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I have been working as a photographer for over 50 years, and my style has been to shoot mostly in black and white. The absence of color emphasizes the characteristics of monochrome, such as light, composition, and people's expressions, but there were two times when I felt the need to shoot in color.

The first time was when I was living in London around 1980, when the New Romantics movement emerged after punk rock. The makeup and costumes were glamorous, and the music was characterized by the heavy use of synthesizers and a stylish sound with a futuristic feel.
When I went to the clubs where they gathered, I was struck by the sight of them dancing and standing in the darkness, floating in the multicolored lights, somewhat like a school of deep-sea fish. I used color film to photograph them.

And the second time is in the last few years. Regulations regarding hair color have been loosened by schools, companies, and governments. People are now able to express themselves by dying their hair a color that suits them. Some say that by dying their hair a color that suits them, they are able to be more themselves. I often find myself captivated by their color and appearance, and I wanted to photograph them in color.

In my search for subjects, in addition to the color of their hair, the sea and sky of simple landscapes came close to being truly photogenic. How beautiful and dramatic are the scenes of light, people's expressions and colors, whether in familiar Tokyo or in other parts of Japan.

The expressions and gestures of young people and couples living for the future are especially impressive.

On the other hand, looking around the world, just when we thought that the Corona disaster was over, there are wars everywhere.

There are so many beautiful sights, but there are also so many unreasonable things created by the same human beings that even the smallest happiness is not enough.

Let us pray that one day we will be able to see in the skies of the world a beautiful rainbow of human harmony that transcends borders, principles, and disparities, which humanity has never been able to achieve before.

Harvey Yamaguchi