Updated: Jan. 23, 2023
Veteran photographer, former photography instructor, and longtime Shonan area resident Andy Barker has published a book of his photos of the Shonan area. Shonan (湘南) is the coastal area in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan centering on Chigasaki, Kamakura, Fujisawa, Zushi, and Hayama.
Book title: SHONAN JAPAN
Author/Photographer: Andy Barker
ISBN: None
Price: ¥2000 yen (plus 10% tax)
Published by: Andy Barker
Available at: Shimamori Bookstore (島森書店)) (phone: 0467-22-0266), one block directly in front of JR Kamakura Station’s East Exit. (Map here.)
Printed in 2022, this square book has 60 pages with 61 color photos composed and shot meticulously during a period of 10 years and countless visits to the Shonan area. For this book, Andy carefully selected the best of his best photos of the area. He says the book is “his masterpiece.” Indeed, all the pictures have an original look (no imitation).
The photos are organized according to location on the long Shonan coast. They include Tateishi Park, Isshiki Beach, Morito Coast, Zushi, Yuigahama, Inamuragasaki Park, and Enoshima. There are a few photos of each location, and each picture is captioned in English and dated.
See local beaches, natural formations, lots of Mt. Fuji (including Diamond Fuji), lots of sunset scenes, water sports like windsurfers, the Enoden train, and Enoshima island. All first-rate photos which should be sold as postcards.
The book focuses on natural scenery and people, unlike his previous photo book “Kamakura” (see review below) which showed many photos of temples and shrines.
Too bad the book is available only at a bookstore in Kamakura. Not sold online.
Kamakura photo book by Andy Barker
Originally reviewed in Jan. 2008, updated on Jan. 23, 2023.
Veteran photographer, photography instructor, and longtime Japan resident Andy Barker has published a book of his photos of Kamakura in English and Japanese.
Title: Kamakura – A Collection of Photographs by Andy Barker
ISBN: 978-4-9903528-0-6
Price: ¥2000 yen (plus 10% tax)
Published by: Andy Barker
Available at: Shimamori Bookstore (島森書店)) (phone: 0467-22-0266), one block directly in front of JR Kamakura Station’s East Exit. (Map here.)
This square book has 60 pages with 59 photos, mostly color. It’s a medium-size book, light enough to carry home and small enough to put on your coffee table along with a few other books.
The pictures are divided into the four seasons, starting with spring. Each picture is captioned in English and Japanese. The book’s design and layout was done by Andy himself and it turned out very nice and attractive.
The pictures show the temples, shrines, festivals, gardens, and people of Kamakura, a former feudal capital city of Japan. This famous city has already been photographed to death, and for this book, Andy avoided including the standard, cliched shots and put in more unique images. For example, the famous Daibutsu statue is photographed at night as well as in snow. The book makes a great gift from Japan.
Andy fell in love with Kamakura decades ago and still goes there to shoot regularly, commuting by bicycle from his home in nearby Zushi. After shooting Kamakura for so many years, you’d think that he has photographed everything already. But apparently not.
Well, that’s the thing about Japan. There is an infinite number of pictures to be captured. Even in the same place or city, it looks different during the four seasons, during different times of day, and during different years. You really have to keep going back if you want to photograph “everything.” The possibilities are endless, and our job of photographing Japan never ends.
