Retroactive Photography

[Poe Dameron]

Welcome to Retroactive Photography!

As an introduction, I have been an avid photographer for about seven years, starting from point and shoot, progressing to DSLRs, and currently my photographic medium is divided between DSLR and iPhone, depending on the situation. I've meant to start a thread here but didn't want to go with a plan vanilla photography thread, so I've stumbled upon a fun concept I'll call retroactive photography.

My goal, for this new year of 2016, is to show either a photo I've taken that looks like it could be from an earlier era and made to look so even more so by use of filters, or a photo that looks definitely of this modern era but made to look "ironically" like it was from an earlier time. The work will fall under those two extreme cases, and I'll start from the earliest photos of the year and work towards later, as long as I can (or as long as the interest in this holds me). So that said, I hope you enjoy the photography presented here.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 3

Place: Baguio, Philippines

The old World War II jeeps, transformed into what is still knows as "jeepneys", always lend a great look into the times of long ago. Combined with the setting of a city that hasn't changed too much appearance-wise since the 1980s, it makes an easy but great first entry into this exhibit.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 3

Place: Manila, Philippines

A little challenging to make the most modern part of the Republic of the Philippines look older, but a de-emphasis on the tall shiny buildings and electronic billboards can accomplish a lot!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 4

Place: Incheon, South Korea

Though constructed over a decade ago, Incheon International Airport manages to hold onto a title of the most modern, futuristic, and interesting airport in the world. Attempting to shade colours against a backdrop including a large LED screen was a challenge, did I manage to make it look like Gimpo Airport in the 70s?

 

[Arcadia]

These are amazing! :D I took my own whilst on the plane because the photos inspired me :D

 

[Poe Dameron]

These are amazing! :D I took my own whilst on the plane because the photos inspired me :D

Please, feel free to show your own off here!

And that offer goes to anyone else who wants to join in!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 5

Place: Tokyo, Japan

In the middle of the tech and anime capital of Japan (and arguably the world?), it can be a challenge to disguise a shot there as one from the earlier days of "Electric Town", Akihabara. But she helped me out, posing next to a banner for the Kanda Myojin Shrine, where we first met (the shrine, not the banner).

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 7

Place: Zama, Kanagawa, Japan

With the help of a very special lady in Seoul, I brought these treats to share with my friends and staff in Japan. The custom of gift giving, "omiyage", is a long standing one which has been passed on to other places, especially those in eastern/northeastern Asia, or probably those that are exposed quite a bit to the Japanese ways. Korea is no different, though from my experience it hasn't gotten quite to Japan levels just yet. Played with the colors a bit to give this new box of gifts an older look in tribute to the longevity of the custom.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 9

Place: Tokyo, Japan

UFO catchers, also known as crane games, have been around for decades. An internet search, unfortunately, doesn't tell if it coincides with the era in which the first Star Wars movie was released in the 1970s. Tried for an ironic twist here though, as she tries (unfortunately, unsuccessfully) to win BB-8, the droid from the latest Star Wars movie. Still, the moment was a fun and exciting one as you might be able to tell from her face!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 15

Place: Tokyo, Japan

Despite the popular images of Tokyo... modern streets, buildings, neon lit nights... it's not hard to find spots that speak to Tokyo's past. And it doesn't need to be an old traditional temple or anything like that... it could be the Kanda river, as we posed in front of it, with a modern type "heart" pose but colorized the photo to look like it was from an era much earlier.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 16

Place: Chiba, Japan

Tokyo Auto Salon is probably not the easiest place to find a photo that fits the retroactive theme here, but I tried my best. Her outfit, and the car she was with, helped a bit... and the color theme tried to fill in the rest.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 18

Place: Tokyo, Japan

Even in such a relatively new setting such as the AKB48 in Tokyo, a lovely lady and her mug of hot chocolate can make you imagine setting of yesteryear.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 21

Place: Tokyo, Japan

A selfie with some anime cutouts at the Tokyo Anime Center... sure, the anime looks kind of modern, but I tried my best!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 24

Place: Tokyo, Japan

One of the most difficult places to make look old school... the futuristic Gundam Cafe! It was tough, but my best effort went into it.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 28

Place: Tokyo, Japan

Karaoke and singing have been around for a while, so this wasn't a difficult one to put into it's place! Even her attire wouldn't be too out of place decades ago. A captured moment from a fun night of karaoke with a fun lady!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 30

Place: Ebina, Japan

Sushi has been around for a long time, but sushi conveyors? Not so much. On this day the best that can be done is the ironic old looking photo of me and my dinner date at Hama Sushi, a popular sushi chain in Japan that operates on the conveyor system.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: January 31

Place: Tokyo, Japan

Riding a rickshaw in old town Asakusa, Tokyo? That's just too easy!

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: February 1

Place: Sagimihara, Japan

My Korean lady did a beautiful thing for me, cooking one of my favorite Korean dishes for me before she went back to Seoul. Yukgaejang, a spicy beef and vegetable soup. Though it wasn't perfect in her mind, as some ingredients were left out because I failed to find them at the commissary and the local supermarket, it was a beautiful dish to me. Korean food tends to burn a hole in my tongue as of late, and somehow she masterfully tailored the traditional dish to suit me just right. In any era, this is a beautiful dish to me.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: February 2

Place: Sagimihara, Japan

On this day, ironically my secretary returned from Seoul as my... close lady friend returned to Seoul. In the the tradition of Japanese "omiyage" I got these from my secretary, a tasty treat and a reminder of the country where my thoughts wander to at times... when she's not in Japan.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Date: February 3

Place: Zama, Japan

Part of the Japanese "Setsubun" tradition, aside from throwing beans, is to eat a sushi roll without stopping, and facing in the southeast direction. Here is this tradition in action, and finding a nice home in this showcase.