Japan holds a special place in many photographers’ hearts for many good reasons. The most obvious of these is the fact that the country is the birthplace of popular global brands like Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm. So, it’s not surprising that Japanese photographers like Montreal-based Toshiki Yukawa think there are some Japanese philosophies that can help photographers arond the world get better at their craft. If you’re looking for a different kind of photography inspiration, today’s video is worth the watch.
Toshiki shares five philosophies from his culture that he believes other photographers can benefit from. Not all improvements to your photography are technical. A lot about creativity and drive to create stem from either changing or cultivating a certain mindset. He also notes that if you’re also learning Japanese, you’ll essentially kill two birds with one stone from this video.
Some of the philosophies that Toshiki shared may already be familiar to you if you’re already into Japanese culture. Kaizen, for example, stands for “change for the better” and is a reference to Toyota’s Kaizen business method. In the context of photography, Toshiki interprets this as whether you take good or bad photos, you will always come across points to improve, and change for the better as a result.
Do you agree that these Japanese philosophies can also apply to making you a better photographer? Share your thoughts in the comments below, let’s start a discussion!
