This week: Photos from someone who knows what they are doing (and aren't using a cell phone)

The assignment for this week was slightly different from the ones in the past and future. This week we were to choose a Japanese photographer and present some of their work and reflect upon it. I chose Nobuyoshi Araki, whose website can be found here; http://www.arakinobuyoshi.com/main.html. I got the pictures from the site Studio International whose site can be found here; http://www.studio-international.co.uk/default.asp.
I chose the first picture mostly to contrast with the second, to show that this photographer had range. With only 200 words there is only so much that can be said. In the interest of actually saying something about it, I like how it shows that the Japanese are not the emotionally stunted people they are commonly assumed to be.This is another photo from Araki, and represents what he is more well known for. Something that I took away from this picture, and this is likely not what Araki had in mind, was that it shows a Japanese woman in an obviously submissive position. So often I hear people here talking about how victimized the Japanese are, while this picture demonstrates a Japanese willingly entering a situation of submission to another Japanese person. If this had been taking by a white photographer I'm sure it would catch flack for being racist. As it is, it'll probably only catch flack for being sexist. Baby steps, I suppose.