Interview with photographer Kawasaki

When did you start photography

When I was in college, I joined a film camera club and started taking pictures. That club was a casual circle where everyone went to temples and walking spots in Kyoto and took pictures of the scenery and friends.
At that time, Instagram began to be popular, and it was around the time that taking pictures casually with a smartphone became commonplace, but taking careful photos one by one with a film camera had a special feeling, and I fell in love with photography even more.

After college?

I got a job at a completely different company from the photography industry.
I'm good at English, so I got a job at a company that runs an international conference because I wanted to make use of my language skills.

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What was the turning point after getting a job, such as “let's become a cameraman after all”?

Even after I got a job, I still liked photography, and even after that, I took photos on a daily basis, but I think the reason I really wanted to “make photography a job” was when I met a professional photographer who shoots at academic conferences.

When we worked together in the field, I was fascinated by the job of taking pictures of the atmosphere of the place while communicating with customers. So, I decided to become a photographer again.

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Become a freelance photographer as soon as you quit your job?

I thought preparation and experience were necessary, so I took the Sony camera α7 III that I bought when I was an office worker and spent all my time studying and practicing photography.

I went to talk to my favorite photographer, visited the shooting site, took pictures with people who work as freelancers, and took lots of pictures with models. After experiencing shooting many people, I became a freelance photographer.

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What made you fall in love with photography?

This is an old story, but when I was in elementary school, at my relatives' reception, they said, “Please be in charge of photography!” There was a time when I was given a camera.

I was happy about that, so I was excited to go around the table and take pictures. I also remember being called a “camera girl” by the MC.

I was happy that everyone smiled when I pointed the camera at them, and it was an event where I thought the feeling of releasing a shutter and “shooting for the moment” was fun. Cameras have been close to me since I was young, and I loved taking pictures and taking pictures.

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What do you think a cameraman needs

Depending on the purpose of the photograph, I think it is necessary to have the ability to imagine and direct the finish while combining various elements, such as the viewpoint of finding the composition and angle, and the technical ability to create light with lighting.

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Are there any genres you shoot a lot or are you good at

It's a picture of the corporate website. These are photographs of people, interior photographs, etc. used on job pages and profiles. When it comes to portraits, I'm good at capturing natural movements and facial expressions.

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Do you have any tips for relieving tension with portraits

There are also people who don't like photography, so I try to take pictures while talking casually and having them check the photos I've taken, such as “I'm taking it like this now, and it feels so nice.”

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Is there anything good about being a cameraman

A customer said, “I was able to take what I had imagined. I'm glad I asked for it.” “After all, professionals are different.” “All of the photos were more wonderful than I had imagined. Thank you very much.” It's something that makes people happy, isn't it? I can feel that my technology was useful.

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What kind of photographer do you want to be

In recent years, we have been forced to refrain from activities and events, etc., but I would be happy if we could increase the number of shooting events, etc.

I'm studying because I want to be able to propose photographs according to various perspectives such as design and marketing.