Chapter 24Ryo Shibata sat at the large worktable in the middle of his photography studio examining vintage photographs of Japan. He loved the old, sepia-tinted world glowing with life and vitality. The hand-tinted kimonos, faded-pink cherry trees, and soft-red lanterns fascinated him. The old technologies—albumen, silver and collodion—kept the old world alive better than all the top-of-the-line equipment and digital gimmicks he had at his command.
Recently, he could no longer look at his own photographs and had no interest in taking new ones. He only wanted to look at vintage photos. He bought them obsessively online and from dealers and old shops. Collecting old photos felt more meaningful than taking new ones. The bemused stares and natural poses were more intriguing, more human, than t
