First and foremost, a huge thank you to John Cornicello for hosting 150 photography conversations over the past two years, from the first one on April 14, 2020 to the last one being held on Monday, May 30, 2022. See the collected conversations at his website: https://cornicello.com/conversations Wow, that is no small feat. The number of variables involved in organizing all the visual artists and getting them to share such spellbinding stories demonstrates how much impact John has had in the field; however, having said that, I'm reminded of the proverb, "All good things must come to an end," and with the final conversation in the series, John will be able to take a moment's respite and focus various personal and group projects. Of course, I'm sorry that the series is ending, but this is only one of John's journeys in his storied career. I'm positive he'll have many more journeys to enjoy, and that's what life is, a series of fulfilling and informative journeys. I'm happy I was able to be his guest speaker in two of his 150 photography conversations and join John for the final conversation and express my thanks. Jeff Schewe is another person deserving thanks for reaching out to me and everyone who had ever taken part in the photography conversation and letting us know about the final session. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have known and read about it days later or seen the video on YouTube. I would have been bummed about not being able to raise my glass at 2 am Japan time to say 'Thanks.' I know it was between 10 am and noon for most of North America, but for me, it was a 2 am start and a perfect time for a nightcap so I could raise my glass with a decently aged single malt scotch in appreciation and give a 'cheers' and ‘thank' John for all his hard work over the two years putting up with all of us photographers. We can be an interesting bunch, especially when we group up together. The banter and discussions crossed into a near-infinite amount of photography topics I am mostly well-versed in, but the final photography conversation serves as a reminder. Each one of John's 150 photo conversations had several gems that I was able to pull out and apply to my approach to photography which is generally the beginner's mindset. As the Zen master, D.T. Suzuki said, "I like Zen because everything is Zen." Most of my vision, over 95%, is to explore and always experience life with a beginner's mindset. A beginner sees myriad possibilities in each theme and pursuit, which is the mindset I bring to each project I participate in. Many colleagues of mine and fellow photographers feverishly hold onto their pride. They feel that because they are experts, they know the best expression of a theme and therefore limit the potential of the photographic subject. I aim to discover the emotion, personality, and connection expressed in the subject to myself, my fellow visual artists, and clients. That subject can be wildlife/birding, landscapes, flowers, or street photography. Virtually anything that has light cast upon it can be that subject, even if I am the author of that light source.
I was a little saddened that some photographers overused John's platform and shared space to shamelessly oversell their photography workshops. I to am guilty to some degree, but I am always careful not to go over the top. I know we're all in the business of selling as professional photographers. Still, for me, as I mentioned before, it's less of a business and more of a journey of discovery, as I most happy while leading expeditions and discovering new power spots.
Below is some of what I talked about during my photo conversations with John, the regulars, and other viewers.
When participants, fellow photographers, friends, and family join me on my Japan photo tours, I enjoy our time together, especially when they experience the spirit of the ancient pilgrimage routes that have been used since before the Kofun period. These pilgrimages routes I use have included the First Nations people of Japan, the Ainu, Mesopotamians, Romans, samurai, artisans, geishas, and citizens of bygone eras in search of an epiphany or spiritual awakening, a depth of personal understanding the individual has never reached before. I'm saddened when 5% of people just don't get it, lacking the spiritual enlightenment. I offer those people a deep discount, 30 - 50%, on a future Japan photography workshop. I'm not some fly-by-night workshop organizer selling cookie cutter photography workshops, treading ground that thousands upon thousands of visiting tourists have seen before. People are still going to Antarctica, but it's frowned upon, especially in the current climate-conscious environment. I have been to both poles and Mt. Everest a few times, but I don't need to trumpet out my achievements for others' approval. If I didn't believe an awakening was possible with the off-the-beaten-path Japan photo workshops that I organize and lead, I would not still be in Japan. I may not be the smoothest orator, but I have a deep and unabiding passion for teaching visual arts and photography. I'm also always on the hunt to discover more power spots across Japan, and I am constantly drawn to one of them in particular, Mt. Fuji, an iconic peak that carries the identity and history of Japan. Beyond power spots, I explore multiple themes in my visual artistic pursuits. For example, I spend three months focused exclusively on wildlife or Hokkaido birding photography, including Steller's Sea Eagles, White-tailed Eagles, Sika deer, Shima Enaga, Blakiston's Fish Owls, and dozens of other species that call Hokkaido home, and for autumn, I explore Niigata, and other regions famous for their autumn leaves in gold, red, orange, and even the rare purple. For spring, Japan's sakura calls my name annually, and I spend about three months every spring following the cherry blossoms blooming from southern Japan to Hokkaido. And I love leading my annual cross-country Japan cherry blossom photo workshop/tour which lasts 12 days, photographing as many cherry blossom species in the wild as possible, at parks, castles, and ancient shrines with participants.
Here are but a few of the photo conversations John hosted; these are my personal favorites. But I have not finished the entire 150.
With pilgrimages come experiences and stories, some of the stories I shared with John and the panel of regular photographers, most of whom are regulars, who benefit from living in a convenient time zone and share John's passion for photography conversations, especially during the height of C/19, but I know all of the participants from the 150 photography conversations, including myself, have so many more stories to share, and I'm looking forward to meeting some of the photographers I wouldn't have had the chance to if it had not been for John Cornicello's photography conversations. It's easy to find everyone because we all have websites and are well known in our industry. One story I would enjoy sharing in full, and one day I will, is the story of Japan's Kofun mounds, where Roman and Mesopotamian treasures are often discovered. Of the 170,000 Kofun mounds and villages throughout Japan, only a handful are recognized by the caretakers, and the caretakers are the Japanese Imperial Family, who only acknowledge 5% of them. And it even gets better because Japanese texts often refer to the Kofun mounds as 'mystery mounds,' not knowing who to credit for their construction. WoW! In the future, I expect to tell the story of the Kofun mounds in another book.
Now that John's conversations have come to a close, one thing I am considering is hosting photography conversations, as John hopes someone will carry his flame forward and continue the photo conversations in a civil tone. Master Photographer Art Wolfe has Tequila Tuesday, but I'm a connoisseur of fine single malt whiskeys, and I enjoy taste notes in fine whiskies 15 - 35 years or older varieties. Twelve years and less is bare bones for camping, and 'Whiskey Wednesday' has a nice ring to it, so going forward, I may host a diverse breed of photography conversations and try to bring in amateur, professional, and other types of artists to discuss photography and the visual arts. It's the least I can do. I hope you'll join the conversation! John and his wife mentioned they plan to come to Japan sometime soon. I hope that they will be able to arrive in the near future and will visit with my family for a few weeks as our special guests, and my family and I would enjoy introducing them to some of Japan's magic power spots way off the beaten path.