the last year or so

[solypsist]

okay, so i departed New York after leaving a decent job with a famous magazine publishing company as an art dir and sometimes photographer. the sort of stuff like this:



i decide to go East for a bit, check out the scene and see how well things will go between picking up photo gigs and using my savings. i leave this forum and head out, sending Tosa one last email from the airport.

[solypsist]

i actually hit Hong Kong and Seoul first, and manage to get around there, doing the occasional photo project (of everything except girls). it's fun and relaxing.

[solypsist]

i might move to Hong Kong. i like Japan, but HK is more my kind of town (I'm now learning Chinese the fun way).

i have plenty of time to take pics for fun, too, and decide to settle on one 'style' for night shots.

[solypsist]

somewhere in there, i decide to try film. so i pick up a hasselblad and start shooting. my inexperience with film, film types, and the general fussiness of a manual camera (no batteries at all) seperates the work and free-time photography i do.

[solypsist]

i get to Japan, and spend a ton of time just learning to survive. no work is happening, until i figure out that no one is interested in a portfolio of Tokyo - but when i show NYC stuff, they all go wild and suddenly i start getting gigs for photos and stuff like video creation and editing for gaming expos and stuff.

[solypsist]

i get decent rooms depending on the gig, so my gaijin house apt sees less and less of me.







i still spend the majority of my work assignments on things other than girls. my portfolio now has many pages of urban stuff.

[solypsist]

i came back to New York from time to time, for anywhere from 4 to 8 days. mostly to see friends and make sure people knew i wasn't gone for good. that's how it is, if you're missing then you're assumed dead.



i'm still sorting through the images and will add some more pics as i see fit. i won't be posting any cheesecake shots (well, maybe a few) but otherwise don't expect this to turn into a babe thread.

[Azi Tohak]

Interesting to see what you have been up to. I remember seeing you a great deal the first time I was around the forums (not under this name), but then... no more soly.

So how did you get a job as a photographer?

Azi

[Papewaio]

Some of those particularly the hasselblad give a very good feel of the place. Others seem very surreal with streams of light from cars but no people.

I feel like a virtual tourist.

[Zalmoxis]

I like the pictures, maybe you'll put in a couple more? By the way, what's it like in merry old Japan?

[Sjakihata]

Hey Soly!

Don't you have any photos of riots and demonstrations?

Very nice stuff, I like the the first ones especially - in a way it's both alienating but also drawing.

Keep up the good work

[Kagemusha]

Beutifull looking pictures there Soly.

[doc_bean]

but otherwise don't expect this to turn into a babe thread.

Heck, the internet is full of pictures of beautiful women, but those urban shots are some of the best I've ever seen, keep 'em coming please

[Geoffrey S]

Fantastic pictures, they're really making me itch to take some more myself. Definitely some of the best urban shots I've seen, you've created a great atmosphere.
As an aside, the first picture under "i get to Japan, and spend a ton of time just learning to survive. no work is happening, until i figure out that no one is interested in a portfolio of Tokyo - but when i show NYC stuff, they all go wild and suddenly i start getting gigs for photos and stuff like video creation and editing for gaming expos and stuff.", the one with three men strolling down a street, is really good. Is there a chance you could send me a 1440x900 version so I can use it as my desktop image?

[edyzmedieval]

Excellent pics Soly.

BTW, the first pic is great. Beautiful women

[solypsist]

for some reason, i was compelled to take snapshots of my pack when i went to various gigs:









wait, there's still more (i won't post all of them)

[solypsist]

in no certain order...

[solypsist]

my first day in Tokyo and the Hasselblad

[solypsist]

HK and J

[solypsist]

one of my advert images. if you were in Japan then you might have seen the billboards. this is the original without text.

[Byzantine Prince]

WOW

You are really talented Soly!

[Big_John]

WOW

You are really talented Soly!

check out his photoshopped pics in the gallery thread.. ludicrous! i didn't know one could even do stuff like that with photoshop..

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...postcount=1027

[discovery1]

Wow. Just wow....

You're good. Godly even.

[edyzmedieval]

OMG OMG OMG Soly!!!

You have some serious equipment...

Laptop, iPod, Sony Ericsson S700i, many Nikon cameras.... WOOOOW

[drone]

Nice pics, especially the nighttime city shots. Do you use the gun as a backup flash device, or is this how you get the girls to pose?

[Geoffrey S]

Most excellent equipment. And an Apple? You're a good person.

[Dutch_guy]

I really like the first pic. in posts 19.

beautiful shot.

[Templar Knight]

Nice gear soly. I just recently purchased the Nikon D70 although Im thinking about getting the D2Hs.

[master of the puppets]

truly awe inspiring.
i love the ones lookin up into the building.

and i love th night time desolate pictures. see the cars zooming by but no people no interaction. perfect automation thats where the worlds going (makes me sick)

but i had always though hong kong was crowded as hell, it looks deserted to me.

[solypsist]

the d70 is a great camera - if you bought it as a pack you also have the very versatile 17-30mm lens. now all you need is a 10mm fisheye and a 30-70mm telephoto and you should be set for life.

as for the whole deserted hk comment. i mostly took pics of work centers and like most business districts, it empties out after work hours (especially at 4am).

Nice gear soly. I just recently purchased the Nikon D70 although Im thinking about getting the D2Hs.