Japan is introducing its first nationwide laws to criminalize exploitative “photo voyeurism.”
Japanese lawmakers recently submitted the bill against “photo voyeurism” which will prohibit acts such as “upskirting” and taking sexually exploitative images and videos of others without consent.
Upskirting means the act of taking photographs beneath a woman’s skirt without their consent. But the term has also come to generally define the act of taking a sexually intrusive photograph of someone without their permission.
The BBC reports that the reforms are expected to be passed in Japan in June and offenders would face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to $22,000 (3 million Japanese yen).
The move to introduce the “photo voyeurism” bill has come amid pressure from younger Japanese women for lawmakers to criminalize sexually exploitative acts facilitated by mobile phone photography.
In 2021, Japanese police made more than 5,000 arrests for clandestine photography — a record number and about three times the amount of cases in 2010.
The majority of cell phone manufacturers in Japan have had to install audible shutter sounds on mobile devices, in order to prevent secret filming.
And the issue is even more serious at sporting events in the country. Young athletes in sporting attire in Japan are frequently targeted by people engaging in sneak photography of a sexually malicious nature.
According to Japan Times, lawmakers and competitive athletes emphasized the need for legislation on surreptitious photography at a symposium on April 15.
“You cannot say that just because photos are taken of someone who’s clothed that it isn’t a problem,” lawyer Yoji Kudo says.
“We shouldn’t give up on legal controls simply because it is difficult to draw a line of distinction.”
The crackdown on people taking surreptitious photographs is part of a wider overhaul of Japan’s laws on sex crimes. The bill also bans the filming of children “in a sexual manner without justifiable reason”.
In Japan, child models, who are mostly girls, are regularly portrayed in sexually provocative ways and asked to pose in lingerie or swimsuits.
The bill will also ban the taking, distribution, and or possession of photographs of someone’s genitals without their consent.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
“Portrait, October” (2022), oil on canvas, 41 x 54 inches. All images © Xiao Wang, shared with permission
Gingko leaves laced with violet, eucalyptus sprigs in blue, and ferns glowing with bright orange veil Xiao Wang’s portraits with a sense of subtle unreality. As if illuminated by fluorescent light, the oil paintings depict quiet, introspective, and intimate moments between the artist and subjects, who rest among lush plant life.
In a note to Colossal, Wang shares that he continually strives for both contrast and balance. He has relationships with each person he paints, whether it be friends, his partner, or himself, and their real-life bonds emerge through the unearthly palettes. “I want to create an uncanny feeling through distorting natural colors and creating sharp contrast,” he shares. “That’s why there are so many dark tones against light tones, violet and red against green and blue.”
The use of vivid color also energizes the works and adds to the underlying unease and anxiety of the otherwise languid subjects, who appear suspended in daydreams and transitory states. “I think I’m trying to walk between realism and expressionism, meaning that my work is deeply based on naturalistic observations and oftentimes maximalist technique, but also heightened by expressive colors and surreal settings,” he says.
Wang, who was born in China and is currently based in New York, has a solo show slated for July at PM/AM in London, and you can find more of his work and glimpses into his studio on Instagram.
“Hangover” (2021), oil on canvas, 44 x 40 inches
“Spaced in, Space out #2” (2023), oil on canvas, 40 x 32 inches
“Monkey Mind” (2022), oil on canvas, 58 x 44 inches
“Passing Hours” (2022), oil on canvas, 60 x 48 inches
“Sound of Cicadas” (2022), oil on canvas, 60 x 80 inches
“Slumber-Dusk” (2020), oil on canvas, 44 x 58 inches
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Vivid Foliage Suspends Xiao Wang’s Portraits in Uncanny Tension appeared first on Colossal.
Autumn Riding is a Running Start photography major and this month’s Clipper Artist Spotlight.
If you have ever seen a picture that emotionally moved you so much that it felt like it reached into your soul, then you have seen the type of work Ms. Riding creates and you will understand why her work deserves to be shared.
Riding has lived alongside the mountains of Utah, in the greenery of Oregon and under the Big Sky of Montana. Her appreciation of nature’s beauty is apparent in her photography portfolio. But Riding’s true passion for photography is embedded in capturing the essence of live concerts and the people that frequent the music scene. Her humble start as a shutterbug began by taking pictures with her iPhone at rock concerts. When she was able to make her way into a photographers pit, she saw the joy in the faces of the photographers, and she knew she had to give this calling a try. It wasn’t long till she bought a digital camera and enrolled in classes at EvCC and put her skills to work. Her favorite rock photographers are Steve Thrasher https://www.stevethrasherphoto.com/ and Sarah Carmody https://www.sarahcarmodyphotography.com/. Both photographers have styles that Riding feels a connection to and would like to emulate. Her dream job would be to travel with a popular rock group. If you have ever seen the movie Almost Famous you’ll get an idea of her Rolling Stone-like career aspirations.
In her introduction to Black and White Photography she found herself experimenting with a dimly lit graveyard scene. While there, she felt a presence and captured a picture that had a misty, spooky figure in the background. For her final project picture you will see her in a wispy white wedding dress in the middle of the forest. Her vision of creating a translucent ghost-like figure came to fruition in what was one of the class’s best images from the entire quarter. The assignment was to take a picture that would tell a story about a favorite song, the song she chose was, “Funeral Derangements” by Ice Nine Kills.
Riding’s favorite teacher is Ellen Felsenthal and she credits her with major help and encouragement in developing her style.
When asked what advice she would have for a new student at EVCC she replied, “Try not to get overwhelmed, as hard as that sounds, and stay up to task and not fall behind…especially if you are taking more than one class.”
Below is the link to the trailer of the photographic exhibition ‘Women’s Cry’, broadcast this morning during the presentation press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTP_iNO09xk
An extraordinary photographic journey into the often invisible world of women, reflecting the words of Pope Francis taken from the encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
The exhibition is the brainchild and artistic direction of Lia and Marianna Beltrami, for the World Women’s Observatory – UMOFC WUCWO, with the collaboration of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication.
The photographs in the exhibition are presented by the photographers Neșe Ari, Sebastiano Rossitto, Asaf Ud Daula, Luca Catalano Gonzaga, Vassilis Ikoutas, Ferran Paredes Rubio, Giuseppe Caridi, Caterina Borgato, Silvia Tenenti. Graphics by Mauro Radici.
“To me photography is a part of life and any photography worth looking at twice is a reflection of life, of reality, of nature, of people, of the work of men from art to war.”
These are the words of world renowned South African photographer Ernest Cole, who was speaking about capturing the authenticity of life in a thought-provoking way.
In the age of social media, almost anyone with a phone can call themselves a photographer. But for those people who are serious about photography and love nature, Thanda Safari luxury lodge in northern KwaZulu-Natal is holding a wildlife photography weekend.
Preserving the environment will remain a core issue globally and locally to ensure biodiversity and the problems brought by climate change that is driven by people.
South Africa’s natural environment and wildlife, unique cultural diversity and authentic African sounds has made it an attractive holiday destination.
The beauty of nature is in its power to heal the soul, body and mind. It’s not by accident that when Earth is spoken of it’s often captured through the lens of motherhood. It breeds life, nurtures, comforts and in this fast paced modern day life nothing beats the tranquillity nature offers when in search of stillness.
Christian Sperka, the resident wildlife photographer and specialist photography guide at the private game reserve, will take people through a course to master the art of wildlife photography.
What better way to escape our hectic everyday lives than exploring the wildlife of northern KwaZulu-Natal; it’ll be a taste of opulence with a twist of creativity. Thanda Safari is offering an experience of a lifetime at an affordable rate.
The five-star private game reserve spans roughly 14 000 hectares of bush, birds and game that includes the Big Five. Sperka’s portfolio captures everything from elephants to butterflies.
Guests will be accommodated in luxurious tents with wooden balconies overlooking the heart of the forest and surrounded by the sounds of tranquillity.
The wildlife photography weekend is from Friday 2 June to Sunday 4 June. Priced at R3 247 per person sharing per night at Thanda tented camp the package includes two guided daily game drives, all meals and selected beverages that include soft drinks, wine, spirits and beers. There will also be wildlife conservation and photography lectures, a camera clinic and an award ceremony for the best photographs. There is an additional conservation levy fee of R220 per person. To book, email [email protected].
Story photo credits: Alice Backham
If you’re ready to reset your expectations of what it means to transcend genres and simply embrace the music, Our Generation is for you. As Spotify U.K.’s musical home for artists who don’t bind themselves to genres or stereotypes, the playlist continues to celebrate what it means to be an artist in 2023.
This past weekend, we brought the world of Our Generation to life in London for a three-day immersive pop-up with special appearances from some of the most exciting artists on the playlist.
Fans joined BRIT Award–winner Holly Humberstone for an evening of exclusive first-listen demos and conversation. Jim Legxacy held a bedroom-production workshop, giving attendees insight into the creative process behind his emo-hip-hop-Afrobeats-inspired tracks. The rock-adjacent foursome Lovejoy treated fans to an intimate performance, while singer-songwriter Thomas Headon held a temporary-tattoo parlor.
The Loud LDN collective held a takeover filled with DJ sets and lots of surprises from an incredible lineup of female and non-binary creators like Coupdekat, Maisi, piri, Charlotte Plank, Josie Man, Lucy Tun, DellaXOZ, and Izzi De–Rosa. Finally, fans also got an exclusive first look at a brand-new Lava La Rue song and self-directed music video, plus a party with LavaLand DJs.
The full visual world of Our Generation—encompassing stills, video, artist portraits, and marketing assets—was brought to life with the help of illustrator Eliza Williams, who also designs the cover art for the Our Generation playlist, alongside a team of young creatives.
For the Record caught up with Eliza at the event to hear more about her experience.
Weird. It feels like I’m walking into my brain, basically. It’s really strange to see everything in 4D and see all the different textures and colors and how other people are interacting with it and how it’s making other people feel. I think that’s really cool. When I make digital stuff, I don’t get to see how much people love it, but it’s so nice to see. It’s so nice that they love the playlist as much as I do.
Our Gen is very intertwined with my personal work and is very close to my heart. I really wanted to make sure it shows all the different sounds and voices and genres on the playlist. That’s what really inspires the playlist art and the look of it and the feel of it. I want the playlist to look how we as listeners feel when we listen to the music, with the emotions and everything.
I’ve always created, ever since I was a little kid. I used to love making things when I was little, and then I studied communication design and I actually just fell into doing illustration. I didn’t think I was ever going to pursue that as a career goal. I would always do it for fun, but I never thought I would be able to make this the one thing I do. It’s surprising!
But I’ve really liked doing this, so I hope I get to do more event stuff going forward. I want to move into more physical, tangible things like prints and vinyl. I just did a vinyl with Eloise, which was really fun, full of photography and then layered art. And animated video—I’d like to mix that in as well. I’d love to dive deeper into my work and build characters.
I think my art style is very playful and it’s really true to my inner child. I think that’s where all my inspiration comes from—trying to be completely myself. And not my adult self—the fun version of myself! And then I think, honestly, my art is very inspired by music as well. I don’t think I have a particular style that I listen to. I’m very open to listening to different stuff. Most of my work is very inspired by old music, like the 70s, 80s. I love 70s disco. It’s so fun. And then a bunch of new artists whom I love as well, like Alice Phoebe Lou, Laufey—young artists who have a very distinct voice and style.
I’ve always loved this incredible Melbourne artist named Mirka Mora. And Yayoi Kusama—I love her work. She’s so sick. And then anything childhood related, old cartoons, movies. The Wild Thornberrys—I used to really think I was Eliza Thornberry when I was little. Anything kid related. I still reference the childhood things I loved and grew up with.
I really loved working with Our Generation and with Spotify. I feel that I’ve been really blessed with being able to be fully creative and have so much flexibility with what I’ve been able to do during this project. It’s been so exciting seeing all the different artists I’ve gotten to work with—whom I listen to myself—and then collaborate with so many wonderful creatives as well. Even on previous campaigns—Andy Baker, I’ve looked up to him for ages, so that was insane to be able to work with him. And then, yeah, obviously Sasha Hilton (art director) and Saskia Martindale (prop maker). They’re incredible. It’s a dream to work with other creators and feel so collaborative.
Stream Our Generation below.
SANDMARC is introducing its brand new iPhone photography lens today known as the Macro 100mm. The brand has quickly become one of our favorite Apple gear accessory makers, from delivering my personal favorite leather iPhone 14 case and a brilliant collection of Apple Watch bracelet straps that look like they were made by a true horology company to its all-metal tripod stand we reviewed previously and more, SANDMARC is not a brand to be slept on whether you’re an iPhoneographer or not. However, today it is expanding its lineup of iPhone lens offerings with a new model designed to simulate the human eye and offer photographers “a more natural, organic look.” Head below for more details on SANDMARC’s new iPhone lens release.
The new SANDMARC iPhone photography lens is looking to enhance the photos you take with your Apple handset whether you’re a pro or not. The Macro 100mm offers a shallower depth of field than you’ll get from the stock setup to deliver a “sought-after effect” that counters “the artificial sharpening found in newer iPhone models.”
It also delivers extended minimum focus distance that is said to open up “new possibilities for photographing moving objects, producing captivating videos, and venturing into unexplored creative territories.”
Here’ a quick A/B comparison of the depth of field so you can see the difference:
…And a video of it in action:
While compatible with the SANDMARC lineup of iPhone 14 cases, the new iPhone lens is made of industrial aluminum and also comes with its own iPhone 14 case as well as a clip-on mount, a lens pouch to keep it safe when traveling or in between uses as well as front and back lens caps.
Features at a glance:
SANDMARC’s new 100mm Macro iPhone photography lens is now available for purchase for all iPhone 14 models at $129.99 shipped. But you can use our exclusive 9TO5TOYS discount code to knock the total down to $126.05 shipped – it should also be pointed out that SANDMARC gear literally only goes on sale once per year for a few days during Black Friday, historicaly speaking, and at just 20% off.
More highlights from the SANDMARC gear collection:
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