What's Outside the Words

Photographs may or may not be taken for a specific purpose. Advertisement and news photographs are taken for the purpose of communicating information to the public. Photographs of certain ceremonies are taken for the purpose of keeping a record of the event.

Snapshots, on the other hand, have no clear purpose. They have no usage or role. Nevertheless, whenever I leave home, I carry a camera and take pictures as I walk the streets.

When asked what I'm photographing, I have a hard time explaining because I'm capturing things that can't be put into words.

There is a famous line from the movie “Enter the Dragon”: “Don't think, feel.” It's from the scene where Bruce Lee tells a young trainee about his techniques.

Intuition rather than logic. Words are necessary for the act of thinking. You cannot think without them. The scene includes the message, "Feel what's outside the words."

This is exactly what snapshots are about. They capture something that overflows out of the world of words. Snapshots are photographs of the “indescribable.”

The light shining between buildings has no meaning, yet I find it beautiful. I take a picture of it as if gently scooping it up.

No one may understand it. But that's okay.
　

　　
　　
Satoru Watanabe
Born in 1961 in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art, Department of Photography, Watanabe joined Nikkan Sports Newspaper, where he gained experience in sports and news photography. After leaving the company, he founded Studio Monochrome. He has been working as a freelance photographer, mainly in the field of portraiture, and has been holding workshops since 2003. Recently he is known as the creator of Youtube "2B Channel". Winner of the 33rd "The Society of Photography Award" Special Prize. He is currently an adjunct professor at Keio University Graduate School. His recent books include "Toru chikara miru chikara (Power of Shooting and Power of Looking)" (Hobby Japan).
Satoru Watanabe@watanabesatoru2b