About Me
Hi there!
My name is Keith and I am a photographer born and raised in Southern California and am currently based in Northern California’s SF Bay Area. I discovered photography in 2009, and quickly found it to be a life changing hobby of mine.
Reasons why photography is especially important to me:
1. Photographs have the power to make people smile. Enough said.
2. Taking photographs constantly reminds me that everything is perfect in its own way. Sometimes, an object’s beauty can be obvious like a cherry blossom. But sometimes, you have to take a step back, take three steps to the right, get really low, and then turn your head 90 degrees to find it. It’s all a matter of perspective. The same philosophy applies to people. Some people are blessed to be naturally comfortable in front of the camera. Then there are people like me (ironically) who are incapable of taking a half decent picture upon command. But after years of taking photos, I’ve learned that it takes just a little support and communication between the photographer and the subject to help the subject express himself or herself freely in front of the camera.
3. My grandfather was also apparently bitten by the shutterbug. Prior to emigrating from Japan to America in 1960, he liquidized almost all of his belongings to save money for his journey to America but reserved a chunk of his savings for a camera, a Canon P Rangefinder camera. With this camera, he was able to document his move to America, and record the growth of his family. He treasured this camera, and despite its heavy use, it is still in pristine condition and still works just like it did over 50 years ago.
4. A picture can help us see things that we would normally miss with our mortal eyes, and help to remind us that beauty is out there even if we can’t see it.
5. Taking photographs of groups of people brings them closer both physically (which then helps to emotionally bring them together). When else is it socially acceptable to stand shoulder to shoulder with people for prolonged periods of time? Even with close family and friends, it’s not something we do unless there is a person with a camera telling you to “get a little closer… little closer… *click* perfect!”.
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My other hobbies include: Hapkido (Korean self-defense), Wushu (Chinese martial arts), playing the ukulele, pottery, and cooking.