Location Scouting In Wakayama
Notes from a photographer
A ding of a bell echos through the linoleum hallway. The bell is from the front desk of the art museum. I had never heard that sound in an art museum before, especially not one this large. A single customer pinging to be let in, the staff absent, not expecting another guest today. I was in the Museum of Modern Art, and these types of places required both expanse and silence.
I had just finished a quick location scouting in Wakayama, a prefecture in Japan, south of where I live. It is near the ocean, and the rapid train on the way had posters warning of what to do in case of a tsunami.
I visited a room today, a beautiful Japanese room. After seeing a picture of it with natural light that danced along the tatami, I was enchanted and knew I had to take a look at it in person.
It has been a delight to be able to go around on these daily trips to these locations I want to go to, and I feel consumed by thought whenever I do. I am constantly absorbed by the upcoming projects, how to make this work, of the future.
A mixture of a weeklong headache and my regular frustrations has been a distraction. I’ve been doing all I can to fully enjoy this time and to properly soak everything in. The mystery never leaves.
