passion to capture with the way it is / Kai Kiuchi
by Hiroki Yanagisawa on December 5, 2009 3:19 PM
Kai Kiuchi／木内 海
When you look at Kai's works at a first glance, you may sense a touch of femininity on them. "Yes, I admit it and I think that's because I tend to capture the objects with the most natural form." Plus, a characteristic of Kai's shooting style supports this analogy. He is not a big fun of using extraneous lightening when shooting. He loves to capture with the way sun provides its light source. "The other reason for this preference is that I'm still learning Lighting 101." Kai adds, with a bit of hesitation.
Kai's background tells why he has come to acquire such an unique shooting style.
When you look at Kai's works at a first glance, you may sense a touch of femininity on them. "Yes, I admit it and I think that's because I tend to capture the objects with the most natural form." Plus, a characteristic of Kai's shooting style supports this analogy. He is not a big fun of using extraneous lightening when shooting. He loves to capture with the way sun provides its light source. "The other reason for this preference is that I'm still learning Lighting 101." Kai adds, with a bit of hesitation.
Kai's background tells why he has come to acquire such an unique shooting style.
His first exposure to the world of still image came from a book by Ruiko Yoshida, a photo-journalist who were based in Harlem, New York City, in 1960s. He had come across with her works when he was traveling to New York City in his sophomore year of Keio University. "When I first read it, I was rather interested in her lifestyle --pursuing whatever you are interested in with a full commitment-- than her photographs." Since then, whenever he backpacks around the world, his auto-focus camera was a travel mate. But still, photography was considered as one of his hobbies back then.
After graduating from Keio, Kai joined Mitsui & Co., Limited, one of the biggest trading companies in Japan. During the first a few years, he was putting 120% effort on his work, frequently missing the last train (working past 2400). Later, he realized that he needs to do something besides his work. His answer -- attending a photographers' school. At the age of 26, he was exposed to the technical and semi-professional world of photography, being acquainted with jargons like Diaphragm, shutter speed, etc.
As Kai builds up his interests in photography on the hobby-end, he began considering studying the Master of Business Administration at the company's expense on the work-end. As he gathers prospectus from the business schools in the US, he personally requested prospectus from photography schools in the US.
Upon receiving all the documents, he laid all the documents on the floor, and finds out that his passion towards photography wins. As its consequence, he ended up quitting Mitsui and enrolled the graduate school of the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
At the the School of Visual Arts , he was surrounded by professionals and managed to witness and feel the work of top-notch photographer's.
Upon the graduation in 2004, Kai spent 3 more years in New York City as a freelance photographer. He returns to Tokyo in 2007 for new opportunities and currently, he has clients from many magazine publishers.
As a half-Chinese and an alumni of Yokohama Yamate Chinese School, a Chinese-Japanese bilingual school located near Yokohama Chinatown, he also commits on the Chinatown Project. The project is all about capturing a true face -- something not to be associated with a typical images of dining-obsessed Chinatown -- of people living in the town.
"My ultimate goal is to establish "bases" in 3 cities -- Tokyo, New York City, and Shanghai. Hopefully, this Chinatown project will be an initiator to connect Shanghai and Tokyo." Kai responds with confidence when asked about his future goal. Well, this is no surprise. He concluded the sentence with the following. "If you put your minds into it, you can pretty much do anything you want."
Additional images are available at his website.
NAME: Kai Kiuchi (木内 海)
EXPERTISE: Photoshooting.
BASED: Currently, Tokyo. To be expanded to Shanghai and New York City
If you wish to contact Kai for project opportunities, please contact via edgyjapan.jp.
After graduating from Keio, Kai joined Mitsui & Co., Limited, one of the biggest trading companies in Japan. During the first a few years, he was putting 120% effort on his work, frequently missing the last train (working past 2400). Later, he realized that he needs to do something besides his work. His answer -- attending a photographers' school. At the age of 26, he was exposed to the technical and semi-professional world of photography, being acquainted with jargons like Diaphragm, shutter speed, etc.
As Kai builds up his interests in photography on the hobby-end, he began considering studying the Master of Business Administration at the company's expense on the work-end. As he gathers prospectus from the business schools in the US, he personally requested prospectus from photography schools in the US.
Upon receiving all the documents, he laid all the documents on the floor, and finds out that his passion towards photography wins. As its consequence, he ended up quitting Mitsui and enrolled the graduate school of the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
At the the School of Visual Arts , he was surrounded by professionals and managed to witness and feel the work of top-notch photographer's.
Upon the graduation in 2004, Kai spent 3 more years in New York City as a freelance photographer. He returns to Tokyo in 2007 for new opportunities and currently, he has clients from many magazine publishers.
As a half-Chinese and an alumni of Yokohama Yamate Chinese School, a Chinese-Japanese bilingual school located near Yokohama Chinatown, he also commits on the Chinatown Project. The project is all about capturing a true face -- something not to be associated with a typical images of dining-obsessed Chinatown -- of people living in the town.
"My ultimate goal is to establish "bases" in 3 cities -- Tokyo, New York City, and Shanghai. Hopefully, this Chinatown project will be an initiator to connect Shanghai and Tokyo." Kai responds with confidence when asked about his future goal. Well, this is no surprise. He concluded the sentence with the following. "If you put your minds into it, you can pretty much do anything you want."
Additional images are available at his website.
NAME: Kai Kiuchi (木内 海)
EXPERTISE: Photoshooting.
BASED: Currently, Tokyo. To be expanded to Shanghai and New York City
If you wish to contact Kai for project opportunities, please contact via edgyjapan.jp.
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