of the sky. "Blue City" is another shot that shows this unique blue color. I think one of the most remarkable features of the E-1 is its ability to capture color while simultaneously expressing subtleties of atmosphere. I really hope the E-1's reliability and expressive capability are carried over to succeeding models.
It only takes one person to press the shutter and take a photograph, but in fact, bringing a photograph into existence requires the cooperation and support of many other people elsewhere. That's why, as a lecturer at a photography school, I tell my students to always maintain an attitude of gratitude and humility. It's something I learned from my mentor, the photographer Kenji Higuchi, and they are words that I live by.
For me, photography is something that reveals unknown worlds, and as a result, it expands my own worldview. Without photography, I would never have experienced Kilimanjaro or met the Masai living there; my encounters with nature and people would have been much more limited. So photography is an irreplaceable means for discovering unknown worlds.
I have continued to take photos based on the theme of "the beauty of Africa," with a particular focus on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Although it's where I started out as a photographer, due to the physical demands of working on the mountain, there are still many locations there that I haven't photographed. As a photo fieldwork lecturer at a photography school, I expect my work in Asia will continue for some time. Nevertheless, I hope to continue photographing Kilimanjaro whenever I have the chance.
Editor's Note
Watching the sun set into the sea through binoculars while he was still at junior high school, Taiji Igarashi witnessed the phenomenon known as the "green flash." He says that it was this experience that defined his aesthetic standards and filled him with confidence. With a naturally curious mind and adventurous spirit, as well as boundless energy, I felt he had all the qualities of a truly great professional photographer.
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| Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL Lenses - A Tradition of Craftsmanship Refined
with Digital Precision |
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| Crafted in the ZUIKO tradition of optical excellence that lives
on in our corporate slogan, “Your Vision, Our Future,” Olympus ZUIKO
DIGITAL lenses are the eyes of the E-System. And thanks to groundbreaking all-digital
design, they combine stunning image quality with size, weight, and performance
advantages that take digital SLR photography to a whole new level. |
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