Photo Roulette

an essay by Yoshino

Photography has been a part of my life for almost two decades now. It's a medium in which I feel comfortable. When I'm shooting, I know my voice, who I am, and what I want to express. Yet, each time I return to it, I rediscover the magic, which reminds me that creative endeavors have no end. We all possess the ability to create, and perhaps we can continue to do so even in our departure.

Throughout this journey, stealth shooting has evolved from a mere technique to an intrinsic part of my creative process. It's a dance between intuition and spontaneity, where the camera becomes an extension of my senses.

My recent sojourn in Buenos Aires stands as a testament to this. In the pauses between writing sessions, I sought solace in the city's streets, my steps in sync with the metropolis's pulse. The smallest of cameras, discreet and unassuming, were my companions, allowing me to capture life at its most candid. This method of shooting is my personal game of chance—each click a roll of the dice, each image a mystery until it's revealed to me in the solitude of my lab.

Discipline has always been my foundation, providing order amidst chaos. Yet, it's the disruption of this order through self-imposed challenges that truly invigorates me. The perpetual motion of travel has been my crucible, forging resilience and versatility within. Each new place I inhabit for a month becomes a cycle of adaptation—a familiar routine embraced and then cast off as I transition to new unfamiliar grounds. The unpredictability of photo roulette mirrors this rhythm, reflecting the broader ebb and flow of my transient existence.

The images that meet the eye in these photographs are unrepeatable moments, each frame a melding of chance and choice. 

Are they happy accidents? Possibly—but there's intention in the act of capturing them, a deliberate embrace of the impromptu.

The individuals in these images are strangers to me, yet through my lens, I've engaged with their silhouettes, grazing their narratives. Each photograph conducts a silent exchange, a fleeting convergence of paths. This transient mingling with the myriad stories of strangers is the allure that repeatedly draws me in. My journey is marked by these interactions, each leaving an indelible imprint, not merely on the image but within me as well.

This collection before you represents the sum of innumerable such instances—pieces woven from both the accidental and the intentional. These photographs, the progeny of my wanderlust, are conceived from curiosity and serendipity. They capture the beauty in life's unpredictable storylines and serve as a reminder that sometimes the most profound tales are those we encounter by chance. This realization is what offers me solace and embodies the true essence of adventure.

---