Photography

Except for dancing and singing, photography is the most mechanically accessible art form, with the advantage that public performance is not required.

I am a fan of simple, cheap, reliable, classic cameras. Rather than any particular format or technical specification, the most important quality of a camera is whether or not it is fun to use.

I mostly shoot FujiFilm because it’s easy to come by and relatively cheap where I live. I prefer shooting Neopan (ISO dependent upon camera, lens, and lighting, although I have a fondness for both Acros and Super Presto) and Velvia, but I can be content with any ¥100 roll of color negative film. I develop the B&W film according to the manufacturer’s instructions because I haven’t found any reason yet to deviate from the recommendations.

Editing is the most demanding step in taking good photographs. If every photograph is a new fact, the challenge is in deciding which of these facts are relevant.

I photograph wherever I happen to be: on a crowded street, on top of a mountain, looking through a microscope. Visual relationship trumps genre.