油野哲弥 who goes by the name Haunts_ is an Instagram photographer & avid Ricoh GR3 user based in Tokyo, Japan. He has recently released his 2nd photo book「街熅れ」that is available to purchase from the link below should you be interested.
This is my most difficult interview to date. Partly because your style (I think) is so very similar to my own and partly because I have spent a lot of time in Japan & Tokyo, this body of work almost feels as if it could have been my own. With that in mind I will try my best to explore where those similarities may come from.
David - You take a lot of photos, it puts me to shame how many you take. Where do you get the time and inspiration to shoot so much?
Haunts_ - Most of my photos are taken within a few miles of my home. Almost every weekend, I take a walk with my camera. Selecting a subject is a sensory part, but I concentrate on my eyes so that the texture, light, and movement of the object's surface catches my eye.
David - I have always been intrigued by Ricoh GR users, clearly the camera is beneficial for your workflow but could you explain how?
Haunts_ - I think that it is very important to take a picture of what you see at the moment you see it in street photography. The GR starts up quickly and is small in size, making it perfect for street snaps. In addition, I feel that this small size is excellent in the sense that it does not give passers-by a sense of intimidation when shooting in the city.
David - I stole this question from another interview and in all honesty may use it more because I think it is an important one. What part does the viewer play in your images?
Haunts_ - When a photographer presents a landscape as a photograph, it is an act of forcing the photographer's point of view on the viewer. I would like to present scenery that cannot be seen from the viewer's point of view by presenting the scenery that the viewer cannot see just by walking around the city in his daily life. I think that the photographer and the viewer exchange their gaze and consciousness through the photograph.
David - In our conversations I learned you are from Osaka, a vastly different place to Tokyo. Do you think that impacts your view of the city and how so?
Haunts_ - Tokyo is the largest city in Japan, but I feel that the way it has grown is distorted. I think that this distortion becomes more visible when you move from a metropolitan area other than Tokyo. I hope that I can express such a sense of incongruity in my photographs.
David - I have my own reasons for shooting in black and white but I would love to hear yours? Was it a conscious decision or something that naturally happened?
Haunts_ - I consciously shoot in black and white. The amount of information that "color" has is enormous. I believe that black-and-white photography, in which "color" is removed from photography, allows the viewer to focus more on the shape, texture, and light of the subject. I would like to shoot by selecting subjects that make those things stand out more.
David - I would give anything to have time to document more of Japan (it is a fascinating place). Here in Thailand life is as it was. A strange but beautiful thing to see. How has Covid affected Japan, is there a before and after?
Haunts_ - It's a tough question. At first glance, it doesn't seem like anything has changed. On the other hand, I don't think I'll be able to go back to before Covid. I think that something is broken and something is born. Your question made me realize that it might also be an interesting subject.
Thank you again for participating. As I write this am still eagerly awaiting delivery of your book.