Hiroshi Sugimoto

  April 12th, 2022

Hiroshi Sugimoto

By: Connor Albaugh

            As we continue through these various blogs, I always learn something new. Wether it be a photographer's background, their style, or an impact they have had, there is always that one thing I take away that I deem meaningful for my own photography knowledge and improvements. We are nearing the end of an incredibly odd semester. This happens to be the second to last blog scheduled in this class and it seems like I typed the first one yesterday. For how weird this semester has been, it has flown by and I have been able to learn quite a lot about new photography strategies and about different photographers who all have their own unique touch. 

            With this being said, it is time to take a deep glimpse into another photographer. The photographer at hand here is not exactly the style that I try to mimic in my assignments and personal photography. He provides a different look upon photography by the emotion and detail he is able to express to his viewers. The photographer is Hiroshi Sugimoto. When I first saw the name, I was quite intrigued because I hadn't' heard of him nor have I seen his work before. Hiroshi is from Tokyo and was brought into the earth "in 1948" (Article #1). One of the first things he photographed happened to be"film footage of Audrey Hepburn as it played in a movie theater" (Article #1). These were taken in "high school" (Article #1). When I looked at his first photos, he was able to capture a movie all in one frame which is pretty spectacular. For being his starting photographs in the field of photography, they are very interesting to look at. The background, leading lines and the lighting all helped to make very good composition of behalf of the photos he took. Being so young and so new to such an incredible subject matter, his talent was only beginning. From high school, Hiroshi "received a BA from Saint Paul's University in Tokyo in 1970" (Article #1). He then "encountered communist countries such as the Soviet Union and Poland, and later West Europe" when "he traveled West" following his graduation from college in Tokyo (Article #1). His education didn't end here. Hiroshi also "received a BFA from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in 1972" and this had happened because he "decided to stay in Los Angeles when he visited in 1971" (Article #1). In this sense, he fell in love with the area and being that he was young, providing himself with more of an education would allow him to be more successful in the work force and in his respective title. Only remaining in Los Angeles for 2 years, New York had now become his new home in 1974 where he would relocated to (Article #1). But, "in 1976," this is where things would begin to get interesting. In this year, Hiroshi "visited the city's American Museum of Natural History for the first time" (Article #1). This was the place where he would gain a particular motivation and would later go on to publish two series which "were conceived between 1976 and 1977 and have continued to the present" (Article #1). Museums are very cool, and being that Hiroshi gained inspiration from the things he saw, something as simple as this was enough to begin the career of what we know now as one of the best photographers in his respective field. 

            Hiroshi and his ability to find his niche in the photography world through an experience he had in 1976 is quite entertaining. Having been to a museum, seeing the different sections and branches with different aspects like animals, staged environments, etc. that were reconstructed to showcase an event or certain mammal in history, for example, were quite cool to look at and analyze. But, I never thought such a simple building could provide a career opportunity for a photographer. Hiroshi knew when he stepped foot into the museum and took full advantage. Overall, his "works are made up of several series with each on being distinctive in theme" (Article #2). With museums offering more than enough objects or subjects to photograph, this made it possible for Hiroshi to be creative in his photography process. 

The museum was a good starting point for him and gave him momentum and confidence as he branched out to photograph other things he deemed to be visually captivating. His various series' included "cinematic interiors, of seascapes, and of dioramas from the American Museum of Natural History in New York" (Article #2). Now, the things in which he photographed are important, but how did he do it? 

Hiroshi "used a large-format camera and often exposed his negatives for several hours" (Article #2). This allowed him to "produce images with striking visual clarity that provided a mesmerizing meditation on the nature of time" (Article #2). These few sentences seem like a lot to handle in terms of determining some sort of meaning for the photos Hiroshi takes. Almost all of Hiroshi's photos are apart of a long exposure which masterfully "compresses long expanses of time into a single frame serving as a time capsule for a series of events" (Article #2). What one is able to capture during the time that the frame is open until it is closed is truly incredible. One may look at a photo like this and think that you could make such a photo of good detail and excellent technique 20-30 minutes when in reality they could take 2-3 hours of exposure. The idea of patience as well as the time captured throughout the image all occur to create a behind the scene storyline that only the photographer can depict clearly. Not only does it make one think, but it also allows the viewer to appreciate the diligence of a photography to capture a particular scene or object of the essence. For negatives that are seen in multiple of Hiroshi's photographs, it entails how much the light an image has as well as having a background that contains aspects that are very underexposed where it can reach of point of being completely black. Not only does this make an image stand out from other images, but can create a nice contrast between your focal point and particular background. 

            For example, the image that is displayed above happens to be one of the images Hiroshi has taken (Article #3). From a wide range of photographs that Hiroshi had taken as well as were included in the various series he has published, this stood out the most to me. As Hiroshi was notorious for his camera shots of dioramas, this seems to be one of the ones he was able to capture. For those who don't known, diorama is simply a model that utilizes 3-D figures to show something in particular. These are typically found in museums, which happens to be where Hiroshi spent a lot of his time practicing his style of photography. As I look at this photo, I have no idea how he created this or how he photographed this. This looks so realistic that it could be a random section of woods or it could be a diorama. When a photo is hard to find reasoning behind as to how it was orchestrated or taken, you know the photo is well done and executed. The overall composition of this photo is so intricate. There is so much to look at in this supposed forest or diorama that is a representation of a certain body of forest. The photo is black and white, which is one thing that Hiroshi makes apparent when you look at this photos. All of his photos, believe it or not, are printed in black and white. On behalf of the image itself, the lighting in this photo is one of many elements that stands out. The tree to the left of the center of the photo Hiroshi created caught my eye first. The light is placed in a good spot on and around the tree because you can see the ridges and dents on the bark of the tree while also taking the time to admire the detail of the various leaves, roots, dirt, and the rock surrounding the stump of the tree although no color is shown. On behalf of the background of the picture, the lighting is also placed so that there is a path of light which leads up to more trees which simply brighten the trunks and branches of the tree as they approach their canopy. Another element of this image that is well done is exposing negatives. For example, the tree behind the tree closest to the frame in the foreground of the photo has a dark stump and several parts of the tree are black while some are light because of the use of a shadow. Not only does this make this tree mysterious and only exposes certain pieces of the bark and lower half of the tree, this makes the elements with more lighting in the photo to pop and gives them more of an opportunity to be more focused. This is also done with a fallen log on the right side of the photo. The log is almost completely dark during this exposure of this particular environment which allows a spot on the ground behind the log and a pile of leaves in front of the log to have more of an emphasis. Having these dark elements really helps to bring out the more lit and well-exposed aspects of the photo to the viewer. Hiroshi is also able to develop a very ominous mood in this photo. The dark and light elements in this photo suggest to me that this part of a forest or woods are merely being exposed and lit up by the moonlight. While one travels from the foreground to the background, the dark elements hide the potential dangers that come with a woods like certain animals or people who may be lurking in the darkness outside of the moonlight and its ability to light certain areas of the forest. The focus is also very well placed as a viewer is able to see various textures associated with the bark on the trees, the weathered portions of a rock, or the background the seems to be never-ending because of the fog or light which makes the traveling through the background to make one feel uncomfortable as one doesn't know to suspect as the pass along a certain line of trees with little visibility. Last but not least, the position of the camera for this particular scene of interest is well placed. There is something about this image that makes it feel symmetrical and visually captivating. Having trees lined up from the foreground that lead you into the background is a nice touch, as there happens to be a dark side on the left side of the photo and a more lightened side on the ride side of the photo. The trees leading up to the background make for a good divide between uncertainty and being frightened by the mere fear of the darkness associated with the forest. The lightened side creates for a more straight forward idea of the forest as you were to move through it which creates a more comforting and open feeling as you can be more prepared for something to happen as opposed to being in the dark and feel like your surroundings are closing in on you. The simplicity of this image goes much farther than the mere fact that it includes trees and can be described as a forest. This image, for me, does an excellent job of bringing up past memories of my encounters with night life within the woods and how your imagination and conscious feeling can help to anticipate certain fears while also creates things that may not be there at all. 

            Hiroshi Sugimoto has such an incredible ability as a photographer and has had a huge impact on photography itself. Over the years, Hiroshi "has become one of the most critically acclaimed artists and photographers of his generation" (Article #2). This is a high honor because it shows how successful he as been able to be on behalf of his unique style of photography. He has received recognition from all over the world, and a lot of his work is showcased in museums and has been published in various books. Hiroshi "always favored black and white, and has essentially continued to use the same camera, a turn of a century box camera, throughout his entire career" (Article #1). The continued use of the same camera by Hiroshi helped him to capture some of his most famous and expensive images to date. It has also allowed him to master his craft through several decades of learning and eventual implementation of his style through his photographs to create such popular and well known series collections. To briefly revisit the photo at the top of this blog, I really enjoyed analyzing the photo. It made me realize that long exposure can be used in more ways than simply using a flash light or capturing car lights during an open shutter. I really resonated with the lighting in the photograph because it helped to create emphasis on the elements that Hiroshi wanted his viewers to see. Lighting in the images I take is very important because it helps to bring out certain details in your subject and makes them over- or under- dramatic to place more or less of an emphasis on certain components that may be merely simplistic. Additionally, the focus created by the long exposure in this image is fantastic. There is no blurry portions nor areas of the forest where I find it hard to see or distracts from the details of the trees, leaves, rocks, etc. I think this was a great example of how focus should be used, as the focal point allows the viewer to focus on one element and make their way to other surrounding elements through a subtle gaze. Focusing in my photos is really important in the respect that details and other aspects of my images are clear for a viewer to see and it allows the to soak up as much detail and meaning as possible without being distracted or deterred to a certain place in the image that would prevent one from understanding the image. Lastly, the use of shadows in certain areas of Hiroshi's image was a very wise choice. It adds an ominous, yet dramatic touch to the elements at hand on the photo. For example, the tree behind the lightened tree in the foreground of the image allows one to see the bark on the tree in some spots while the upper and lower part of the tree are darker. The darkness creates a mood of uncertainty and eerie to which the viewer carries as they ponder the woods in search for their own meaning. I like using shadows in my images because it can help to reveal certain elements previously hidden to provide a more meaningful photograph. Also, using shadows to hide certain aspects of a photo gives the viewer the ability to use their imagination on behalf of what the image displays because some elements aren't completely revealed and is can be used as a vignette to narrow the eyes of the viewer to a certain spot or place in the image. 

            In the end, I really enjoyed learning from and analyzing the work and craft of Hiroshi Sugimoto. His use of black and white to create an array of long exposure photos in different capacities shows just how talented and diligent he is with his work. One thing that I really picked up on early when I started my photographic endeavors was being patient and finding out what I was good at. Hiroshi takes photos at hours at a time one by one which takes a lot of patience especially if you have to redo a photo that didn't produce the result he may have wanted. In my case, learning and being able to take photos with a different assignment goals in mind was hard at first because some forced me to go outside my comfort zone. When you have and implement certain styles into your photography, branching away from something you are good at is hard especially when failure could be on the rise. However, with knowing that Hiroshi used the same camera and had continuous practice during his career, it gives me a lot of confidence to continue practicing until my photos have a pattern of good quality and excellence. I started to see this through the various assignments that I would turn in for class. Some would be very good and some would be very bad. Through the multiple critiques and days where we would go over photos to determine a particular path in mind for a project or assignment, these were helpful to learn from my mistakes and helped to boost my moral while also allowing my photographic performance to elevate to the next level. Hiroshi Sugimoto is inspiring in the case to continue what you are comfortable doing and with constant practice, there is no reason why I should't reach a point where my work is compositionally exquisite on a consistent basis for assignments or personal shoots I may take on in the future to come.  

          

Sources

Article #1 - https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/hiroshi-sugimoto

Article #2 - https://photogpedia.com/hiroshi-sugimoto/

Article #3 - https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbirdinflight.com%2Finspiration%2Fexperience%2Fhiroshi-sugimoto.html&psig=AOvVaw2hv9kRU40Ru-9XgY_DHUEe&ust=1649825771083000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjhxqFwoTCJit2JrijfcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK