Beyond Perfect Shot
There is undeniable beauty in a meticulously composed photograph—one where light is captured with precision, and every element is carefully arranged to create the perfect shot.
But rather than controlling time, I prefer to embrace the fleeting moments where reality overlaps and unfolds. I let the world speak for itself through my lens.
What draws me in is the interplay of light and shadow—the way they shift and transform through reflections, transparency, and overlapping layers. A single moment never exists in isolation; it is always an intricate fusion of past and present, light and darkness, surface and depth, the seen and the unseen.
What I seek to capture are these layered complexities—the reflections on a glass surface, the silhouette behind a curtain, the shimmer of light on a rain-soaked street, the intersection of humanity, nature, and artificial structures. The world is never static; it is an ever-evolving tapestry of perspectives, textures, and meanings.
I do not reject precision or composition. But what fascinates me more is the moment where intention and chance intersect, where something emerges that could exist in no other way. Photography is not just a documentation of landscapes or subjects—it is an act of preserving the fleeting intersection of light, time, and perception.
And this is not confined to a single place—it is a universal truth. Everywhere, the world is built upon infinite layers, each one concealing a new perspective. To discover and capture these hidden fragments, I press the shutter. ■
My Camera and Approach
Compact, Without Compromise
I have a desire to document fragments of what happens in the streets through street photography. For that reason, the most important factor when choosing a camera was portability. It had to be small enough to fit in my pocket, so I could carry it anywhere and shoot at any time. At the same time, it needed to deliver a level of image quality I could be satisfied with.
The only camera that met both of these conditions was the RICOH GR III.
In particular, the Snap Focus mode allows you to shoot instantly at a preset distance, ensuring you never miss a moment. When I feel the urge to capture something, I can press the shutter without hesitation. That sense of speed is essential in street photography. The fixed 28mm focal length also feels just right. The more I use it, the more naturally this angle of view fits with how I shoot.
I’m not someone who is obsessed with gear. What matters most to me is what’s happening right in front of me—the light, the shadows, the coincidental layers of reality. For me, the act of photography is about documenting those fleeting moments as they are. Smartphone cameras continue to evolve, but I often feel that their software-based processing prevents them from truly capturing what I see. I want to record light as it appears in real life—nothing more, nothing less.
To me, pressing the shutter comes before any concern over gear. That is the most important act in photography. For now, I’ll continue using the GR III to capture what unfolds in front of me. ■
“What the photograph reproduces to infinity has occurred only once: the photograph mechanically repeats what could never be repeated existentially.”
-Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida, Chapter 1 “The Difficulty of Studying Photography”
View my GR III custom settings for street photography
K｜The Tokyo Snap
Tokyo Based Photographer
