After Shifting to SF, This Japanese Photographer Captured San Francisco’s Eccentricities With Perfection
While some claim San Francisco has lost its offbeat spirit, Japanese photographer Sage Akaboshi (@pueo_in_sf) says otherwise in the street photography he’s amassed since arriving here eight years ago, according to an SF Gate article about Akaboshis eccentric images.
One of Akaboshi’s pictures made it onto the publication’s Instagram. The photo, which shows a dog with a Luigi doll on its back and a similarly colored F-line in the background, received critical acclaim. The photo shows Akaboshi’s amazing use of depth, balance and leading lines (not to mention the charming duo as focus).
“Actually, I saw the dog a few days earlier when I was taking a picture. When I saw that dog again, I wanted to take a picture of the dog without the owner, like the dog walking alone,” Akaboshi told SF Gate. “Back then, the F line happened to fit in with it [its] color faded.”
The quality of work is consistent for many of Akaboshi’s photographs, which display many characteristics of daily San Francisco life. Skateboarders, dogs, beautiful buildings and murals are common motifs in his work. Although nothing is off the table. If it gets his attention, his phone is off and ready. Considering his Instagram features a wide range of topics, viewers get a variety of San Francisco and what the city has to offer.
Akaboshi’s passion for photography came about by accident. He grew up in Japan, where he often carried around film or a Polaroid camera.
“When I was young, I happened upon a campaign for Polaroid cameras [in] in front of a shop with my friends and I spontaneously bought one and immediately took photos of my friends with the camera on the street,” Akaboshi said in a story with PetaPixel.
After moving to San Francisco, he began capturing interesting situations and people with whatever camera he had handy, be it the one on his Google Pixel smartphone or his Sony a5100, a mirrorless camera.
Akaboshi can be found all over the city, but especially in hotspots like Market Street or the Mission District, where foot traffic is heavy and options are rife. Other common locations are both around and on the San Francisco Muni trains. The natural patterns and frames of its structures coupled with unique events and people create magnificent images.
While much of his work involves candid portraiture, Akaboshi tries to get permission for most of his subjects. However, most street photographers find it difficult to catch everyone’s attention when they walk by.
“If I see someone really close, something like the outfit and item they have, I’ll talk to them first,” Akaboshi said.
Akaboshi tells PetaPixel that he hopes to have his work in exhibitions soon. At the moment, those who appreciate his work and the beauty of the city can always follow his Instagram.
“I hope to capture my visual interpretation of the city around me in the images,” Akaboshi said in the interview.
