Once again, I contributed a short message and some of my ongoing work to the “Lecturer’s Voice” section of the Tokyo Sogoh College of Photography brochure, where I lead a seminar.
While the content is simple and tailored for incoming students, it clearly reveals what I personally seek through the act of creation and expression. It made me realize that even after more than 20 years since my own graduation, my core principles remain unchanged.
The creative act is akin to offering up a piece of one’s soul. At first, you may hesitate, unsure of to whom or how that piece should be delivered. However, there is no need for these questions to have definitive answers. Goals are often vague, and the path ahead is frequently obscured. Yet, the strength of photography as a medium lies in its ability to allow us to move forward despite such uncertainty.
Even if you aren’t sure what you want to capture, you keep your hands moving. You go out into the streets. You meet people. Through this continuous cycle of movement and observation, you will inevitably encounter a subject that resonates with your sensibilities. At that moment, the subject will demand from you a specific distance, a precise angle, and a rigorous frame.
In this process, “action” and “movement” are what guide the photographer. The more intensely the creator focuses on the subject, the more a dimension emerges where the self and the object become inseparable. This is the creation of a new space through photography—one might even call it a “photographic public space.”
What I want to convey in my classes is the importance of deeply understanding how such spaces are formed and finding one’s own unique coordinates within them. I believe that if, through the act of creating, you can grasp—however vaguely—where your soul currently resides in this world, that realization will serve as a vital bridgehead for the rest of your life.