Preserving the Present for the Future | 10 Questions for Photographer Kento Hirasue | ISSUE #10

Born in 1997, I am currently based in Setouchi, working as a photographer. I also work as a barista at Kinoshita Shoten. My personal expression mainly involves capturing landscapes and people, proposing what should be preserved for the future in the present moment.

I started photography in my third year of junior high when my grandfather gave me a camera. As a boy who loved plant and animal encyclopedias, I initially took pictures of the natural scenery around my grandfather's house. Later, I captured moments spent with friends after school.

Looking back at those photos now, they all become 'nostalgic photos'. Each moment has become a cherished memory.

In my creative activities, I have a preference for shooting exclusively with medium format film. My grandfather had a film camera, which made me somewhat familiar with it from a young age. The photos captured on 6x6 medium format film are very vivid, straightforward, and have a pleasant aura.

Since my student days, I have been using a second-hand HASSELBLAD film camera. I found it at a second-hand camera shop in Oita, and the previous owner was also a student like me, which felt somewhat fateful. I love the sense of a living story that comes with a used camera, having passed through many hands.

I listen to music where instruments like acoustic and piano take the lead. I particularly enjoy the calming music of Haruka Nakamura and Hideyuki Hashimoto.

Designer Kenya Hara. He focuses on Japanese aesthetics and works with diverse ideas. Hara conveys the parts I see intuitively through precise words and design. I want to learn from his approach to convey the relationship between the Setouchi region and Japan, as well as its historical charm, to enhance my creative activities.

I have a strong affection for my current HASSELBLAD, so I haven't thought much about it. If I had to choose, I think it would be interesting to take snapshots with a GR 35mm film camera.

The beautiful moments of everyday life. While it's possible to create situations, I take photos with the mindset of finding moments in daily life that I want to capture.

I don't particularly think about it.

Honestly, I don't quite understand what is considered cool or uncool.

I don't buy clothes often. I tend to keep it simple. If I want something, it's clothes from i a i /居相. I once had the opportunity to see the real thing, and they are so powerful that it's almost intimidating to wear them. They disregard trends and pursue the essence, reflecting the creator's intent.

It's more about the distance I like when taking photos.

When photographing people, I often shoot from a very far distance or at 2.5 meters. While there's a technical aspect of achieving a balanced distance with a medium format camera, observing people from 2.5 meters has made me feel that this is a comfortable distance between the subject and myself.