Discovering Photography After Starting with a Clean Slate

I played soccer all the way through high school, but when that chapter of my life ended, I felt like I had nothing. I was preparing for university entrance exams, but I wasn't particularly fond of studying, so I was kind of searching for something else. Around that time, I happened to have a camera at home, so I started taking photos while out on walks. That's when I first started using a camera, but without finding anything specific to pursue, I went to university anyway. However, I couldn't really adapt to the atmosphere there and ended up dropping out after about half a year (laughs).

That summer, I traveled across Japan by train, and I vividly remember how photography saved me, so to speak—it made me feel like I wasn't alone, even when I was by myself. I wasn't very good at talking to people, so having a camera made it easier to communicate, and I guess you could say that the world expanded through photography. Even when it came to travel, it wasn't so much about wanting to go somewhere as it was about wanting to go somewhere to take photos, and that’s why I traveled. So, photography itself became the goal, and I gradually became more and more engrossed in it. Another thing is that I think I’ve always enjoyed "collecting." Perhaps the feeling of thinking, "Next, I'll photograph that…" and building up a collection suited my nature. Slowly but surely, my resolve to "do photography" solidified. So I worked part-time for half a year and then enrolled in a photography vocational school. I guess for me, photography was something I stumbled upon by chance after starting with a clean slate.

The Sense of Distance from the Subject

Currently, I shoot landscapes, objects, and people, as well as advertisements, magazines, fashion... I do a variety of things without specializing in any particular area, so I'd say I'm genre-less. However, no matter what it is, I get excited when the subject is good. Photography is all about the subject, so whether it's an object, a person, or a landscape, I feel like I take more shots when I encounter something good.

I often photograph architecture, and my attraction to it might stem from Yokohama, where I was born and raised. Before Sakuragicho was developed, it was like an empty lot, and I watched high-rise buildings steadily being constructed, creating an artificial landscape like a forest. I think observing this transition fostered my interest in architecture.

While I am interested in architecture as a whole, when I take photos, I'm more drawn to the stains and dirt on walls, or their texture, rather than their structure. It's the texture as an element of the building. Since I also originally like graphic photography, I think these elements connect to "walls" and led to my "skin" series, which focuses on lines and textures.

When shooting for work, of course, I pay attention to light and tone, but I also value a sense of distance from the subject that conveys "I took this myself." It's a technical matter, but when it comes to choosing lenses, some photographers frequently use wide-angle lenses, while others prefer telephoto lenses; it varies. However, I believe this relates to the distance from the subject, and perhaps that sense of distance also becomes part of my own individuality. In my case, I think my sense of distance is neutral.

Future Home Base and Creative Work

As mentioned in "7 Recent Things I'm Interested In" below, next year my family and I are moving to the Yatsugatake area in Yamanashi. We're currently having an architect design our house, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's surrounded by high mountains, and the water and air are delicious. The air truly feels different. Just being in that environment makes me feel incredibly "rested."