Edit: Thanks so much for your continuous support and feedback, I really appreciate it! For all the folks 'offended' with the title Moriyama talked a good bit about not looking through the viewfinder, a clear reference is made on the book 'Daido Moriyama: The World through My Eyes', published in 2010. Which is why the contradicting visual reference at minute 3 and title in the past tense exist, to incite healthy discussions and critical thinking. Also, Don't be like Tatiana & use MPB 😂 tinyurl.com/k67as8mw And big shout out to my friend Chris for helping with the Japanese translation, check out his channel with some cool insights: www.youtube.com/@ZoneFocused/videos
Back in the early 80s, I pulled an art photography prank in which I would, using zone focusing, close my eyes and wait for interesting sounds on the streets of New York City. I would then, without looking, point the camera and shoot. Some of the resulting images turned pit to be amazing. Taking this concept one step further, I handed my camera to a blind friend who then captured really amazing images. Everything went fine until the so called critics discovered how the images were taken. They got indignant, which was the whole point of the exercise. We had a good laugh and actually sold a number of prints to Andy Warhol who expressed delight at giving the establishment a good poke in the eye.
Case to say Dan, haters are going to hate, period. I think it sounds pretty cool and I would love to try that exercise myself, would be so cool to see. I think anyone who considers themselves as engaging in any creative activity, cannot and should not, in my eyes, be closed to new possibilities or ideas, should never make fun of, constantly critique or even berate others. Because the art world is big enough to include everyone and all sorts of workflows. Classic case of people will always criticise what they cannot understand.
I think what we need to understand is that a photographer identifies the unusual in different ways… and, important to note too, curating your work IS photography too. At the end you use the same trained eye to find that “interestingness”.
One little correction: Picture in the 6:06 is by Yutaka Takanashi. (Funabashi City: Health Center, 1965, from the series Tokyo-jin (Tokyoites) - Yutaka Takanashi) Awesome presentation. Thank you for the great work!
It’s photography like this that gives me confidence and courage. I can’t help want to edit my photos every time I watch your videos, T. So inspiring!!!!
I’m so glad the videos leave you inspired and motivated to carry on with your work, that’s amazing and I’m glad they can be helpful, thanks so much for watching!
Excellent...Pure WOW. The grit, the real, and the everyday world turned into our own recognizable reality works for me. Thanks for putting this together, along with the music to match this assault on all our senses.
What a wonderful video. Really didn’t know much about his work but in berlin next week and saw they had an exhibition of his work at the c/o Berlin. Having not heard of his work before I was particularly interested but now I’ve seen your video I’m definitely going!!
As a fellow no viewfinder shooter, I've got to say it's kind of like using an optical finder where the frame lines are the digital image. When I hold the camera out, I have 2 eyes open. I can see what's going on around the frame, and my frame can be anywhere - eye level, waist level, around a corner, touching a puddle in the street, inside a confined space. I'm not limited to only my perspective ever. I find it nets me a different kind of image, one where I work a scene more because I'm not capturing my personal perspective but an ideal one instead. ✌️
Thank you so much Tony! I’m so glad the video resonated with you, if I may be honest and say so I do agree with you one of my best editings and videos. Appreciate the comments on the sponsorships!
I've been waiting for this video! Daido is my all-time favorite photographer not only for his images but for his anarchistic philosophy about photography and breaking all of the rules of the Western photographers. I also respect the hell out of how he brushes off gear snobbery: "I've always said it doesn't matter what kind of camera you're using - a toy camera, a Polaroid camera, or whatever - just as long as it does what a camera has to do." ("How I take Photographs" 74) [a book I can't recommend enough]. I can't remember the video/ interview, but I remember him paraphrasing this quote and saying something along the lines of: it doesn't matter if you are using a Leica or a Polaroid, *you* shouldn't be a slave to brands or to your gear, that you, as the artist, should be the master of your tools. I've been waiting for it to cool off down here in the South before taking my cameras out, but watching this is really making me itch to get out there; especially wanting to run some B&W through a point and shoot.
One of his most perfect moments was his decision to stop shooting Polaroids for a long time (despite him having stockpiled boxes and boxes of film) was because Polaroid found out about him and sent him a free camera and film. He said his polaroid went into the bin immediately and he picked something else up. Wonderful dedication to working exclusively on his own terms.
Sweet Jesus, why are there always these comments implying that when others purchase something expensive it is because they are wanting to project superiority or snobbery, as you claim. That thought has never crossed my mind even once. When I buy an expensive camera-tool it is because I want to try and see what the effect of it is on my photography. And this is precisely what all photographers are doing. Other photographers I speak with say exactly this. I have never, ever met a photographer who takes photographs so he can judge others and put them down by showing off their expensive camera. Your belief that you know what others are thinking is pure delusion. Your words reveal a lack of confidence in your own capabilities. You want to manipulate people into thinking you are superior to these other photographers by implying they are ruled by money and you are not. If you would stop worrying about feeling superior to others and judging them silently or verbally, and get down to improving your photography and marketing skills you wouldn't even waste any more time on this sneaky attempt to cover up what clearly must be your own inner sense of not being good enough. So get that chip off of your shoulder and keep taking pictures and mastering the editing process and mastering sales and how to get noticed. Stop worrying about status in the hierarchy. If you truly believe your work is good enough but you aren't getting noticed then that indicates that you need to master the marketing skills that get you noticed. Aha, but wait, that's when you will find out that creating art is the easy part, marketing yourself is a much, much more difficult art to learn and the one that most artists forgot to learn about. If you don't have the stomach for rejection then just do this as a hobby. Rejection is the norm but once a person learns rejection is to be expected most of the time it just bounces off like it's nothing and then one learns to look in the mirror and say what am I doing wrong? Why am I not connecting? What is the actual process of connecting?
Maybe you overestimate the „not looking through the viewfinder“ aspect. For me it is not about randomly taken photos that are made in the darkroom. It is more about „shooting from the hip“ with small cameras like the Ricoh GR. You kind of learn, what the camera sees and don’t have to look, it kind of becomes an extension of your hands. With DSLRs, he seems to often use the viewfinder as seen in the photo you’re using, where he takes a „Selfie“ with the woman in front of him before a mirror.
Also, the majority of his really famous photos are taken with SLRs and half frame cameras. It's not until the late 90s, and early 00s that point and shoot, and polaroids start showing up, and they are not his best work. Because people are lazy they reshow the same shots of him using a Ricoh GR Digital, and Ricoh GR film cameras, but these are not him taking the famous shots we know. Plus, those cameras are not cheap like the video says, they are extremely high end cameras with very sharp lenses, and a capable of very professional looking photos. He would also Xerox many of his prints, so you have that element too, so a lot of the shots that influence people are a result of photocopying as much as anything else. His look is mostly a result of how he shoots, develops, and prints like most film photography. The internet is full of bollocks videos like this regurgitating nonsense.
Thanks Tatiana, another beautiful and evocative video. Daido Moriyama is a genius IMHO. He's been called the father of Japanese street photography but he's much much more than that. His work shows that the need for sharpness, lack of grain and high resolution are not always needed to produce a wonderful body of work. Thanks again!
I love Daido Moriyama and all that he has done for photography. This is a fantastic video about the man and his outstanding art. The timing couldn't be better as we are getting an exhibition of his work at the Photographers Gallery.
Oh cool! What a timing well maybe some people will leave the exhibition wanting to learn more of this work and perhaps they might find this video :) Thanks for watching Carlos!
It is now in Berlin until September 6th. A fantastic exhibition, was just there two weeks ago. The catalog is great too, the prints are high quality and do his bw work justice!
Just came back from Berlin and the Daido Moriyama : A Retrospective exhibtion. Definitely worth travelling there just to visit the exhibition! If you have the chance I recommend it, 10/10. It will be in Berlin until Sept 06 2023
Hello from Japan 👋 I’m very happy to see Daido on your channel as a Japanese viewer. Thank you so much for making this video! Always love to watch your great video essay!
Hello! Thanks so much for watching all the way from Japan! A country I want to visit as I really appreciate your culture and love many classic Japanese filmmakers :) all the very best!
I see Daido Moriyama, I clicked, I watched. Awesome video, Tatiana. His work from past to present keep on inspiring many people including myself. Only recently though having moved from Asia to Europe, I noticed his style of photography is appreciated differently in the west compared to the east. In the west (Europe/US), the appreciation is mostly all about aesthetic (gritty, raw). Meanwhile in the east (East Asia, Southeast Asia), we tend to appreciate and have understanding of the whole story/journey in the photographs. Even among photographers, his method of taking photographs is appreciated differently. But again, I think Moriyama's method of taking photographs is subject to a diverse range of interpretations, shaped by cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and artistic preferences.
Idk see what that has to do with the west? I know he from Japan . But that's how he took pics . I don't see what correlation between country / continent have the anything to do with it
@@Moodboard39 What I was trying to highlight is how different cultural contexts can shape how people interpret and appreciate his work. It's fascinating to observe that while his photography is appreciated globally, the specific elements that resonate might vary based on cultural backgrounds. For example, in the West, where I'm currently based, there's often a strong focus on the aesthetic aspects like the gritty and raw qualities. On the other hand, in the East, where I'm originally from, there tends to be a deeper exploration of the stories and journeys behind the photographs. It's not about saying one perspective is better than the other, but rather how individual experiences and cultural influences can lead to diverse interpretations of his art.
Echos of an Adam Curtis documentary in your intro (and later). Fantastic. You let your choices for video and music montages in your videos speak for themselves, but these elements add something special to your work - something tantalising to process in the background, and I wanted to comment on that aspect of your work with this video, because it is so well done. It doesn't distract me from your narrative, but its so well done that I wanted to focus on that with this video. Thanks once again for an inspirational piece of work.
Thank you so much for your comment in this but also in all the other videos I’ve been reading them in sequence, I appreciate your kind words and willingness to share your thoughts! Wishing you all the best and hope you keep checking in with the channel :)
Thank you so much Cole! I appreciate your comment and I’m glad you did comment as I love knowing people’s feedback and opinion even when it’s positive, I just like to see how the videos affect people and what they’re thoughts are. Keep commenting and I’ll keep them coming, we have a deal eheh :)
Another interesting video. My compliments. Usually I'm not that impressed by what women think or what women make. They simply do not have the strength and passion that men have; they have different (great) qualities. But I will make an exception for you. I'll definitely be checking out more of you. I haven't seen your photos yet. So my compliments only concern your videos, which are wonderfully made, and your ideas.
Bending at the waist and extending an arm has given my photos a refreshing "angle" I couldn't accomplish looking in a viewfinder (lying on the ground and getting dirty). Shooting at the waist,knee,or off the top of my shoe yield sharp images for my further processing. Sometimes a few takes are applied, but static objects usually don't mind the time. lol At 68 with Photoshops help I have fun making images I am proud of.
I’m not sure if I agree that his participation only starts when reviewing the exposed film. He had to be sure made choices to point the camera and trigger the shutter at particular moments.
Would you ever make a video about that crazy Czech(?) guy who built his own cameras and took muddy photos of unsuspecting women? He's an interesting guy
I’ve made a video in the members community where I mention an article and my views on his images. Tragic story when you read more into it, I believe you’re mentioning Miroslav Tichy :)
I would love to know how you got the footage in the intro and rights to the song! I'm really trying to learn how to make wonderful intos like yourself!
Moriyama is a league of his own. His gritty black and white work still resonates with me, despite when it was taken. We need to brink magazines like “Provoke” back to photography. I loved the start with Screaming Jay Hawkins as well!
Thank you for introducing Daido Moriyama on your channel, I really like his style of photography - "Are(roughness)", "Bure(shaky)","Bokeh(out of focus)". Now then, Tatiana! you will lack the finishing touch, if you won't show us Nobuyoshi Araki. He is always compared to him and much more provoktive.
Tatiana, as ever, your documentary work is excellent At photo college in the 1980's I found Daido Moriyama's work dark and difficult to understand and now, nearly 40 years later, I still do! But that is probably a good thing!
Yeah absolutely, I think yours is a valid thought, definitely something that works within his photography gear and constrains I think would be much harder and I personally wouldn’t do it with a 300mm (but that’s because I would like to double check before blindly shooting)
Love this so much, he is definitely a very different photographer not my thing but I appreciate his insights and yours! Also that MPB ad you should keep on channeling you inner Wes Anderson it was mint 😂
I'm a great fan of Moriyama and have some of his books. Nevertheless, that was a excellent potted history with some unique ideas. Also, the best MPB ad ever!
@@garyisaacs6526totally understandable but at the end of the day it’s a brand that has helped me make the channel more sustainable so I can dedicate more of my time to it and you can have more videos to watch in a free platform, its the way economy goes and makes it sustainable for everyone :) (I mean this respectfully, not in a sarcastic way)
I get what you;"re saying but at the "end" of the day I wish you had placed the plug at the "end" of the video where it would have seemed less of an "interruption" . . . I guess that's what you call a backhanded compliment . . . . you could call it a "style" thing, again, "at the end of the day" who gives a shit about "analogue" or "digital" and stuff like that ? people can talk all day about making photographs but it really just comes down to who has "good taste", or "taste" that one finds compelling and the rest is basically "content" perhaps worth no more than to the extent its "monetized" .. .
Put off watching this since it was released, because I didn’t want it to impact my own video on Daido. Glad to have finally viewed it since putting my own out. Good as always. Cheers.
Daido Moriyama actually did a gallery/presentation of his works in Downtown Tokyo T3 Photo Festival in Tokyo...hoping he will come back this year since although Im not a B/W type of guy theres someting special about him that sets him apart from other artists in Japan. thanks for a great coverage :D
Could you do an episode about Shoji Ueda? His surreal style is absolutely fascinating. I come to believe some of Pink Floyd's album cover was inspired by Ueda's work.
Provoke and the limits of language are a field-theory of photography ✘ “In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true is true or becomes true, within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the mind there are no limits.” John Lilly
Another perfect video, Tatiana! I love it when you create these mini docs/photographer profiles ❤ Last year, I managed to attend the Daido exhibition that took place here in São Paulo, and it was impeccable. Your video reminded me that I need to buy the book related to the exhibition hahahahahha
Thanks so much for watching my friend and much love to São Paulo! Glad you were able to see his work in real life, I still have to do that, would be so cool, thanks for commenting and now go grab that book eheh
I love it when "don't give a damn" "photographers" just get book after book published like water everywhere. Nice presentation on this artist. It's interesting the different ways the voice over pronounces photography, photographer, and photograph.
That was brilliant … and the MPB bit a la WA alone was worth the price of admission … well done. Thanks so much for this excellent video! More inspiration for me to continue my X100V monochrome adventure! 📷🙂
Glad you enjoyed it and was inspiring for you to carry on with your own journey, have fun! Ahah thanks I think there will be more segments like this coming 😅 all the best!
Hello Tatiana, great video. I love Moriyama and all related to are-bure-boke. I think when a photo has this friction can express or represent better feelings and emotions, like a stitch in our brains. In other words, I'd say, "I love Jazz but sometimes I need a little of punk in my life" :-)
That’s a great way of putting it and definitely what I felt with this video and reading about Moriyama. I love jazz but I definitely needed a little shake and punk in my life 😅 thanks for watching!
Hola! Yeah I felt that the gritty in your face imagery could work well paired with the dramatics and screaming of Jay Hawkins ahah Best to Spain! Congrats to your girls for winning in the football!
Some of the best explanations of his work I've ever heard. But I respectfully argue he did use the camera viewfinder much of the time. It's clear from the pictures of him working in this doc but also from the many compositions that come together with intentionality that could only be executed with a viewfinder or LCD screen. Even if just a glance.
Yeah I completely agree, I feel like there is a certain degree of participation and consciousness even looking through the LCD screen. I quoted his reasoning but I didn't elaborate on it because otherwise the video would be too long but I would love to discuss it more in detail! Thanks for watching David!
Another profound, educating, inspiring and entertaining video. You have become an excellent docu producer. While portraying exceptional photographers you reflect on photography with profound knowledge and unique artistic style. Thank you for your wonderful work. Have you produced the MPV ad? Its kind of ‘quoting’ Wes Anderson?
My favourite photographer ever. Daido is just so romantic with the art of photography and his philosophy regarding desire and moments resonates with me.
