Eco Project: Dried Baby's Breath

Unexpected Hobby: Dried Flowers

Last year during the pandemic I picked up a new and frankly unexpected hobby.

Dried Flowers

Embracing feminine energy

Why unexpected? Generally speaking, my hobbies and interests are on the masculine side. I used to spend countless hours practicing parkour, I enjoy climbing rusty buildings to get to the highest point, my favorite subject in school was P.E… you get the point.

Once the pandemic commenced I became an unprofessional hermit. Yes, I was frightful to go outdoors especially as a New York dweller and was afraid to get a friend sick. So I stayed inside for most of the days. On the flipside this also made me appreciate what I usually take more for granted. One of those things was the flowers growing out on the streets, in the park. Maybe the creative in me was looking for a new adventure, but this further appreciation for flowers led me to venture into making dried flowers and pressed flowers. This pandemic allowed an opportunity for me to step a little more towards my feminine energy.

After some months of experimenting I purchased some baby’s breath from a local market and successfully made a dried edition of them after two short weeks. It was quite a simple process. Now it adds a lot of home and photo joy into my life. The wonderful part about these dried flowers is that not only can they make soft home decor but they also serve as reusable photo props! When I say reusable, believe me they last unless you smush them, please refrain from doing that.

Go longevity.

The following are some photos created with them. Enjoy!

All of the photos are taken on medium format film, Portra 400.

The models are my good friend as well as phenomenal model Tenzing Kalden from MMG.

Any questions? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.

Cheers,
Masumi

Eco Project: Passive

The Fabric: Abandoned Curtain to Photo Prop

Once Thrown Away

I believe that the lifespan of an object rests in the eye of the beholder.

Last November when moving out of my apartment, I noticed that my roommate had left behind his curtains when he moved out a few weeks prior. Sensing that an opportunity to reuse them will later come along, I brought the curtains to my new location. As anticipated, the beginning of this year found a chance to repurpose the curtains for a photo project. I am glad to report that after a combination of time, cutting, and sewing, the curtains ended up serving as the main aspect of my most recent shoot. In fact I was fortunate to use them for a few other expressive photos, but the main purpose was for the project which you will see in this post.

So you may be asking: “What did you do with the curtains?” Well, I took the two to three curtains and turned them into one long, approximately 25 foot strip of fabric. After hours and days of cutting and sewing by hand, the curtains, once thrown away became a nice and sturdy strip of fabric. When I tell you that the estimate length of the fabric is about twenty five to thirty feet, it is because frankly I haven’t measured it. What I do know is that it’s long enough to span an entire room.

The Representation

Passive

Why is the project named passive?

Let’s discuss this photo project.

Ever since reaching the age of thirty I have been appreciating more deeply the opportunity to simply be alive. One thing that has been fascinating me is the undeniable reality that nobody knows what our individual lifespan is. What most of all know is when we were born and how old we might be today, at this moment. What we will never truly know is when we will pass, when we will die. Or as some of us would say, when our end is. What makes this intriguing is the fact that most of us live every day, never knowing if today will be our last, or tomorrow, or in 50 years. We just live day to day, innocently, unknowingly.

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The long fabric to me is the representation of the length of our lives - we don’t know where the end is, but yet here we are doing what we do every day. We might be talking to a friend, brushing our teeth, daydreaming, dancing, crying, working, yet in every frame of our lives, there is that line. It is “just there”, quietly existing with us.

This line is passive.

Gentle, coexisting with us, passive.

Now for those who may be feeling uncomfortable reading this, this is not meant to bring up any fear. If though, it is raising anxiety in you perhaps this can serve as a wakeup call for us to live with a little more intention, a little more motivation, a little more honestly. To me, the passive line is simply an indication of where we might be in our lifespan, and I hope to simply breathe with it.

All of the photos were shot on medium format film with my still favorite Kodak 400. For more technical information feel free to drop a question below.

Big thank you to the wonderful model Tenzing Kalden with MMG.

Hope you enjoyed, more to come soon.

Masumi

Gender Bending

Greetings my friends!

Those of you who follow my social media such as Facebook or Instagram know that I have never photographed anybody nude. It has always been my worry that my model or client would be sexualized so I have always avoided it. This shoot for me with the kind and brave Shelby felt like it was the perfect entryway to gain comfort in photographing a nude body, because they were portrayed exactly how I see it, a wonderful body.

A body, meaning the beautiful physical carrier of a package of emotions, beliefs, hopes and dreams. Thank you for hiring me to photograph this wonderful message of gender identification. There are many things I want to share about this message, but I’d like to hear your personal experience with our bodies. Do you identify with the body you were born in? What personality traits do you carry that the general society does not welcome because of the body you have? I’m all ears, or eyes really.

Why do you think is the significance behind the green socks? :) I personally felt it was a wonderful touch to add to the message of bending genders towards one another.

See you again

Asuka

Double Exposure: Huijun

Portland is the closest feeling I have of “home”.

Many of you know how much I love double exposure creations. This is a throwback of one I made of my dear friend Huijun, someone I met back while living in Portland, Oregon.

She loves hiking - surrounding herself in nature and challenging herself to experience and see the world. The greenery inspires her, so it felt simply fitting to have a double exposure creation of her with the very source of her peace.

Asuka

Warwick Minimally

Some views from my drive up north to see the alpacas. As a natural wanderer, I could not help but make a random stop here and there to capture the beauty I witnessed out in Warwick, New York.

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Hope you enjoy.

Asuka

Alpacas

September was my birthday, so for the first time since the pandemic I decided to give myself a mini birthday trip.

As an introvert-learning ambivert (usually I just say introvert, but some of you may get it hehe), I naturally prefer to spend time alone. So was the case for my birthday, especially this year during the COVID-19 pandemic. I decided that this year, I wanted to take myself out on a drive go see what always elates my mind: animals. So I rented a car (with my fear because driving in New York can be scary for me) and headed up north.

The alpaca farm was located in Warwick, NY. The short birthday trip was beyond worth it. This particular farm had over 30 alpacas, some including babies that were born the previous week. They were all calm, curious and quiet. In fact this farm had many other creatures including dogs, cats, chicken, etc. A lovely farm. I got to touch one of them, and let me say, they are SOFT.

I hope to find myself back up in north. That trip calmed my heart, gave me a fresh breath of air and determination.

Asuka

Found More Photos from Taiwan: Part 1

Good morning to you :).

I hope you are enjoying a productive and relaxing day. Last week I discovered some untouched photos from my Taiwan trip and wanted to share with you some of my favorites from this “lost file.” All of these photos were shot on 35mm film. These photos are from my visit up to the Hydrangea Flower Field in Taiwan, Taipei.

There were a large number of families, couples, and groups of friends visiting to bask in the beauty of the flowers and trees. I may have been the only person visiting alone, but when you travel solo often it isn’t a concern. As you can see some of them allowed me to photograph them. My favorite photo is on the very bottom. Explanation will be given below!

This photograph which you see here is my favorite photo from my entire trip. After visiting the Hydrangea Fields I took the bus to explore nearby areas. This was on one of the hikes (that I went on with sandals, let’s celebrate shoe diversity). I remember reaching a random hill, and I caught this duo just about to walk down together. It was another hot & humid day in Taiwan, but the the views were dreamy and the winds, comforting. They two were quiet. Seeing that she was fixing her hat, I assumed that they had just taken a break and were heading down to continue their hike. Something about capturing that moment was wonderful for me. To see this duo, assumably a daughter and father spending time together when perhaps she has other friends to choose to hang out with, or perhaps she struggles to make friends and her father wanted to give her company. We will never know, and that’s the beauty of it.

More to come :)

Oregon Family: Double Exposure

Double Exposure: Family in Portland Oregon

The pandemic has given me opportunities to grow and explore much more about myself as a creative. Early on in the quarantine days I found myself with the opportunity to create a DE with a photo of Alison’s daughter. This project expanded as we added herself and her son into the double exposure extravaganza. The result is what you see in this blog today.

This was my first time creating art with the members of a family,. It felt very special, and am looking forward to making more once the virus is under control.

Tell me which one your favorite is in the comment section. I’ll be looking forward to reading your thought. :)

Asuka

Taiwan Minimally

Hello and goooooood morning again!

Here are some minimalist views that I encountered during my hikes in Taiwan. They were breathtaking, grounding and calming all in one package. Which one is your favorite? :)

As you can see, the overall greenery there was rich with almost a blue-green hue. It’s wonderful to understand how climate affects not only lifestyles but the very colors that surround us.

My favorites are torn between the last photo and the second to last.

A little about this last image though. It was on the left side of my hiking trail. When I saw it, it felt as if time had stopped. There was nothing but myself, these long grass, and the wind wisping through it. Funny how certain moments are engrained in your memory one it has made an impact on your life.

Have you ever experienced a moment like that? Tell me about it!

Asuka

Nonverbal Language: Hands

You guys.

It has been months. I’m assuming that nobody foresaw 2020 to look like what we are witnessing today. I had many goals to pursue this year. Some were personal, some professional. Instead of working toward these goals, year revealed a different challenge for me to face. This one I have never experienced before. There was a lot of time to focus on inner growth as well as self- healing. I hope you my friends are staying emotionally afloat, and have someone to reach out to when burdened. With the quarantine I felt better to refrain from posting any photography content just in case it made the process of being in quarantine more difficult for viewers. I am sending you readers a big and comforting hug.

Passage of Time

New York has begun to control the virus spread fairly well, so I have finally begun feeling more comfortable going outside and seeing a friend or two. The photos you see are from a birthday picnic with two of my close friends here in New York. I think they made excellent hand models. What do you think? :)

Trials in Communication

We met in Central Park and ate local food and cake from a nearby patisserie to enjoy the day. We played badminton and enjoyed conversing. It seems that most of us have become accustomed to wearing a mask thankfully. This mask-wearing practice is frankly the only reason I feel comfortable going out again. So if you are one of those who wears a mask here in NYC, I thank you deeply. Thanks to you, I can receive emotional relief.

Interpretation?

So the interpretation: I’ll leave it up to you. After all, art is heavily about what it means to you.

- Masumi

Chess, One Day

Hello lovely people :)

The other day I got to speak to someone who is a high level chess player. He taught me a bit about the chess world and also shared some chess basics. I learned that chess games can last about seven hours. To make each move you get a certain amount of time. As the game gets deeper you get more and more limited amounts of time to decide where to place your player. Hearing these rules reminded me of everyday life. We have a cute 24 hours every day, and at the start of our day we get to choose how we want the game to go and act accordingly with the goal we set in our hearts. If we were to say, "I want to improve at X today", within each hour we get to choose how to make that goal happen. 

What do you wish for today?

"I want to smile"

"I want to tell my family I care"

"I want to cultivate better friendships"

"I want to get out of bed today"

"I want to learn a new hobby"

"I want to love"

"I want to feel okay"

Mine is "I want to speak more clearly today."
Your want is valid and important, no matter how small it may seem. 
Let's get it my Instagram friends 🌟

Model: Esther Lam

Cheers,
Masumi

Internal Music: Picking Your Vibe

Let’s talk music.

Most of what we experience in life is interpreted internally. We make sense of what we experience through our own eyes, with our own heart. I believe that every person has their own special music genre narrating these moments that they encounter. The songs which play may vary depending on the day, but overall there’s a music style that vibes with a person’s life. For some of us, it may be a pop song, maybe others experience life with a bittersweet tune playing in the background, and for others perhaps rock, heavy metal music is constantly playing with each step they take. Photographers also have their own kind of interpretation of their life experiences, therefore have their own background music. They often express their own melodies through the images they create. Through their photos you can often hear the kind of song they hear. When you want to hire a photographer it is important to know whether the same kind of melody is being playing in each other’s life soundtrack.

There is something special when you find a photographer who expresses the significance of your life in the way you see it. You can think of it akin to somebody liking the same flavor of ice cream as you do: When somebody also loves your favorite flavor: caramel swirled vanilla with chocolate chip, out of the other 99 flavors out there, you don’t need to know anything else about your new friends. This person is now your best friend. Same favorite ice cream flavor: best friend. It oddly makes sense.

Having said that, sometimes you want to find a photographer in the way that you wish to see it. Some people struggle to see themselves as others do. Their life music may be melancholy but they want a photographer to show them, to become physical proof that their music can receive a healthy splash of vibrant, sweet tunes. We all have our own reasons for the music we love as well as the music we wish to try listening to. <3

So when you next look for your photographer, it is important to ask what kind of energy they are emitting through their photos. What kind of music is playing through their film, their lens? Does their photography emit fun energy or calm, tranquil energy? Does it express rebellion? Perhaps the brightness of living? Or does it make you feel sentimental and emotional? Do you feel warm and fuzzy looking at the photos, or inspired?

I’d love to hear what kind of music is playing in your life :)

Masumi

Painted Hills Destination Bridal

Before moving out east I went out to shoot Ai who turned her wedding dress into a tie dye work of art. The colors worked beautifully with the mountains of Painted Hills, Oregon. The morning of that shoot was beautiful. Nice and warm, the sun a little harsh but we made it work in our favor. The mountains were truly dreamy. Nothing like traveling to shoot!

Photos shot on both 35mm and digital.

California Wedding

A beautiful, peaceful and romantic wedding with a very kind & chill couple :)

Shot in Southern California.

Taken on 35mm film <3

Denver Minimally

Denver: Matthews

When in Denver Colorado earlier this month, I got to shoot on top of containers (we won’t talk about that) with my good friend Chris. What a feeling to feel the air up a little higher, and photograph your friend who recently caught on the photography bug.

Photos taken on 120mm Portra 400, developed at a new studio!

Mindy

A few weeks ago I took a stroll around Grand Central terminal with New York Dancer Mindy. Such a pleasure to work with this person. Can you guess where my favorite spot was out of this entire shoot? Hint, it’s for some strange reason, at a very minimalist area XD.

Images on Portra 160.

xo,

Masumi

Oregon Wedding

Sweet Oregon wedding for miss Charity and her sweet partner.

Weddings make me sappy. Sometimes they make my eyes water, especially when the couple is at the altar. The food is great to eat, and the cake always an extra reason to smile.

But it’s a nice kind of sappy, a nice kind of waterworks. It’s beautiful to me, two individuals making a promise of hope, commitment, friendship, understanding, endurance, growth together.

Images taken on Portra 160.

The Reason for the Taiwan Season

I can’t wait to travel for a shoot again.

XO

M Kat

Jinguashi 35mm vs. 120mm.

If there’s an idiot that decides to go hiking with two heavy cameras, huge backpack and no water, in flip flops, it’s me. I literally wondered if I was going to die in the intense Taiwan humidity. As you can see, life awaited me after this hike was over (and actually unaccomplished haha).

At a certain point during this hike by idiot Masumi I decided to photograph this beautiful view with both of the cameras I had with me. The 120mm Pentax and 35mm Olympus. The first is the 120mm, which you may be able to identify because of the quality, and the second is the 35mm. On top of photo quality you may notice a color difference, which is due to the two different films which were used.

Personally I actually like the overall aesthetic of the 35mm image more. Some of us value sharpness and quality, and there are others like myself who prefer the overall feel of an image. To each their own, and that’s the beauty of expression and art!

Which is do you prefer? :)

Cheers!

Masumi