The Path Revealed Through Continuous Shooting | Photographer Mitsuru Wakabayashi | ISSUE #19

"I decided to leave the apparel industry at 30 simply because I didn't know the outside world," Mitsuru says. As a means to explore the world, he chose a working holiday at that time.

Thinking, "With a deadline of 30, I can't make excuses later, I need to act immediately," Mitsuru resigned on his 30th birthday and returned to his hometown in Kyoto. He spent a year saving money for a working holiday and decided to travel to Canada just before turning 31. Little did he know that the camera he picked up as a hobby would become the starting point of his journey as a photographer, Mitsuru Wakabayashi.

Living solely to save money was unexpectedly restrictive, and while searching for a hobby, a manager at his favorite coffee shop recommended the . He thought he would use the camera during his working holiday and decided to purchase it.

Initially, he posted daily snapshots on Instagram as a hobby. Although not anticipated, he was recognized as a "recommended user" on Instagram, and his followers grew to over 10,000. Posting casually became difficult, but it made him more conscious of Instagram as an outlet for his daily photography, driving him to continue taking photos.

When it came time for the working holiday, he chose Toronto, Canada, as his destination. It was an ideal place where he could experience fashionable culture close to New York and enjoy Canada's great outdoors. He continued his habits from Japan, capturing and posting local landscapes daily, living an exciting life. Upon returning to Japan, Mitsuru found himself lacking the desire to return to the apparel industry. "I returned to the basics of what I truly wanted to do," he reflected on his feelings at the time.

During this time, he received a photography request from a senior he often relied on. This was his first experience of photography becoming a paid job, and he felt the potential to live as a photographer. Things didn't go smoothly from the start, and there were times when he lived on the edge. However, as he continued to take photos, work requests increased, and the path to success as a photographer became clearer.

There was a photography request for Kyoto's Kifune Shrine, which changed the course of his career as a photographer. Kifune Shrine is a historic shrine dating back to the Heian period, and the photography held archival significance.

"When I reconsidered why I became a photographer, I realized I was just passionate about photography and kept taking photos. In an era where digital archives remain, I want to focus on taking and preserving photos without exaggeration," he reflected on his thoughts at the time.

Recently, Mitsuru held his first solo exhibition, 'Mitsuru Wakabayashi Photo Exhibition #01'. The exhibition, where films were displayed on a light table as if peering through a viewfinder, embodied the joy of photography and concluded successfully. As '#01', it marked the beginning of his creative activities, and the future direction is eagerly anticipated.

After his first solo exhibition, 'Mitsuru Wakabayashi Photo Exhibition #01', what thoughts does Mitsuru hold?

"Through this exhibition, I felt the importance of displaying printed photos once again. I aim to hold '#02', but fundamentally, what I do won't change. If I have time, I'll take photos, and if I have a break, I'll travel overseas with a prime lens in hand. Continuously taking photos and always carrying a camera won't change," he shared his future outlook.

Should he travel abroad, he is recently interested in visiting southern France, Portugal, and India. "I don't want to capture things that make me sad," he said, smiling as he expressed his desire to leave behind gentle, happy landscapes. We look forward to seeing the works Mitsuru continues to capture.