I have put together a shopping guide for anybody who is going to travel to, or currently lives in Tokyo. Anybody who is interested in photography knows how confusing and overwhelming Tokyo is. The first time I came here I had no idea where to start, so now I thought I would make a guide so people don’t have the same problem.
In my previous posts I talked a lot about developing and discussed a lot of equipment associated with it. The information below is aimed at anybody who is going to visit or live in Tokyo and do any kind of photography. This guide is in order of where you should visit first based on Location and recommendation.
NAKANO (Fuji camera)
Nakano is very close to Shinjuku. Just take the chuou rapid towards Mitaka, and its one stop. Nakano is famous for its Nakano broadway which on the higher floors contains mountains of manga and film memorabilia. Other than that, it is also home to one of the best, if not the best camera shop in Tokyo ‘Fuji camera’. Fuji camera is made up of several shops on the same street. It has a main shop (Ground floor) which is full of the latest camera gear in all formats. It also stocks lots of used camera bodies and lenses that are in ‘as new’ condition. In the same section they also sometimes have used scanners.
The up stairs part of this shop (2F) has every kind of Hasselblad and medium format camera you could imagine. It is in this section which they also sell camera bags and even digital backs for medium format cameras ($$$$).
(http://www.fujiya-camera.co.jp/)
Digital camera body / film camera body / compact camera / digital lenses / manual lenses / digital camera accessories / camera filters / film / scanners / medium format cameras / medium format lenses / digital backs / camera bags / light meters / more
The second part of the shop is aimed more towards darkroom & developing and tripod style equipment. This part sells mainly used stuff but you can get anything you need here. This is definitely the place you want to come if you want to start doing darkroom stuff.
tripods / light stands / clamps / enlargers / timers / enlarger lenses / enlarger filters / safe lights / easels / developing tanks / trays / tongs / dark curtain / more
The last part of the shop is a used / junk section. This part is dirt cheap and you can often find a bargin here. For example, I got an old 35mm body for £15, and all that was wrong with it was the light meter wasn’t working. It is in this section where they also have every kind of lens cap or hood in brand new condition. If you’re going to buy anything from this part of the shop, it might be worth taking a lens to test out anything you might want to buy. Saying this, they do have a lot of cameras that are in very good condition.
used 35mm SLR camera body / medium format camera body / TLR / 35mm compact camera / lens caps / body caps / lens hoods / straps / photography magazines / junk / more
![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)
