「君の足跡」写真展 / Exhibition

Went to the 「君の足跡」exhibition hosted by YUKAI HANDS Gallery today. Mainly went there for Ikoma Rina (生駒里奈) though, but Aoyama (青山裕企), photographer of Ikoma first photo book 「君の足跡」, happens to be one of my favorite portrait photographers in Japan.

Aoyama’s style is one of which people might consider as “fetish photography”, which was made famous by his works such as 「SCHOOL GIRL COMPLEX」, 「絶対領域」, and 「思春期」. Needless to say, I find Aoyama inspirational to my photography. I am not in complete admiration of Aoyama’s work particularly in his obsessions with 絶対領域, but I often look to him when I seek special angles and thoughtful framing in my portrait work.

「君の足跡」seems a bit toned down in terms of Aoyama’s personal style, and I get it. Ikoma, since her very beginning journey as a member of the 乃木坂46, was always considered as a sister figure to Aoyama, and that basically sums up the story here. The photos are filled with liveliness, as Aoyama takes the audience on a journey with him and Ikoma, exploring Ikoma’s growth into adulthood. The photos are clean, the story straight forward, and the whole journey without pretentiousness.

I can recommend this photo book to all the 乃木坂46 fans like me out there. The exhibition will end in a few days, but luckily we can still catch more of Ikoma in 「君の足跡」.