LEI

If the rule of happiness includes an item specifying Time, mine would certainly have to be the magical hour of twilight.
Doing favorite things in a favorite place, spending a lovely time with a lovely person is always blissful, but if it‘s twilight, it‘s just heaven. The place doesn’t necessarily have to be an island, but a tropical island would be perfect. And a quiet private
beach rather than a well-known one would surely be nice and I would like the sun to go down a little to the left rather than right in front of me. After a dip in the ocean, I would wrap myself with a blanket and head towards the sandy beach. Dry sand would feel nice and easy to my bare feet. There would not be a cloud in the sky with a light breeze offshore and shapely waves would dance on the glassy surface of water.
ln no time the sun would set and the dream time would begin. A handful of people who had been here until a short while ago would be gone.
A chilly wind and the sound of breaking waves would penetrate the whole of my body, with almost everything being cloaked in and melted away by the momentary world of color which had already made its appearance. The resplendent Time brimming with colors
would last for only a moment and when cobalt blue has passed its peak, happiness isinscribed into my memory.
This is my favorite time.I would love to be melted away with everything else at such a moment, but, alas, as a lover of photography,
I can‘t resist picking up my camera. My initial intention is to record the moment on film in addition to engraving it in memory,
but sometimes I am carried away by the glory of the ever-changing sky. I almost forget I am taking pictures and both my mind and
body start to move by themselves. The sublime moment which is really over in a blink feels
like eternity and the time stops right there. Photos I take during such moments never fail to be
impressive and a bit better than the pictures in the memory. Such is the moment of bliss. Oddly enough, few people stay on to relish this bewitching hour after sunset. Almost everyone leaves the place once the sun sets in the horizon. lt may be only natural, because they have come to see the sunset after all and once the glaring sun sets, both color and glow disappear fast and the beach becomes a lonely place. I would recommend that they stay just a little while longer after the sunset. I can‘t promise it happens every time, but there shall
surely be a moment when they will be wrapped in bright light and then they will surely feel a bit happier than usual.
I like pictures that are pleasant to look at
That carry me to the place the instant I set eyes on them and that convey everything about the place.
I wish the happiness I felt taking those pictures
Will be passed on to the viewer if only a bit of it…From “LEI” by shibata mitsuyuki

ハワイを始めとする太平洋の島々で、古くから儀式用として、あるいわ歓迎の際のもてなしとして使われてきたLEI。
その美しい花々を中心に、自然と情緒とLEIの姿を長年にわたり、リリシズム溢れる視点で捉え続かてきた写真家　芝田満之。
ため息がでるほど美しいナチュラルな色彩が堪能できる、癒しと感動の写真集。（World Photo Pressより）

幸せの法則

幸せの法則に時間のカテゴリーがあるとしたら、トワイライトのマジックアワーは間違いなく選んでおきたい。好きな事を好きな場所で、素敵な時間を素敵な人と、場所は別に島でなくてもいいけれど、できたら南の島がいい。それもあまり知られたビーチではなくひっそりとしたプライベートだったらまずまずで、太陽は正面よりも斜水面に沈んでほしい。海からあがったらお気に入りのブランケットを羽織り砂浜に、サラサラした砂が素足に心地いい、空に雲は無く風は微風なオフショア、ガラスのような海面に形のいい波が遊ぶ。あとほんの少しで夕日も沈んでしまい、夢想の時が流れだす。さっきまでいたまばらだった人影もいなくなり、少し冷たく感じる風と崩れる波音がカラダ全体に入り込み、すでに始まっている一瞬の色の世界にほとんど総てが包みこまれ溶けてゆく。噎せ返るような色が作り出す輝く時間はほん一瞬で、コバルトブルーがピークを過ぎた時ふっと幸せが記憶に刻み込まれる。
僕の好きな時間だ。
こんなときはできることなら溶けて感じていたいのだが、どうしてもカメラに手がいってしまう。記憶に刻み込むついでにって感じで撮影しだすのだが、たまに物凄くそれに包まれ襲われてしまうくらいのときがある。撮影している感覚がまったくなくなり思考もカラダも勝手に総てが動いてくれる、一瞬のはずのピークが物凄く永く感じて時間が止まってしまう。そんな時決まって写真のできは満足で、刻みこまれた記憶をほんの少し上回ることができる。最高の瞬間だ。
意外なことに、日が沈んだ後のマジックアワーを楽しんでいる人は不思議に少ない、ほとんどの人が太陽が沈んだら帰ってしまう。勿論夕日を見に行くのが目的だからしかたがないし、いままで眩しいほどに輝いていた夕日が沈むと、色も輝きも急速に失せ寂しさが漂いだす。それからほんの数分だけでいい、そこに留まることを僕は薦めたい。いつもそうだと約束はできないが輝きに包まれる瞬間が必ずあるし、きっといつもより少しだけ幸せな気分になれるはずだ。（芝田満之  LEIより）

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