After being away from Manchester for around 2 years, I have started to miss it. What I once thought was a shit hole, has now started to feel like home. Japan is very clean and convenient, but it still lacks nostalgia. Over the past few days I have chosen a selection of prints that mean a lot to me personally and will create equally nostalgic feeling for other Mancunian people.
The prints were under-developed to create the washed out look which I think best fits Manchester. I think a fitting title for this series is ‘The North West’.
I apologise if my writing sounds pretentious or pompous, but I find it hard to sound educated without sounding like a twat sometimes.
Make contact sheets for your iphone
I have recently found a convenient way to make contact sheets without using any paper or costly materials. Here is all you need.
• negative • light box • digital camera • tripod • Photoshop
First, set up your tripod to look directly over your light box, and make sure all of the light box fills the frame. I recommend that you use a 50m lens for full frame cameras and about a 75mm for cameras with a 1.6 cropped sensor. I also recommend that you shoot high quality camera raw, and for colour negative, adjust the white balance so the negative is less orange.
After this, make a few test shots to see what exposure your negatives look good at. Once you have found a middle ground exposure, set your camera to about 1.5 stop bracketing (this will give 3 images at various exposures and will let you see any under or over exposed images.)
Once you have set up, make sure you turn any ambient light sources off and start shooting. It took me about an hour to photograph 130 negatives. Once you have finished, transfer your images to your computer and open them up in Photoshop. There are many ways to work quickly in Photoshop, such as using ‘actions’ or even running a script to automatically invert and save your images as TIFFs. I won’t go too into detail about it, so all you have to know is you must now invert your images and save them out to TIFF.
Congratulations, you can now see all your negatives on your computer……but that’s not the end of it. I have found that camera raw is a very good program to use for cropping and adding subtle alterations using curves. The best thing is that you can copy and paste development settings, so you only have to edit one of your bracketed images for each image. You can then just copy and paste the settings. Colour negative is a little trickier, and will never deliver the true colour of what a print would look like. Still it is useful to get an idea of composition and a rough look at the colours. I recommend changing the colour temperature in camera raw.
Once you have adjusted and cropped all your images, simply export them as jpegs and upload them to any tablet device. You can now check what prints you want to print whilst on the move. Having your contacts on your computer also enables you to experiment with cropping and contrast, giving you a fast and flexible look at what your print could look like. Obviously a real contact print is much better quality and truer to an actual print, but I still think this method will save you money and time.
Simplified list
• Set up your tripod over your light box
• Alter your camera settings and turn on bracketing
• Shoot photos and upload them
• Invert your images in Photoshop and save them as TIFF
• Alter levels / convert to B&W / alter colour temperature.
• Export your images as Jpegs and upload them to your device.
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/4915beb2b72d9f88299b57dd613316f5/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo1_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/af1751a7da2d232a85a37132fb75f773/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo2_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/1a578b7b0218a68c608b308c7a6aeaee/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo3_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/03982f9d617c0eae0266537fbfb86c19/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo4_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/e16005e36c0521cb335827abbac5fb0e/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo5_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/65890f38f8f3fd63278f2cf3ee308fc0/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo6_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/e8df29278707034f8dfe8934cafa8eec/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo7_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/cf67159dc5aaca5464739c4cde48b0cd/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo9_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
[[MORE]]
2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/540053d9d3d53501b01b644ec5b69508/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo10_500.jpg)
![The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
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2. Looking at your body of work, I can see that film and cinematography has a strong influence. How do you try to bring this into your stills?
It’s probably from habit. With cinematography, you have to think about shots as parts of the bigger picture. Later in edit, something that might not be visually pleasing could be the vital link to making it flow. A still photo must carry the feeling of a whole scene in one frame or at least suggest it. What is important to remember is that you are not trying to fit as much in the frame as possible, but selecting a moment which gives you a feeling of a scene. Photography is a lot freer in the sense that you can use exotic framing without the fear that it might not cut together afterwards. My photography is an attempt to capture things using my subconscious and instinct rather than being too concerned about story and coinciding shots. Whether this makes it easier or more difficult I do not know.
3. On which part of the imaging process do you spend the most time on?
On an abstract level, I spend most of my time just wondering and not taking any pictures at all. For a lot of the time, my photography is not posed, so I either miss things or look too hard. I believe time not taking photos is just as important as actually taking them. Recently I am not very productive and it can take up to 2 months to shoot one roll. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m losing my edge, but then my negatives seem to be full of photos that I want to print. On the technical side, I would say I spend the most time in my darkroom. I enjoy printing and making discoveries in my negative collection. I believe it’s good practice to spend more time looking at photos, rather than taking them. Also, if you intend to print your photos, your standard of selection becomes higher. Printing your own images gives you full creative control, and it can feel almost like you are taking the photo again.
4. More people seem to be moving away from film and towards digital media these days. Do/did you ever shoot in digital?
Of course! My first SLR was digital. I learned all the basics of photography through it. After a year or two of using it, my father’s friend gave me a 35mm camera because someone had died in his family. I shot one roll at a family get together and became hooked. There was something more exciting and magical about film. Things like blur or mistakes with exposure actually seemed to look good, so I couldn’t lose. I started really thinking about my exposure and what effects it had on what negative I was using. I started taking less and thinking more. We live in a digital age with digital tools. People use computers and social media to promote their work, so the obvious choice is to shoot digital and simplify your workflow right? Well, not for me. I have been through a lot of phases, and I’ve found that my most favoured process is to develop my negatives, my prints, and then use a scanner to scan the actual print. A nice picture deserves to have a physical existence as well as a digital one. Just look at your childhood photos. Your mum and dad might not have been that much of a photographer, but if you look through the nostalgia you will see that they are much better than the snaps you see today. Over exposed people in the foreground and totally blurred photos which would be immediately deleted these days were not because they were shot on film. Sometimes it is the photos that aren’t perfect that are more interesting, we just need more time to see it. I think that every photo shouldn’t be pristine like a catalogue photo or something. Digital will always serve a purpose and continue to improve, but film negative contains a timeless aesthetic which cannot be rivalled in my opinion.
5. Tokyo is swamped with photographers. What is your unique approach to shooting a city that has been shot to death?
I think the longer you spend here, the more the gimmicks begin to fade. When I first got here, I was shooting the bright lights and colourful side of Tokyo which every foreigner first envisages the city. Don’t get me wrong, I still like those types of photos, and I like to think my initial photos of the city still hold up too. The only thing is, I feel that it gives a false impression of Tokyo. Yes, there are bright lights and people that are dressed differently, but that’s not everything and it shouldn’t define the city. I think that nowadays I try to find moments that people can connect with and feel the situation, rather than just giving them a photo that makes them want to visit Tokyo. The way I feel I do this is by, again, simplifying things and zeroing in on one specific subject at a time. I don’t think my style is particularly unique, but I think that the city is yet to be mastered. This is what drives me to look for something new and a new way of capturing it. I guess you could say that I shoot for myself and hope other people like it.
6. Do you have ideals that you adhere to or things that you search for through photography?
I don’t think I am searching for anything in particular, but I feel photography gives me a thirst to see more places and go to areas which I would otherwise have no interest in. I guess it’s similar to skating in that respect. I don’t think my ideals are different from anybody else’s really. I am strict with myself and try to keep a high standard. I also try to avoid gimmicks and recreations of things that I have already seen. I hear people say photography is a form of self expression, which it is, but I also think that it is a celebration of stolen moments that you can share. I hope when people look at my photos, they can imagine themselves in the situation of taking the photo, as well as simply appreciating the image. Finally, the most important thing is that I like it.
7. What projects are you working on at the moment?
As everyone in Tokyo knows, having a job here takes up a lot of time. For this reason I often find too many excuses to put off projects. I have many ideas for projects, but I have yet to shoot them. I have several ideas storyboarded and ready to go. One idea is to use solely primary colors. Another is a portrait collection, and the others are short films I’m trying to shoot on 8mm. One is an art film about the city, and the other is about a dancer on the streets of Tokyo. Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to give it all up just yet.
8. One last question. Indian Curry or Japanese curry?
Indian curry! Japanese curry is good, and kastu curry is even better, but it still feels like it came from a packet or something. With Indian curry you can taste the culture and each one tastes different. In England, Indian curry is very popular and we eat it with naan AND rice AND chips.
Interview and published by Leslie leung
(http://issuu.com/zasshii)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/87af794d3d9f21e18f2c3787257ea9c9/tumblr_mfqtawiLhe1r6mv3xo11_500.jpg)
The shape of Tokyo
1. What initially got you into photography?
Initially it was through skating. I used my first video camera while making skating edits for friends. From then on I guess I’ve been working backwards through technology and away from skating media. I later studied film at college and university and became very interested in cinematography and directing. I used 16mm for my projects and learned a great deal. Around the same time, I became equally interested in printing my own photos. I constructed a darkroom with my father and began to learn everything I could. Cinematography is the most important influence to my photography, so you could say that it was cinematography that introduced me to serious photography.
A short video made up of images taken every day for one year on skype.
