Wash Before Prayer, a photo from Nara, Kinki

Photographer's Note

Before entering a shrine, the hands are washed. Cleanliness is stressed in many aspects of Japanese life, not just in religion. You'll usually find running water and a tin cup just before any shrine. Here we find young students using this fountain for drinking. The uniforms, scan of the film and conversion to black and white give this image the feeling that it could have been made any time in the last 50 years. The original color version has been provided in a workshop posting.

aloyho, digiken, jmfarace has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

aloyho (6798) 2005-04-20 2:11

Hi Dan,
You have managed to capture the message and theme well. The water and washing is definately the focus of attention here and showing it in BW helped to avoid distraction. Very nice consideration. The DOF is just great. Thanks and best wishes.

L810th (0) 2005-04-21 8:10

You have captured a great innocence. They are obviousley on some important mission not to be taking any heed of your presence.
Or maybe japanese people are immune to the camera seen as they have re-invented it, thank god/allah/buddah for that. I have done a WS on the colour version and will post it tomorrow. I think the warmth of the colour version is definitely best.
TFS.
Mike.