Yesterday marked day two of my ramen chef project. I went mainly to show Murakami the photos I had taken the previous time and maybe eat a little something. When I arrived he was not around. Not too surprising since on the first day of shooting he was a couple hours late meeting me. I later realized that he had been extremely nervous and wanted to get a haircut before I started shooting. Yesterday was different though. When he showed up it was all laughs. He greeted an old couple, two of his many regulars, then came over to say hello. I noticed right away that his demeanor and attitude about me being there had taken a 180. After we talked for a little while about how things had been for the past month he sat me down to get some food before the kitchen closed. I stuffed my face as he tended to his regulars. He was insistent that I put something in my stomach in preparation for all the shochu we were going to drink. After finishing my food I saw that he was still hamming it up with the old couple. He noticed I had finished and waved me over to the table. After the introductions I grabbed the prints I brought to show him. It was then that the doors opened up. I read more than once how bringing your subjects prints can make a normally uncomfortable situation easy. Bruce Davidson wrote in the opening of his East 100th Street book that this was what gave him access to the families he shot. He would show them portraits he had done for other families and right away the doors were opened. This is my first story, and the first time I have had the chance to bring a subject prints. Right away it was as if Murakami, his regulars and everyone that worked there had let their guard down. I’ll spare the details, but the night progressed the same way… Food, drink, laughs, and many more photos. I’m gonna say that yesterday was really the first day of shooting. I’m really excited to see where it goes from here…