I’ve been going to Miyagawa-Cho in late afternoon a number of times now, to try to take pictures of the Maiko and the Geiko walking down the streets, rushing from their Okiya to the Ochaya where they work. I’m very proud as my photo above has just won the first prize of the monthly photo contest of the American magazine Popular Photography (May 2015 issue).
Extracts from the interview with the magazine editor
Where did you get the inspiration for the shot?
My fascination for the floating world of the Geisha in Kyoto is quite old. It was probably reinforced by books, movies and photos. The way this old tradition has been maintained through the ages and is still very much alive today in modern Japan is what attracts me to it.
Describe your thought process behind the composition.
Every late afternoon, the Maiko (apprentice Geisha) leave their Okiya (geisha house) to go to meet their patrons for the evening in an Ochaya (tea house). They always walk very quickly to go to such appointment. In winter, it is already dark at this time and quite difficult to take pictures. My idea was to use a motion effect to visually recreate this scene, this walking speed.
What challenges, if any, did you face in this shoot?
This shoot was actually quite difficult. First, it was cold, very cold. This explains probably the fact that I was the only photographer out there this day. Then it was already too dark to rely on the camera autofocus. I set the lens to the hyperfocal distance as much as I could. The low light forced me to use a slow shutter speed and the largest aperture I could — which is exactly what I wanted (motion effect and shallow DOP). Then I just waited for a kimono dressed Maiko or Geisha to come. It always go very quickly — one never knows if and when they’ll come, then if they do arrive, from where and where they’ll go. The rest is luck — like no-one in the street behind the walking maiko, or the fact that she wore a cold blue kimono that contrasts well with the warm orange background.
Please use your own words to describe how you made the image in detail:
Most has been said in the previous point. Miyagawa-Cho is one of the five “Hanamachi” or Geisha district of Kyoto. It is basically a long street bordered by tea houses where the Geiko (Kyoto’s Geisha, and the apprentices Geisha called Maiko) go to entertain their patrons. The old tradition is still pretty much alive today! As I know the woman will have to arrive to their appointment before 6 pm, I just post myself at a corner, camera on hand ready, and wait.
As they are actually already working (on their customer’s time), one cannot (should not) ask the woman to stop and pose for a photo!
I sometimes choose to take a long tele (200 mm) to try to get portraits of the woman with their amazing make-up and accessories. And then I sometimes go there with a short lens to try to get a general view of the scene. My idea was to try for some kind of a motion effect, as described above.
