Capturing Moments in Daily Life | 10 Questions to masashi7069 | ISSUE #46

Born in 1979 in Shiga Prefecture, unexpectedly moved to Tokyo for work. Since 2018, I've been stationed in Bangkok, Thailand. Three years ago, during my solo assignment, I encountered my first serious camera, the Ricoh GR3, and have been enjoying photography in daily life, domestic travels, overseas trips, and business trips in Thailand.

Recently, I've welcomed a new Sony α7IV and have become fascinated with astrophotography. In 2024, I participated in a photo exhibition in Bangkok, invited by photography friends, and discovered the joy of printing.

I think the first time was around age 12 with a 'Fujicolor QuickSnap 24-shot'. Even though it was over 30 years ago, I vividly remember the number 24 and feeling disappointed that I could only take 24 shots.

While taking photos of landscapes and trains I liked during family trips, the film quickly ran out, and the photos didn't turn out as beautiful as those in magazines, so I didn't get deeply into photography.

Because it's not just capturing as is, but you can express the emotions of the moment through retouching and developing. During that process, it feels like I can return to that place and time, experiencing a second journey.

I'm enjoying snap photography and Milky Way photos using a telephoto lens with the Sony α7IV, which can't be captured with the naked eye. In Thailand and other countries, deciding where to go to capture the Milky Way has become a major factor in choosing travel destinations.

When overseas business trips continued, or when work was so busy that I was exhausted, I would stay home without going anywhere, including eating out. For me, even a walk is a journey, and now journey equals photography, so it's a time to rest away from the camera.

Though I always carry the RICOH GR3 just in case, I rarely have the opportunity to take it out during such times. Even if something is happening while walking in the city, my mind's eye isn't seeing it.

When my sons were born. Tears welled up when I heard their cries for the first time. They were so small and warm when I held them. I am only grateful to my wife.

Back then, I was taking videos with a smartphone or a camera whose name I can't remember, but if I could go back to that time with a camera now, I would want to take photos. Especially during the rapid growth until they were one year old, I would like to capture the best expressions appearing in fractions of a second by increasing the shutter speed and continuous shooting.

Encountering a Japanese person lacking imagination who was rude to a Thai staff member at an izakaya in Thailand.

They complained about receiving a different type of drink than ordered. The Thai staff asked them to come to the kitchen to verify, and upon checking, there was no issue. However, instead of apologizing, the customer began lecturing the staff, who likely weren't familiar with Japanese drinks, about how the temperature should be. As a foreigner living in Thailand, I felt a mix of apology and anger. I never want to become someone lacking such imagination.

Living in Thailand. Although I loved experiencing different cultures and traveled abroad a lot, living and traveling are completely different experiences.

Gradually, I've been freeing myself from the Japanese-specific mindset of how things should be, and life feels easier.

On weekday mornings, I buy hot coffee at a café in front of my office in Bangkok. My Thai is at a conversational level, but chatting with the Thai staff is very pleasant. After long business trips, they ask where I've been, and after returning to Japan, they ask how it was, always showing concern, which is comforting.

At the porridge stall I visit weekly, they remember I don't like offal, so they serve me the usual just by greeting. On weekends, I relax at a Thai foot massage shop I visit almost every week. The owner speaks English, so the conversation is more lively.

When I was interested in photography but didn't know what to do, I learned about Naoya Akashi, a photographer active in Bangkok, and joined his photo walk. I didn't have a camera at the time, so I participated with a smartphone. Learning about perspectives and compositions during street walks and seeing how others took photos was very educational.

Among everyone with large, heavy cameras, only Shu (@tzu2010) had a compact digital camera, the RICOH GR3, which was perfect for me, who wanted to travel with minimal luggage. After the photo walk, I immediately bought the same camera after seeing his work. Without meeting these two, my photo life wouldn't have started.

When I was in high school, I read 'Deep River' by Kotaro Sawaki. This book sparked my interest in travel, leading me to travel across Korea by ferry, traverse Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, and take train journeys in India as a university student.

There are many countries I want to visit someday, like Iran and beyond Turkey. I also enjoy his non-fiction works like 'Frozen' and 'The Undefeated', which delve into the inner lives of their subjects, influencing my love for mountains and boxing.