When I travel, I love to get to know people, the land and the culture. Respectfully photographing people in other countries can be a challenging and a topic worthy of it’s own blog. I find it satisfying to take nice images of people and I’ve written previously about my struggles to become a better landscape photographer. What else is there? Well, you could go to festivals and social gatherings, or hang out where people shop and work. One of the ways I like to get to know people better involves going to small local cafes, restaurants, and eateries. Seeing the what people eat and how they eat it goes a long way in understanding who they are and how they live. In this spirit I make it a habit to hunt down local food and eat what the locals eat.
I offer you two images. The first is inside a small sidewalk Ramen shop in Kumamoto Japan. The second image was taken in a formal restaurant in Nagasaki showing cherry blossom infusers used in exquisite food preparation. What do these images tell you about the people and culture? Does me telling you what they are change your impression? In case you are wondering, the food in both locations was outstanding!
