Cold Kobe

It wasn't the sun trying to shine in past the blinds or the busy sound of the port oscillating through the triple glazing that had my eyes wide open at such an early hour regarding the blank white ceiling. It was more likely the unease of an unfamiliar bed that was perhaps just a little too soft in the middle as my bottom felt like it sank deeper into the mattress than the rest of me. We had arrived early on Saturday morning and just booked into the 'b-Kobe', showered and went out. The hotel is very nice and aesthetically pleasing upon entering and as we rushed in with our timetables shrinking by the minute before our deadlines.
We have never stayed in this hotel before and I think it picked itself with its attractive advertised prices and our agency budgets very much like my travel budget from work and shrinking towards the poorer side of economical. However for the three stars it was quite acceptable and "oh my stars", how I sound like I need an overdose of a sense of humor if not humility!
I was here to meet Nanako (not Hitomi's sister) who is Yoshi's counter-part for the Yoshie office here in Kobe. I had spoken with Nanako on the phone from Yoshi's office in Tokyo last week and I was looking forward to our actual meeting. Nanako is a model in her own right as well as working behind the scenes in the promotions and events organization. She has actually worked with Hitomi several times on various diverse promotions and has attended events that I have covered for JJ magazine. You can imagine my great honor and anticipation to be meeting with her under such circumstances as to have her guidance and tutorship as I make my little contribution to this field on the far side of the camera.

I had decided on wearing my rose print dress for such an occasion since I wanted to look devastatingly good with a sense of floral spring about me. Any of you that have seen my chocolate advertising shots may remember that dress. In my last post you may remember that I also mentioned that I liked to shop here in Kobe because I felt that I could buy things slightly different from those back home...
I was sitting with a magazine, waiting in the reception office and when Nanako came out to greet me from her small adjacent office, I just looked at her with a sense of extreme embarrassment and I have no idea what she was thinking as she looked at me. The receptionist had seemed to hide her giggles quite well up until that point. Nanko was wearing exactly the same dress as I and it looked so much better on her. (Damn that girl!)
See the header picture.
She burst out laughing and that set me off too and of course the receptionist joined in until Nanako gave her a look that could sour the milk. We just accepted the situation, what else could we do? She invited me into her office for a lovely chat over tea (not with soured milk) as she looked over my portfolio and asked me a few questions. She gave me lots of pointers and good advice too, I was totally impressed by her warmth and knowledge and of her ability to pass on that hard earned knowledge. I was very grateful for her time and can only say that she is one of the best people that I have ever met in this business. She walked me downstairs to the entrance where Hitomi was waiting for me in the foyer and when they saw each other they recognized each other and hugged. After their quick exchanges and news sharing she of course wanted to know how Hitomi and I knew each other. That was a very open and candid few minutes but of course she took it all in as she perhaps would with any 'every-day' occurrence and I suppose it is just that and perhaps even more so in some vocational fields.

She asked Hitomi to join us as she accompanied me to the locations with a photographer and small crew for the shoot. The day was sunny and beautiful but the shoot on the quayside had the cold wind coming in from across the bay bringing with it shivering fingers like ice across my skin.
All the time Nanako was shouting words of encouragement and sipping something hot and steaming from a thermal flask. Hitomi looked cold and she had her heavy coat on so I hope they understand that the camera records wonderful images but not the temperature. Yes the camera lies and some smiles are not even real ones. In some exposures, and I use that word with frost-bitten care, I was just giving my teeth room to chatter and watch my breath form little clouds in front of me.
I often remember hearing models complain about this and that and I had always thought it was complaints just for the sake of complaining but the truth is people only complain when they are not happy with the situation and they hope someone can do something to change it. I wanted a blanket and a hot coffee but I didn't get either. With an aura of professionalism about me, I carried on and hoped the envy of their shelter, warmth and coffee wouldn't taint my pictures green!
At least we had a free hot lunch before the second part in the afternoon which made that much more satisfying.

On Sunday we had a second shoot in Okurayama Park where it was a little more sheltered from the wind but it was a warmer day overall and later in the day. Again Nanako oversaw the event and promised me some images although I am not happy (is this a complaint?) with the set that I received from the Sunday shoot. They are somewhat smaller than those Yoshi sends me.
Hitomi is working at a DVD/games store event in Chuoku on Sunday and today and my day is free and as she stood to watch me on my first morning, I went into the store where she was working just to see her smile.

I have loaded up a new Album with my samples from my Kobe weekend shoots.
Album
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