On my 17th birthday, a friend gave me a book as a gift. It was Shinpei Asai's “Kamera wa supotsu da (Camera Is a Sport).” At the time, I was obsessed with photography and always had my camera with me.
Asai made his striking debut with photographs of the Beatles' visit to Japan and went on to become a prominent figure in magazine covers and posters. This book may have been what first made me aware of photography as a profession. I read it so many times that I still remember what was written in it. One of the most memorable lines was, “Second-class photographers are busier and make more money than first-class ones.” As a high school student, I found this surprising because I had an assumption that first-class photographers were more successful financially.
After starting my career, I was told about the difference between first- and second-class photographers. First-class means “following a single stream” (in Japanese, “class” means “stream” or “trend”), referring to someone with one firm belief. On the other hand, second-class means “following two streams.”
In that sense, I am undoubtedly third-class. Regardless of whether I am making money, I am certainly busy. I take photos, give lectures, write articles like this one, and run a YouTube channel. I'm clearly more than third-class because I follow more than three streams.
Second- and third-class people always aspire to be first-class: someone who pursues only one thing. I want to be like that, too.
Perhaps the Ricoh GR is such a camera. Since its debut in 1996 as a compact film camera, its design and concept have remained unchanged, even after it went digital. It continues to this day as a truly first-class camera. This may be a slight exaggeration, but it's true. The camera's identity has created its own stream.
As someone living a third-class life, my approach to choosing cameras is also third-class. I don't stick to one thing, but instead follow multiple trends. Don't I deserve to be truly third-class because I choose a camera based on a trend?
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
