travel photography

Internal Music: Picking Your Vibe by Masumi Taguchi

Let’s talk music.

Most of what we experience in life is interpreted internally. We make sense of what we experience through our own eyes, with our own heart. I believe that every person has their own special music genre narrating these moments that they encounter. The songs which play may vary depending on the day, but overall there’s a music style that vibes with a person’s life. For some of us, it may be a pop song, maybe others experience life with a bittersweet tune playing in the background, and for others perhaps rock, heavy metal music is constantly playing with each step they take. Photographers also have their own kind of interpretation of their life experiences, therefore have their own background music. They often express their own melodies through the images they create. Through their photos you can often hear the kind of song they hear. When you want to hire a photographer it is important to know whether the same kind of melody is being playing in each other’s life soundtrack.

There is something special when you find a photographer who expresses the significance of your life in the way you see it. You can think of it akin to somebody liking the same flavor of ice cream as you do: When somebody also loves your favorite flavor: caramel swirled vanilla with chocolate chip, out of the other 99 flavors out there, you don’t need to know anything else about your new friends. This person is now your best friend. Same favorite ice cream flavor: best friend. It oddly makes sense.

Having said that, sometimes you want to find a photographer in the way that you wish to see it. Some people struggle to see themselves as others do. Their life music may be melancholy but they want a photographer to show them, to become physical proof that their music can receive a healthy splash of vibrant, sweet tunes. We all have our own reasons for the music we love as well as the music we wish to try listening to. <3

So when you next look for your photographer, it is important to ask what kind of energy they are emitting through their photos. What kind of music is playing through their film, their lens? Does their photography emit fun energy or calm, tranquil energy? Does it express rebellion? Perhaps the brightness of living? Or does it make you feel sentimental and emotional? Do you feel warm and fuzzy looking at the photos, or inspired?

I’d love to hear what kind of music is playing in your life :)

Masumi


Denver: Matthews by Masumi Taguchi

When in Denver Colorado earlier this month, I got to shoot on top of containers (we won’t talk about that) with my good friend Chris. What a feeling to feel the air up a little higher, and photograph your friend who recently caught on the photography bug.

Photos taken on 120mm Portra 400, developed at a new studio!

Toronto: Birds Eye View by Masumi Taguchi

Out of all of the places that I got to visit around the world, Toronto gave the most serene views. It was beautiful, I wanted to remember it. What I wanted to remember was not so much the exact details of what my eyes saw, but rather how it made me feel. This time, instead of capturing the image as sharply as possible, I tried photographing what I saw through how I felt looking out at the land down below. Doing this reminded me of the importance of expression through photography. 

Photographing Toronto up high in the skyscraper reminded me that what matters is not what is there, but what it is to you.

Masumi

Driving by Masumi Taguchi

A few sceneries that stopped my journey from Virginia to New York.

I have a habit where if I find a song that I like, I will play it for hours on end, sometimes even a day or two straight. So during my drive up I discovered a new song that I liked. So... "I Tried" was on repeat for the entire drive up a little north. Thankfully nobody else was in the car to get annoyed by it.

The main reason which I am posting this photo is because I nearly got run over for this shot.

Up next: Toronto, Canada

Masumi

White Mask Ninjas by Masumi Taguchi

When in Japan I saw countless people wearing white masks. The Japanese citizens generally wore the masks for health reasons: to protect either themselves or others around them from sickness. Coming from a land where nobody wears masks even when sick, it fascinated me to see so many people wearing masks as the norm. 

During my trip I got to travel around southern Japan and central Japan. Wherever I went, there were still so many people wearing white masks. About halfway into my trip an association between these Japanese individuals and their masks popped up in my mind. These Japanese people... some having ninjas as their ancestors, must be ninjas in hiding! 

From that point on in my trip these people were all white masks ninjas. Some were camouflaging themselves as students, businessmen, but when needed were ready to perform their ninja duty. For the rest of my trip I observed these ninjas with awe and wonder. At one point in my trip I purchased some masks myself and tried to train parkour in it. That was a terrible idea. 

 

 

 

 

M Kat

Clouds around the World: Recent by Masumi Taguchi

The clouds that I got to photograph during my travels for the last few months. They may possibly be one of my favorite things to photograph. :) 

Hawaii this Tuesday. I am very excited to visit the lovely islands for the first time in my life.

Houston, Texas (airport).

In flight heading over to Australia

Sydney, Australia

Los Angeles, California

See you soon :) 

M Kat

Sydney Moments by Masumi Taguchi

Some moments from my trip to Sydney. This trip was probably the trip where I missed my husband the most, as he spent two years of his life there before meeting me. Having met up with some of his friends, I felt like I was tracing his footsteps. Bittersweet experience. Here are some of the things which I captured while roaming around the land of Aussies.

There must have been a school trip to visit the same place as myself. So many little ones (even shorter than myself) in these yellow polo shirts & brown sweaters roaming about. I wonder what they were thinking. 

Student and Sydney University

Sydney Opera House

It's amazing to know that I remember exactly where I was when taking this photo. I guess photos really are a ticket back to a moment once experienced.

Probably one of my favorite images. Taken at the tallest building in Sydney. Sydney was kind enough to demonstrate a height comparison chart with the other tallest buildings in their city. Sydney's was proudly one of the shortest buildings built. 

The passenger sitting in front of me in the train. 

Waited forever like a real creeper to get the right angle of her face to be in view. 

The lovely greener that was in front of the apartment complex that I stayed at. 

Masumi

Colorado Dog: Walking Me by Masumi Taguchi

A few weeks ago I took a trip out to visit my dear friend who lives out in rural Mancus, Colorado. During the stay there I took a walk around the area a few times, and each time I went out, this adorable friendly dog walked me wherever I went. When I first met the dog I was a little nervous because she came running straight towards me from far down the street. Watching the dog run full speed toward me, I was not sure if I was going to be met with a fate of life or death. As you see from this blog post, it was fortunately a fate of life. Most of the time it was nice to have this canine companion walking me around, but sometimes she would make photographing the local farm animals a bigger challenge because she would chase them.

Nonetheless, it was great meeting this little one. Will we ever meet again? Nobody knows. Maybe that question isn't as important as knowing that for that moment in time we shared those few hours of walking around town together, visiting goats, horses, donkeys, geese, donkeys, and yaks.

Thanks for the memories.  

M Kat