taro irei photography

Ageha

2011-05-25T23:46:00.002+09:00

playing with the Ray flash, an umbrella, and a strip of wallpaper.

49 days

2011-04-30T00:46:00.003+09:00

Yesterday was 49 days after the earthquake and Tsunami. Japanese tradition says the dead wander around their homes for 49 days before departing to the after life.
On the Road volunteers held a minute of silence, while loading supplies at one of the Japan Self Defense Force warehouses, exactly at 2:49 pm, the time the earthquake striked Japan 7 weeks ago.
Although the pace of recovery is unbelievably fast, there is still so much to do.

1 month after the Tsunami

2011-04-23T23:51:00.008+09:00

"On the Road with Friends" is a non-profit organization that has settled a volunteer village, 1.5 hours from Ishinomaki city, for volunteers to come and work at cleaning the dirt from houses that were flooded by the Tsunami, as well as cooking and delivering hot meals to those living in shelters, as no hot meals are provided to them yet.

Its been over 5 years since the last time I used my tent and sleeping bag, and was not sure I had all the parts when I left home. Fortunately, everything was there, so I had a roof to protect myself and my cameras from the rain and snow. If you are planning to volunteer, make sure you bring winter clothes, as it is still cold at night and early in the morning.

Check their webpage for more information:

http://saigaishien.jp/

Tsunami Aftermath part 2

2011-03-29T23:49:00.004+09:00

I'm back in Tokyo. Spent a week in Iwate with the TV crew and traveled 2,300 km by car.
Here are a few more shots of Rikuzentakata area.

This family had a restaurant called "Wai Wai". We found them 5 blocks away from where their shop use to be. They said they had been looking all over the place, but could not find a thing.
This is where their restaurant use to be...

This lady greeted us with a big smile. The reporter asked her how she managed to still smile after loosing everything. She said that there was no time to be depressed, but that they all should work together to build their town back.

She said "As long as the sun shines, we'll be fine!", and proceeded to shovel the dirt of the floor of what used to be her bike shop. The floor was the only thing left of the shop.

After the Tsunami

2011-03-26T17:12:00.005+09:00

I'm working with a german TV crew in the Iwate area covering the Tsunami aftermath. What the eartquake did not break, the tsunami wave destroyed, and then fires took care of what little was left. There are cars inside buildings, houses on top of other houses, boats in the middle of the streets, on top of buildings, and under bridges. And under all this rubble, there are still thousands of missing people.

If you can donate, please do so. The people here are not complaining. They are working hard to get their lives back, and are thankfull for being alive. At the same time, they feel it is their duty to rebuild their towns, as a tribute to those who did not survive.

Summer to Halloween

2011-01-19T03:42:00.004+09:00

first blog update after months...

Almost Sunset shots

2010-10-14T21:19:00.003+09:00

Took 7 hours to get there, and then it got cloudy....at least it didn't rain!

Shot with a Canon DSRL, beauty dish on Hensel Porty head, and Hensel ring flash with full CTO filter.

SRC 14

2010-09-01T20:54:00.004+09:00

SRC 14 held at Ryogoku Kokugikan on August 22.

Erika

2010-08-31T03:40:00.004+09:00

Strobist Info: medium softbox camera left (with louvres). Stripbox camera right. Powered by 1 hensel porty pack and 2 heads.
Shot with Canon 5DMII.

DREAM 15

2010-07-12T07:07:00.005+09:00

Back in the studio

2010-06-11T00:34:00.002+09:00

Nonno

Nino

Top hats, feathers, a bloody bunny and a lucky puppy

2010-06-09T02:30:00.002+09:00

Reiko

Kumi

Kayo

Pippi

Strobist info: top 2 photos shot with beauty dish fitted with canon speedlight, camera top, and Zack Arias black sphere a little above camera as fill. 3rd and 4th photos with blacksphere only, with height variation. 5th photo with on camera flash, and back light courtesy of parking lot spotlights.
Triggered by e-bay wireless remotes.
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III

Mixed Martial Arts

2010-06-08T01:17:00.010+09:00

Aztra, Deep, Dream14 and Way of Shooto

RUKUS

2010-05-22T01:32:00.006+09:00

This was a collaboration with Mari-san for Rukus Fashion designer toMmy-san. Take a look a the whole set on their webpage.

Shot a la Strobist, with Beauty dish fitted with canon 540EZ flash, with a 5DMII.

2010-05-22T01:31:00.001+09:00

Akane

2010-05-07T01:41:00.002+09:00

Test shot with Akane.

Shot in the studio. Large softbox to camera right (top photo). Beauty dish with grid for second photo. Both on light grey seamless.

Ageha

2010-04-22T02:52:00.002+09:00

2010-04-22T00:56:00.003+09:00

DREAM 13

Escovedo vs Maeda

Sengoku 12

2010-03-09T00:16:00.002+09:00

Sengoku 12

Aerial Ballerinas

2010-01-22T23:06:00.002+09:00

Kumi-san and Saori-san collaborating in a non-rehearsed performance.

Strobist info: 540EZ on shoot through umbrella from camera left. Canon 5D Mark II
with Tokina 28-80

ring & side

2010-01-12T01:15:00.003+09:00

Kayo

Ray ring flash with 540EZ rim lights.

A walk in the park

2010-01-12T00:30:00.003+09:00

Juliya

Strobist info: Shoot with the Sun as backlight and on camera flash as fill.
Canon 5DMII with 70-200 lens.

Dynamite

2010-01-12T00:12:00.003+09:00

one light and no light portraits Part 1

2009-12-22T23:25:00.003+09:00

Hitomi

Yuca

Marimo

Saori

Hayato

Back stage report?

2009-11-20T12:52:00.004+09:00

Some back stage fun.

Full story (in Japanese)
http://ameblo.jp/reikoint-talk/entry-10385587760.html

Ageha Thriller Night

2009-11-17T22:45:00.005+09:00

Sengoku 11

2009-11-17T22:35:00.003+09:00

Tokyo Ca Bunny

2009-11-17T21:33:00.005+09:00

Shot this at a club/restaurant in Azabu Juban with Fish tanks and a little "dressing/ boiler/ electric room".

Strobist info: 550EX at 1/8 power through shoot-through umbrella, camera left. wireless triggered. 580EX with blue gel in the back.

Strobist info: 550EX on manual mode on VAL to the model right. Triggered wirelessly. ISO 320.
Camera: 5D Mark II

thru the lens

2009-09-26T01:03:00.000+09:00

Sengoku 10 Part 1

2009-09-25T23:15:00.003+09:00

Ageha entrance

2009-09-17T01:48:00.003+09:00

Shot at Ageha entrance.

From left to right: Pippi, Kayo, Maki, Kayo and Reiko

Strobist info: canon eos 5DMII with 28-70 2.8 lens
canon 540EZ on beauty dish with diffusion cover, on stand high above camera.
triggered with ebay remote

Back to Ageha part 5

2009-08-19T22:48:00.003+09:00

The Big Boss?

Reiko

Back to Ageha part 4

2009-08-19T21:37:00.002+09:00

Kayo-san is also a blog queen. Check her blog!

http://ameblo.jp/poledancer-kayo

Back to Ageha part 3

2009-08-13T21:50:00.001+09:00

Maki

Back to Ageha part 2

2009-08-13T12:52:00.004+09:00

Kumi-san

shot with same set up as previous post.

Back to Ageha part 1

2009-08-13T01:54:00.004+09:00

Back to Ageha after a while...

Pippi-san

Strobist info: 550EX high up on stand, camera axis, with black-sphere "a la Zack Arias" .
Canon 5DMII with 24-105 L lens. Triggered with ST-E2 on manual.

from Venus or Mars

2009-07-01T21:48:00.003+09:00

Aiko

2009-06-18T22:54:00.004+09:00

Shot in the studio with a beauty dish, large softbox to camera left and small softbox towards background on camera right. She is one of the 6 members of Tokyo Ca Bunnie. No retouching except resizing for web and a bit of sharpening.

5D MII with 24-105 f4 lens at f8, 1/125 ISO100 in manual mode.

Ageha

2009-06-14T23:47:00.002+09:00

Pole dancers Reiko, Kayo, Maki and Kumi.
Shot with EOS 5D Mark II.

small beauty dish

2009-05-23T01:49:00.004+09:00

Shot with one beauty dish only, white back seamless.

Same seamless, now lit with 2 umbrellas...

Pole position

2009-05-15T23:23:00.004+09:00

Some action shots at Ageha and the kid that enjoyed it the most...

Strobist info: 5D MII with on camera flash, ISO 3200

Srobist info:Canon 50D with 24-105 f4 lens, on camera flash

Strobist info: EOS 5D MII with 14mm lens, ISO 1250, on camera flash

Hair Salon

2009-05-10T01:10:00.003+09:00

Shot these at Tony Tanaka Hair Salon in Shinagawa.

Strobist info: 550EX on shoot through umbrella camera right, (1) 540EZ on each side. Triggered by cactus remotes.
Camera: Canon 5D MII

Studio Session Part 3 - the rooftop

2009-05-05T23:57:00.003+09:00

It was a nice day so we went up to the roof of the studio and shot with a shoot through umbrella and a 550EX on stand, and later with the 550EX alone, as the wind was too strong to hold the umbrella in place.

Erika

Misha

Mari

Anz

Strobist info: 550EX on shoot through umbrella, fired with Microsync wireless remote.
Camera: Canon 5D MKII with 24-105mm lens.

Studio Session Part 2

2009-05-01T22:11:00.004+09:00

A few more shots of the studio session...

Anz

Mari-san

Juliya

Misha (who had a fever, but nevertheless managed to pose and smile)

Juliya

Sunday afternoon studio session Part 1

2009-05-01T01:03:00.004+09:00

Called some friends, they brought their friends, and got a combination of 7 people with different backgrounds to shoot in the Studio. Had a great make-up artist by the name of Teddy Lim, and good helping hands from Joshua, the studio owner.
Arrived at the Studio at 10:30, and left past 6 pm wishing I could shoot for another 2 hours!

Tomoko

Sawaka

Juliya

Anzu

Shot using everything from Softboxes to a Beauty dish and Ring light. 5D Mark II and 50D camera.

2009-04-17T01:42:00.002+09:00

Playing with a Profoto ringlight. shot with a 24-105 IS canon lens mounted on a 5D MII

The model is Juliya, my neighbor.

diagonal fisheye

2009-04-16T12:54:00.004+09:00

strobist info: sigma 15mm diagonal fish-eye with 540EZ strobe on shoot-through umbrella from camera left

Rented this studio last Saturday. It has a round window and was playing around shooting there and thougth a fish-eye would be interesting. What do you think?

Below is another shot with a regular lens.

The model's name is Inna. Besides modeling, she makes webpages in Japanese and teaches Russian and Ukrainian languages. She is fluent in Japanese and has "ikkyu" level.

2009-04-07T21:14:00.006+09:00

Taku Hachiro-san

Reiko-san

Kumi-san

Shot these at a small and private club in Nishi Azabu. 2 shows with a combination of humor, spinning pole dancing and a talk show by Taku Hachiro-san.
Reiko is a world pole dance champion, and will be competing again this year in Jamaica. Kumi almost went there as she was 2nd in the Japan championship. Taku Hachiro is a "Japanese Otaku". Just talking to him for a few minutes makes you realize how bright he is.

Lighting with shoot-thru umbrella "a la strobist" except for the dancing shot (just straight on camera flash).
My 5DMII gives me great photos at high ISO, but is slow focusing in the dark... a bit of an irony.

2009-03-27T00:07:00.002+09:00

Shot Sengoku 7 last Thursday. You can view more photos at http://photos.mmaweekly.com/gallery.asp?categoryid=10605

Rented a 400mm 2.8 lens with a 1.4 extender and when I got there, they said "we have ring side for you tonight!!".

camera info: EOS 5D MKII with 24-105IS lens. shutter priority at 1/640 for the action shots

Hot Air

2009-03-08T07:08:00.007+09:00

Shot these in the dressing room at Ageha. Used the Ray Ring Flash and a couple of 540EZ on optical slaves in some shots too.

Maki

Kayo

Pipi

Reiko

Darts queen?

2009-02-20T01:48:00.005+09:00

Tech info: Canon 5D MII with sigma 24-70 mm lens.
540EZ through white umbrella to camera left, 540EZ at 1/128 power to models left on VAL

There is this mexican bar I often eat dinner at. One of their staff is participating in the national Darts queen contest, so they asked me to take her photo. They call her "Negishi", after the Manga character in Detroit Metal City.

Katja

2009-02-13T12:08:00.000+09:00

tech info: waffer 100 softbox with Hensel Contra/Integra on models left.
Camera: EOS digital SLR

Katja is a friend from Siberia and her hobby is to collect stones (she studies geology). If you ever see her, offer her a pebble.

Shot in my living room/studio.

the dressing room

2009-02-13T00:43:00.000+09:00

tech info: canon 550EX on shoot through umbrella above camera, 580 EX behind model pointing at wall
Camera: Canon EOS digital SLR

tech info: Canon 550EX on shoot through umbrella.
Camera: canon EOS digital SLR

Whenever my schedule allows, I shoot pole dancers at a club in Shin Kiba, Tokyo. These girls are real acrobats. I shoot them before going on stage, a la strobist, and then I shoot their performance. There are usually 2 sets every Saturday. In order of appearance: Maki, Kayo, Reiko, Pippi.

finally....and now what?!

2009-02-12T23:34:00.000+09:00

tech info: hensel Contra/Integra monoblock fitted with Waffer 100 softbox to model's right
Camera: Canon EOS digital SLR

After years of thinking and being asked about it, I am making my first cyber attempt at the web via blogger. I actually wanted to start with a web page, but it seems like that is not going to happen any time soon.

So now what? I have nothing to write about.

I shoot for fun and sometimes for work. I will mainly post the "fun" photos, just because I do not think anyone would be interested in looking at a CEO signing a contract, lots of people in suits, or the portraits of the entire trading staff of a bank (more suits).

The girl on the photo above is Juliya. She is a model working in Tokyo, and she happens to be my neighbour.