Sunday Edition: Yasuhiro Ogawa

PHOTOSNACK #235

Every Sunday, I reach out to photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.

Today, I am sharing with you the message I got from Yasuhiro Ogawa.

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Yasuhiro Ogawa

When I started photography in my early twenties, what I found most interesting was the fact that the images I really liked were taken without my conscious awareness. Looking through the negatives of the films I took during my journey (I was backpacking through Asia) I was surprised to find that the images I couldn’t recall the moments when capturing were sometimes quite interesting. On the other hand, the images I was confident would be interesting were actually quite boring.

I thought, ”What does it mean?”

Of course, not all the images I couldn’t recall were interesting. However, some “masterpieces” were almost always captured when I was not consciously shooting for “good images”. Images taken while in a state of losing my awareness (I’m a person who is often daydreaming), images captured while I was exhausted, or images taken when I was in a contemplative state just finishing the final shots of the film in preparation for exchanging film - some images I really love are curiously always on the thirty-fifth or thirty-sixth frame of the film.

It’s very difficult to avoid being mindful of capturing good images while on a shooting trip. But now I’m 100% sure that you have to be in a state of emptiness when shooting a good shot. I remember once reading an article about Henri Cartier-Bresson. In that article, he said, “Photography is just like archery. There is no need for a brain to press the trigger at the decisive moment.” I think he is perfectly right. Lose your self-consciousness, especially your ego. Then let go of your instinct. I believe emptiness is a key element when creating true art.

“One must go beyond technical skills in order to develop a true art with roots that lie deeply in the unconscious.” This is the word of the famous Zen practitioner Daisetsu Suzuki. I’m not a Zen practitioner myself but I totally agree with his idea. I always try to lose all consciousness of myself while shooting. Thus, when I’m shooting I walk and walk and walk until I feel my consciousness has melted. It’s an exhausting process, but I know this is the best way to approach my goals.

(The image I am sharing with you today is on the thirty-fifth frame of the film. I was in a contemplative mood while changing the film).

Yasuhiro Ogawa was featured in PHOTOSNACK #187. You can follow him on Instagram here.

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Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.

I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras.

I don’t ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever comes to mind when they think about YOU, the readers of this newsletter.

It makes their responses genuine and personal.

I hope you enjoyed today's Sunday Edition.

Until next time,
Tomasz