A Glimpse from the Streets | 10 Questions for Koji Takasaki | ISSUE #7

Born and raised in Tokyo, I was born in 1996. I have been deeply inspired by the early color street photographers who captured the era and people with a unique aesthetic sense. It's been about four years since I started taking photos with the desire to express works like theirs in modern Tokyo.

Currently, I work while taking street photos on my days off. Recently, I was invited by Shimazaki-kun, who had an article published, and held my first exhibition in March (thank you for that).

Recently, I've been focusing on photographing urban settings and the people living in them. I used to feel that perfectly composed photos seemed somewhat fake, so I decided to focus on choosing anonymous subjects, which became the starting point of my current style.
The subtle beauty of anonymity, the fleeting nature of living bound by time, captured through my shutter. Cropping the mundane yet bizarre sight of humans surrounded by artificial objects as extraordinary art. Shedding light on the individuality of people in today's world where lack of individuality is the norm. By doing so, it feels like my often self-deprecating existence is being validated.

Not limited to photography, I have always found an irresistible charm and empathy in works with such themes in the cultures I've encountered, like music and movies. This is why I continue to take photos like I do now, as I realized this is a field where I can express myself with a definite sense of necessity.

I'm not sure if it was my first, but my earliest memory is taking a photo inside the car during a family trip in my childhood.

I vividly remember capturing a scene of numerous flags standing outside the car window while driving on the highway, over my brother sitting next to me. Other memories from that time are now quite vague, and the photos are long gone, nor do I recall ever seeing them printed. Yet, it's strange how just the memory of pressing the shutter can vividly bring back the atmosphere and sensations of that time. The sight of flags flowing backward, the pleasant wind hitting my face through the window, and my brother playing Game Boy next to me. Looking back, what seemed mundane then now feels incredibly beautiful and uplifting.

It's often said that photos can evoke memories, and the power of such physical and emotional connections is well-documented. However, even without visible photos, the experience of taking (or being taken) a photo at that time and place can significantly impact one's future self. This realization, while reflecting on this question, suggests that the act of taking photos holds profound meaning for the individual, independent of others' views or evaluations. Perhaps this is a realization everyone in today's world, including myself, should embrace.

However, since then, family outings have ceased, which is a bit sad to recall.

I don't currently engage in photography that requires pristine images or efficiency, and even in street photography, I often intentionally slow down the shutter speed or use extreme aperture settings for pan-focus, so I rarely seek high-performance equipment. 

All the cameras I use are second-hand, with a first-generation and a digital , making it a long-lasting choice that even SDGs would applaud. What matters is the tactile feedback and whether the product provides satisfaction worth owning, even at a cost.

However, I might have some preferences regarding lens focal lengths. I aim for compressed imagery by minimizing unnecessary elements and prioritize stealth to avoid being detected by subjects due to my style. Thus, I often find standard lenses too wide. For the F3, I use a 105mm prime lens, and for the XT2, I use a telephoto 18mm-135mm lens on APS-C size, rarely using anything else. In street photography, 50mm or wider lenses are common, and I initially used standard lenses, but as I refined what I wanted to express, I eventually settled on medium telephoto lenses.

For the past few years, I've been consistently fond of the folk musician .

While they may not be creators per se, the strongest influences on me are Keiichiro Hirano, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Saul Leiter. 

Keiichiro Hirano's renowned theory of dividualism fascinated me, and I deeply resonated with his discourse that affirms the vague existence of individuals living in society. Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go' is a personal favorite. As for photographer Saul Leiter, I became a fan during his second exhibition in Tokyo, which caused a minor boom. Without the impact I felt then, I might not have continued capturing unnoticed street photography as I do now.
Additionally, I am constantly stimulated by contemporary street photographers, both amateur and professional.

, . Also, a massive telescope capable of seeing Saturn, or a Polaroid.

Street photography on days other than cloudy ones.

Until recently, I was a terrible person who criticized all mass-oriented content, but I suddenly realized that it's pathetic for an unwise person to do so, and I stopped.

If I had to say, it's people who escape the essence by contrarily denying the mainstream. That's me.

Yahoo Auctions.

I often shoot people's feet at a shutter speed of 1/30 and an F-stop of 16.
For digital photos, I adjust them in RAW afterward, but recently I've been experimenting with retouching to ensure consistency when placed alongside film photos.