Photographic Words - Japanese Photographers -
みなさんこんにちは、FRAME TOKYO のKYOSUKEです。変わらずお元気でしょうか。
突然ですが、FRAME TOKYO は11月をもって2周年を迎えることになりました。これも皆様のサポートのおかげでございます、本当にありがとうございます。
新たな周期に突入したと同時に始まったFRAME TOKYOの新しいプロジェクト、TOKYO GUIDE。こちらはFRAME TOKYOメンバーが東京23区を撮影したフォトブックなのですが、なんと写真だけでなく撮影場所の住所まで記載されており、見る人自身がその住所を頼りに同じ場所へ訪れ自分の写真が撮れるという、今までにない全く新しいフォトブックとなっております!!
TOKYO GUIDED の使い方
How to Use TOKYO GUIDE as a guide book
写真と住所が載ってるので、写真集としても、ガイドブックとしても使えます!!
You can use as a both photo book or guide book!!
僕もこの企画を聞いたときは目からウロコでした。なぜならこのように写真集を楽しむことができかつ、自分でそこに行き同じ景色を見て、自分の写真が撮れるような体験型のフォトブックはありそうで今までなかったからです。日本に住んでいる方のみならず、海外在住の方は特に、東京へストリートスナップをしに訪れた際にはもってこいのフォトブックです。価格もなんと200円!! 一部70ページ越えのボリュームでかなりお得です...!!!
是非FRAME TOKYO のウェブサイト、FRAMETOKYO.COMをチェックして見てください!! よろしくお願いいたします。
さて、今回の記事ではストリートスナップ界の偉大なる写真家たちの言葉をこの場を借りてご紹介したいと思います。今はネット時代なので、図書館に行って本を読まなくてもインターネットで調べてみると、たくさんの素晴らしい写真家の言葉を見ることができます。
写真家の言葉に触れると、彼らがいかに写真と向き合っているかを知ることができるので、今後のスナップにもつながると思います。今回はたくさんの言葉の中から個人的に日々肝に銘じている写真家たちの言葉をピックアしそれぞれの個人的な見解をまとめてみました。ちなみにこの記事では日本の写真家の言葉を、次回の記事では世界の写真家の言葉をご紹介したいと思います。
とっても長くなってしましましたが、お時間あるときにでもゆっくり、この記事を読んでいただけたら嬉しいです。
Hello everyone. I am KYOSUKE. How are you guys doing?
First of all, this year marks the second anniversary that FRAME TOKYO has been created, and I would like to appreciate every supporters. Thank you so much for supporting FRAME TOKYO.
This November, our new project called, " TOKYO GUIDE," has started. TOKYO GUIDE is a photo book / guide book that is composed with over 50 impressive photos taken by FRAM TOKYO members at Tokyo 23 wards and specific addresses show shooting spots of each photo. Therefore, users are able to visit places on the photo book using address on the book, and take own photos using own special sensibilities.
When I have heard this idea from FRAME TOKYO members, I was shocked because I thought the idea was really good and it was going to be a new photo book we have never seen before.
Because basic photo book has normally only photos and captions. So book users are able to just enjoy looking at photos. However, TOYO GUIDE provides such joyful experience plus physical experience that users are able to visit sites on the book using listed addresses and shoot photos.
This book is for everyone, especially street photographers, and I recommend photographers who live in the world and have plan to visit Tokyo to shoot to have TOKYO GUIDE. The book is only available for PDF format ( because PDF format is much more convenient and helpful) and available on our website, FRAMETOKYO.COM. Also is really cheap!! ( Just $2=¥200!!) I hope you will be able to check it out!!
Now I would like to share this article's theme. This time, I am going to share many great words from greta Japanese street photographers . Today is very convenient because we can generally know what we want to know by just googling. We have a great internet technologies. So we do not need to go to libraries to find great words of photographers.
I believe that knowing photographers words and their thoughts about photography is significant and they will affect your photos in the future. I hope you will be able to get something from this article. Let's get started!!
森山大道
Daido Moriyama
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1: 「量のない質はない。 写真の場合はまず一枚撮る、さらに一枚撮る、そしてまた一枚撮るというねずみ算的なショットのつみ重ねが量になり、そしてその量がハンパじゃなくなったとき、その中から質が生まれてくる。その量と質が結局、その人の欲望の正体であり表現の形なんです。」(森山大道 昼の学校、夜の学校 p 150)
" There is no quality without quantity. For photography, quality is created when you take large number of photos like shoot, shoot again, and shoot more. The quantity and quality of photography represent your desire and your expression. " ( Daido Moriyama Afternoon School and Night School, p150)
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街にある様々なモノや人を撮り尽くす写真家、森山大道のすべてを表すような、有名な言葉です。森山大道は普段街でスナップする際に、とにかく無の状態になり自分のコンデションや5感のセンサーをフルに使いながら欲望（自分の気になったモノ）をすべて撮るそうです。調子が良い時で1日に数千枚も撮られるそう。。量をこなすとその分自分の撮りたいモノや写真へのこだわりが増していくと僕も思います。
森山大道の「量のない質はない」とは様々な考え方で捉えることができますが、僕なりの解釈だと、とにかくたくさん撮ってその写真たちが良い写真かよくない写真か、何故そう思うか、もっと何か撮れるかもなどなど...考えながらたくさん撮り、次へ次へと行く前進する姿勢が質につながる、ということだと思います。ただ単に沢山撮ってそれでおしまい、ではありません。沢山撮ったあとその写真を見て自分はどう思ったのか、何故撮ろうと思ったのかなど深く研究する。沢山撮りつつ沢山自分と葛藤し更に撮ることによって質の良い（自分らしい）写真につながるんだと思います。僕も「量のない質はない」という言葉を教訓の一つとして、毎日自分と戦いながら量をこなすようにしています。
Daido Moriyama's word, " There is no quality without quantity, " is a very famous word that represent Daido Moriyama itself, who always capture everything he wants to record on the street, in street photography world. Daido is know that he usually shoots street photos using his full of 5 senses and his mental / physical conditions to capture his desires. It is also famous that Daido shoots over 1,000 photos a day... I have same idea with Daido that we all are able to get our photos better if we take a lot of photos with passion of photography.
I think that we are able to describe Daido's word, " There is no quality without quantity, " with some different ways , but I personally interpret Daido's word that it is important to think / analyze photos and shoot photos as many as possible simultaneously. Also it is important that always having a passion to improve photographic skills and your own code( your theme and concept of photo or things that you want to capture ) is significant.
Some of people may misunderstand that we can just shoot whatever as many as possible, then naturally we can improve the quality of our photos. However, I think that it is totally wrong. A thing that is important is that you should always analyze why you wanted to capture a moment that is on your photo, and what did you feel about your photos after observing your photos.
I strongly believe that we could take good quality of photos if we simultaneously analyze, ask ourselves and shoot as many as possible.
I also try to do that in every time when I shoot and observe photos. Daido's word, " There is no quality without quantity, " is very important word for me.
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2: 「表現したい自分がいるということは、自分が世界が発するさまざまなメッセージを聞こうとすることでもあるし...つまり、カメラを手段として自分自身を燃やしていく、自分にあるさまざまな欲望なり願望を明らかにしていくことだと思うしね。」(森山大道 昼の学校、夜の学校 p 88)
" It feels that having myself to express is also trying to listen to the various messages that the world sends out ... In other words, the various desires and desires that I have to burn myself through the camera. I think it's about clarifying desires we have. " ( Daido Moriyama Afternoon School and Night School, p88)
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こちらも「量のない質はない」で自分の写真＝自身と対話しながら量をこなすと、自分の無意識に眠る何か（本当に撮りたいもの）が見つかる、ということと重なりますが、森山大道は写真を初めて間もない頃から、写真で何が可能か、写真とはなんだろうかという究極の問いをずっと考えていたそうです。そして写真で一体何を燃やすことができるか＝写真を撮ることによって何を本気で成し得ようとしているのか、ということを真剣に考えていたそうです。
この言葉から僕は、自分がカメラを手にしたことはライトな出来事に見えて実はとても重要で運命的なことで、さらにストリートスナップを本気で続けているなら、自分はストリートスナップで一体何をしようとしているのか、という撮る事の本質を本気で追求しなくてはいけないと気付かされました。写真を続ける意味や理由は人それぞれなので、それぞれの思いで写真をしていればそれで良いと思いますが、僕は本気でストリートスナップというものが好きなので、(この場では長くなるのであえて理由は言いませんが) ストリートスナップで自分は何ができるかを常に真剣に考えています。
思いに違いはあれど、この森山大道の言葉で一つ共通することは、夢中になること。夢中になると何か自分のしたいことが見えてくる、そんな素敵な言葉だと思います。
This is also a great word of Daido Moriyama. I feel that the word's meaning is kind of repetitive of the word, " There is no quality without quantity, " but what I would like to share is that Daido has been always thinking seriously about what he is able to attain by photographing and what is the essence of photography since he has started his career of street photography.
From that word, I thought that a thing I got my camera was a destained thing, and I should think seriously of how and what I can do by photographing like Dido because I love shooting street photography.
I learned from Daido Moriyama that being into something clarify what I want to do, and it is really important for street photography.
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3:「撮り続けるからこそ見えてくるものが必ずある」(森山大道 昼の学校、夜の学校 p 149)
" You will be able to see something you have never seen if you keep shooting. " ( Daido Moriyama Afternoon School and Night School, p149)
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こちらの言葉も「量のない質はない」と重なりますが、少し違うのは何があっても止まらずに撮り続けなさい、ということだと思います。スランプや写真が嫌になり写真から離れたい時期は誰しもあると思いますが、そんな時こそ難しく事を考えずにただ撮り続けると、今まで見えなかった何かが見えてくる、という言葉です。
僕がParsons というNYにある美術大学で建築デザインを学んでいた頃、難しい課題やプロジェクトに圧倒され、すぐに新しいアイデアを生み出せない自分の未熟なデザインスキルの質に躊躇し次のステップに中々進めず、完全にストップしてしまうことが多々ありましたが、その時の教授が僕に下記のアドバイスをしてくれたことを今でも鮮明に覚えています。
「どんな困難があろうと、何があっても作業を止めてはいけないよ。身体が動けば脳も動く、それに作ったものから新しい発見や解決策が生まれる可能性は大いにあるからね。」
どんなに辛い状況にいたとしてもとにかく続ける、そうすると必ず新しいことに繋がるということは、当たり前のように聞こえますが非常に重要なことです。継続は力なり、とは正にこの事ですよね。
This word also describes that photographers should take photos as many as possible, however it seems that Daido Moriyama also says that photographers should keep shooting even if they have some difficulties that they can not take their photos. I think every photographers have experienced being in slump which they can not take what they want to express / capture. Even I have experienced like that and I totally understand that it is too tough. But I got a sense that I will be able to get new perspectives that I have never had before if I keep shooting anyways.
When I was learning architectural design at Parson School of Design in New York, I always got so many complicated assignments and projects, and I remember that I usually overwhelmed for such difficult assignments and disappointed by myself how my design skill was terrible. Therefore, I was usually stuck with coming up with brilliant ideas and solving issues in my design project, and I could not do anything like I could not keep making models. However, I strongly remember that my professor gave me a great advice below,
"You should keep working even if you have any difficult problems and are in tough situations. There are so many possibilities that you will discover new things and be able to get through your issues from what you have made. Just keep thinking and making. "
It seems that it may be too general that you keep doing something you need to do even if you are in tough situations. However, I thought it is really important for street photography, especially when you are in slump. Let's just keep working!
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4:「まぁ、カメラで日記をつけるもんなんだ」(森山大道 昼の学校、夜の学校 p 60 )
" Anyway photography is like writing a diary. " ( Daido Moriyama Afternoon School and Night School, p60)
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この言葉実は僕のお気に入りの言葉です。（笑）
写真を撮ることとは、実は作品と呼ばれる素晴らしい写真を作ることではなく、自分の身の回りに起こる、自分の心が反応した瞬間やモノを素朴に、純粋に撮る,、記録することであり、手帳に思ったことや何かを気楽に書く=日記を書くのと同じなんだという言葉です。
今はインスタグラムなどSNSに撮った写真を誰でも簡単にかつすぐ投稿出来、更に誰かから簡単に評価を貰える時代です。SNSが存在していなかった数十年前の写真家たちは、自分の写真を他人に評価してもらう為の手段として、コンテストに応募するか、プロの写真家へ見せに行くぐらいしか無かったと思うので、それに比べるとはるかに便利で素晴らしい時代になったと思います。
しかしこの"評価"に実は気を付けなくてはいけないと思います。
評価されること、 いわゆるコメントや「いいね」をたくさん頂く、沢山のユーザーにフォローされることは勿論嬉しいですし、沢山の方から評価されたいという気持ちは僕含め誰しも持ち合わせているという事を前提にお伝えしたいですが、僕はSNSにポストした後の評価ばかり気にしながらストリートスナップをするのはどうなのかなと個人的に思いますし、評価される為に自分の興味＝コードから外れた、いわゆる皆んなに評価されそうな”今流行りの写真”を撮ることや、ただカッコいい”作品”を撮る為に肩に力をいれて背伸びをし、結果撮れずあくせくしたり撮る事を止めてる写真家を良く見かけるので、それはどうなのかなと僕個人的に思います。評価を気にするということは周りを気にするということ。つまり評価ばかりに気を取られていると自分を見失い自分らしい写真が撮れなくなる、という事に繋がるからです。(但したくさん「いいね」が貰えなかった=自分の写真が視聴者に伝わらなかった、自分が何を伝えたかったか不明確だったなど、自分の写真に問題点がある場合もありますので、そこは自分の写真を更に良くするために、日々写真と視聴者の反応を研究する必要があると思います。）
勿論本気でストリートフォトグラファーとしてグローバルに活躍したい、素晴らしい作品を日々作りたい、ビジネスなど何かの理由の為にいいねやフォロワーを沢山貰いたいなど、人それぞれ思うことは違うので否定はしませんが、僕としても森山大道の考えと同じで、写真は自分の身の回りに起こる日常の記録でしかないと思っている節があるので、全くもって全ての写真がカッコよく、独創的なもの、沢山いいねが貰えるような写真でなくてよいと思って撮影を続けています。
自分の感性に身を任せ常にリラックスし、気になるものをサッと、普段目を瞬きをするように、また毎日の日記を書くように写真を撮ると、不思議と自分の撮りたいものだけを撮影する事に集中でき、結果面白い写真=他の人には無い自分らしい写真が撮れるのかなと思うからです。さらに結果（いいね、コメント、フォローしていただく）はその後に必ずついてくると思うからです。
例えば何の変哲も無い道端の雑草の写真を撮るにしろ、「今日はとても晴れていて散歩中地面をふと見ると、草表面を沢山の光が照らし美しく光り輝く雑草に感動し、ただシャッターを切った。」という具合に日記に書くように写真を撮るだけなんです。雑草の写真を見て沢山の人からいいねが貰えないかもしれない。でも自分が確かに感動して、その雑草がたまらなく好きでだから撮った、僕はそれで十分だと思うのです。SNSにありふれた、いいねが沢山貰えそうで今風な、似たような写真を撮るより、確かに自分が映ると思うからです。評価をあまり気にせず、日記を書くように気楽に撮影、SNSにポストすることは、案外今のSNS時代には重要なのかもしれません。
Actually, this word is my favorite one in Daido Moriyama's words.
I interpret that this word tells us that photography is not about producing greta works like photos in exhibitions, and it is to purely just record / photograph things what we are moved in our lives, like very close for simply writing a diary.
Today is SNS era, and everyone are able to post photos on Instagram or Facebook and get feedbacks from viewers very easily. If we think about a time when we did not have such a great tools, like few decades ago. I guess most of photographers needed to see other photographers or join photo competitions to be evaluated how their photos are good or not. If we compare with nowadays and few decades ago, we are able to say that today is much convenient than the time we did not have SNS. I think that SNS is a great tool that we are able to improve our photographic skills and become a good photographer.
However, I would like to say that we should care of evaluations from someones.
For instance, it is really nice if we get many likes , comments and new followers, and everyone included me have some kind of desires that we want to be evaluated from someone.
However, I personally think that it is not really nice to make works ( take photos ) to think about evaluations that you will get after you post photos on SNS. Moreover, I would like to say that we should not be influenced by getting likes and followers and stuck because you can not take photos that seems you will get many likes and followers.
To care about evaluation means to care about others. In other words, if you are distracted only by the evaluation you will get, you will definitely lose yourself and you will not be able to take unique photos.
Of course a lot of photographers include me conquer to get many followers for business and become a world street photographer. Therefore, I do not want to criticize people who care getting likes and followers. However, what I would like to say is that we should more think about photos what we take and we should trust ourselves rather than thinking like how we can get more likes and followers.
I also think that photography should be like writing a diary, like shoot whatever I want to without thinking about someone's evaluations. I have totally same idea with Dido Moriyama. Therefore, I always think that all of photos what I take do not need to be cool and impressive like photos on famous photography collectives and do not need to be a good photo that I can get many likes and followers.
Believe your sensibilities and always relax and try to be into shooting what you want to capture quickly and naturally like you are blinking eyes or writing your diary. Then you will be able to get photos that only you can take, and you will be able to know what you want to express.
I believe that you will get many followers and likes after you really got what you want to do with your photography. Again, it is totally ok to think about evaluations from someones, such as getting many followers and likes. However, I personally think that knowing own photography is much more important than getting likes and followers, and even if you could not get many likes and new followers after you post photos, it is totally fine if you loved your photos.
I am going to give you an example. I always carry my camera anywhere because for me, shooting street photos represent my life, and as I mentioned before, I think taking photos is same as writing diary. I take photos what I felt interesting, touched and impressed when I am anywhere.
Let's say I found a weed that was shined by bright sunlight on the corner of sidewalk, and I felt that even though this was just weed we could see anywhere, I felt that the weed was so powerful and beautiful, and I really loved that. Therefore, I just shoot the weed.I think this is what I want to say.
I really do not always think like, " Ok, I am going to shoot really cool photos that everyone would love, " and I strongly believe that it is totally enough if you are certainly moved with your discovery and shoot whatever you really want to capture rather than shooting something that are out of your interests with your hight expectation like you may get many likes and followers while shooting. I feel It is important to just shoot what you what to shoot without thinking about gaining likes and followers in nowadays, when we can easily share photos and get evaluations from someones.
荒木経惟
Nobuyoshi Araki
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「朝、目が覚めたらバルコニーから青空を撮る。眼を磨くんだよ。毎朝はを磨くみたいに」
" Take photos from the balcony after woke up. Hone your eyes like brushing teeth every morning. "
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世界のアラーキーでお馴染みの写真家、荒木経惟の素晴らしい言葉です。朝起きてすぐにみなさんは何をしますか？大抵の人は携帯に溜まったチャットやニュースやSNSを確認しますよね。
荒木経惟は朝起きてすぐにする、そういった何気無いことと同じように、目覚めたらすぐにカメラを持って自分は起きてすぐに何を思ったかを撮影する＝常に心と眼を磨くことが重要だという言葉だと思います。
空が綺麗だった、雲が不思議な形をしていて面白かった、花が生き生きとしていて感動したなどなど。普段見過ごしがちな些細な事を発見し、それらに心が動く事を感じる訓練が常に必要であると、この言葉を見て気付かされました。
This word is made by Nobuyoshi Araki, who is one of famous Japanese photographer and known as a genius photographer. I am curious what you typically do after woke up. I think most of people check emails and SNS in the bed every morning first. But this word seems to tell us how important to photograph something you felt after you woke up soon = hone your sensibilities and eys that are able to catch everything you feel interesting.
When you look back yesterday, I think you had many interesting moments or things you have moved. For instance, it may be that the sky was just simply beautiful, clouds in the sky were very unique shape and interesting and flowers or plants were so powerful...etc.
I learned from Araki's word how I always practice recognizing / feeling the moment when I was definitely moved or impressed with something and finding tiny things that most people overlook everyday.
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「わたし自身が写真だ」(AERA Mook 2『マスコミ学がわかる。』（朝日新聞社，1994）P53)
" Photography is myself. " (AERA Mook 2『マスコミ学がわかる。』（朝日新聞社，1994）P53)
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自分自身が写真とは、どういうことでしょうか？僕も数年前にこの言葉を見たときはしばらく考えたのを覚えておいますが、僕なりの解釈だと、ストリートスナップにおいての写真とは自分の反映したものだという事、すなわち撮った写真に自分が映る＝写真は自身だということだと思います。
自分が生まれてから今まで経験したことや記憶、欲望など。自分を取り巻くもの、自分という人間を作る要素全てが撮る写真に繋がるということです。だから自分が変われば、写真も変わる、自分自身が写真なんだということだと思います。
自分が変われば写真も変わるという考え、面白いですよね。だからこそ常日頃自分自身を磨いたり、自問自答したりすることは、ストリートスナップにおいても人生においても必要思います。
What do you think about Nobuyoshi Araki's word, " Photography is myself, " ? I remember that I have considered when I have seen that quote like what that word's meaning was.
After I deeply have thought about the meaning, I have got a sense that there are a lot of personal elements, such as conscious / unconscious desires, photographer's character, life, situation, health conditions...etc on photos what photographer takes, and we could be say that photography = reflection of photographer.
I personally think that photos I take are strongly connected with myself because photos are composed with my memories, experiences, desires, things I like and hate... etc. So if something around my life changes, I would say photos would be totally different things compared with photos I have ever taken until now.
I thought it was really interesting how photos will change if I change, and that is why it is important how I need to look, believe and ask myself everyday, and I have learned from Araki's word.
まとめ
Conclusion
大変長くなってしまいすみません。（笑）今回の記事では偉大なる日本の写真家の重みある言葉を集め、彼らの写真論に触れてみました。改めてお伝えしたいのが、人それぞれ全く違った考えを持っているので、ご紹介した言葉に共感する必要は全くありません。こんな考えもあるのか程度に受け取っていただけたら嬉しいですし、逆に何か感じていただけたら嬉しいです。
写真を日々撮り、学び、経験していくことは言わずもがな重要ですが、ストリートスナップ界で活躍された/現在も活躍されている写真家達の言葉や写真論に触れ考えることもまた重要だと思います。現在はネットがあるので、検索すればすぐにたくさんのことを知ることができますよね。この記事を読まれた方で気になる方がいれば、是非リサーチしてみるのもオススメです。何事においてもそうですが、写真にも答えはありません。自分の写真に対する考えを見つけてみましょう。
最後まで読んでいただきありがとうございました、引き続きFRAME TOKYO をどうぞ宜しくお願いいたします。
FRAME TOKYO KYOSUKE
I apologize that the article got so long, and thanks for reading!!
This time I tried to collect many great weighty words said from great Japanese street photographers and share how they are thinking about photography. Again, I would like to say that everyone has different perspectives and thoughts. Therefore, you do not need to follow and understand what I have shared here. However, I hope that you got something about photography from this article.
I always think that it is really important to know how great photographers like masters are shooting and think about their photography ever thought shooting everyday, learning form your photos or friends photos and experiencing new things are also important to improve your photo skills and sensibilities. Today we have internet, and we always get great sources and info what we want to know anytime anywhere, so I recommend you to research more deeply about photographers you want to know in your fe time.
There is no answer ni photography and Let's find the essence of your photography.
Thanks for reading, and hope see you soon.
FRAME TOKYO KYOSUKE