Esquire Digital Photograph Awards'07-'08 Announce Grand Prix Recipient.

Esquire Japana Digital Photograph Awards '07-'08

Grand Prix announcement punctuates the '07-'08 award season

Instituted in 2001 and marking its seventh occasion, the Esquire Japan Digital Photography Awards '07-'08 received nearly 13,000 works submitted by 1,500 entrants. We would like to thank all of those who participated with their entries. Overall, the contest this year revealed that the boundaries between digital and film photography no longer exist—and the expression we define as photography is broadening. These two impressions summed up the event. We encourage visitors to view the Grand Prix and all of the awarded works in this section and discover new possibilities for photography.


Burning Chrome#23

Grand Prix

Kuromu Shugeki #9 [translation: Chrome Attack #9]

Burning Chrome#9

This work was a transition point to my enduring question concerning the significance of using a digital camera. Photographing a street scene you pass by in your ordinary, daily life—and somehow you know, it is a street scene that is not going to last much longer—led to composition of a third street scene. This is my first commendation. Considering this a starting point, I hope to continue the effort.

Norihisa Hosaka / Born in 1968, Tokyo. Attended Meiji Pharmaceutical Univ., Dept. of Pharmaceutics. Currently employed at a pharmacy after working as a freelance writer covering video games and IT, and as an editor of a webzine. Considers bonafide photography experience to be four years.

Where did these cities come from? They look like a black market found in war-torn urban slums, or a futuristic cityscape in a sci-fi movie. Of course, the images are originally based on shots of contemporary street scenes in Shinjuku or Shibuya. The digital processing and laminated exposures from different times and angles have rendered scenes emitting a monochromatic brilliance of oxidized silver, as if the actual cities were boned to reveal a secret place. Time-lapse is also indefinite. The cities are so fictitious, they no longer belong clearly in the past or the future. The distinctive light and shadow formulate images of foreign lands and nostalgic homelands.

(Toshiharu Ito)

Photography captures only visible things." This statement is inaccurate. A superior photograph emerges between the visible and invisible. As film photography stands at its doorway to extinction, I have felt the strong need for, and am highly astonished to see, the emergence of photographs (mono-toned, at that) visualizing the invisible by synthesizing a stack of photographed cityscapes. The photos represent the city's dreams—an illusion, yet a force that moves real life. These impressive photographs have foreseen Tokyo to come.

(Shigeo Goto)

The odd sense of deja vu and nostalgia may be a result of the gothic excess reminiscent of urban ruins seen in manga or anime. Yet, I can feel the artist's determination for a high level of perfection in each work. The impact is definitely beyond a light-hearted enthusiasm for ruins. The work makes the viewer hungry for a luxury bound collection of more photos and an exhibition of large-scale prints.

(Miwa Yanagi)

The Grand Prix receives a prize of 1 million yen.

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Judge's Award by Toshiharu Ito (Professor, Tokyo National Univ. Fine Arts and Music, Inter Media Art Dept.); Judges' Special Award

Room Works #001

The works destined for quiet burial in my PC hard disk (existing as insignificant data) have seen the light of day. They have emerged on the pages of a magazine to be felt and as exhibited works to be appreciated by many. I feel relieved in completing my obligation to these works.

Shigeyasu Gushima / Born in 1970. Graduated in 1994 from Tokyo Univ. of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Industrial Administration Dept. After working at a financial institution, completed the IMI photography course in 2000. Currently a freelance photographer.

People blearily emerge from the hazy darkness, floating with little presence. People have expressions and poses of absorption, fixation, and possession. Not to reveal the technique too soon, but these portraits are people who peered into the artists's PC camera via the Internet from remote locations. This so-called tele-presence technology provides the essence of photography with opportunities to capture images from a new dimension. The images materialize from a monochromatic gloom, like wandering, anonymous spirits—kind of like cloned personalities for our era.

(Toshiharu Ito)

This is another photography effort impulsively working to visualize the invisible. The Internet synchronizes the globe, and speeds encounters between unknown people. On the other side of that "connection," digital photos are spawning new phenomena, such as driving out darkness from photography. Yet this photo exposes the darkness created by the Internet—it is not the result of simply an idea. The work makes me pause and think a lot.

(Shigeo Goto)

In addition to the Judge's Award, the artist received the Judges' Special Award. The prize total was 150,000 yen.

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Judge's Award by Shigeo Goto / Editor and creative director, & Miwa Yanagi / Creative artist

Yume "Guntai" [translation: Dream "Army"]

dream "troops"

I am interested in using various materials, overlaying pictures, and seeing what kind of effects occur. Overlaying pictures is the simplest of processing techniques, yet quite broad in range of expression, and strongly reflects the characteristics of digital photography. I intend to continue my work in producing pictures that can entertain people visually.

Shimon Fukaya / Born in 1982, Tokyo. Graduated from Ikuei Polytechnic School, Design Engineering Dept. Currently attending Hungarian National Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design under national treasury scholarship.

What does photography accomplish? I believe there is a strong connection between images, memories, and creating reality in order to live. Photography is destined to become a more and more gripping art form. Why does this amazing photography attract me so strongly? That is actually where my interest lies. Just like layers of sound combine to strike a chord in the stream of our consciousness, photographs can call up other people and time periods folded up inside ourselves. Digitalization is giving a kick in releasing further potential from photography.

(Shigeo Goto)

The amazing textures caught my attention. Each work has a striking balance between detailed skin texture and color. The scene is reminiscent of the barren winter in Eastern Europe, and causes me to recall unsettling, beautiful dreams and far memories of the past. The attraction is hard to quantify, like a passing scent. I wish for more works that will let me stay a little longer in my dream.

(Miwa Yanagi)

Two judges awarded their Judge's Award. The prize total was 200,000 yen.

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Judge's Award by Hisashi Sakurai, Esquire Japan AD

Yakei [translation: Night Scene]

I truly thank you for awarding my work on this occasion. This work came about as I thought of different ways to record familiar scenes from a moving train. I look forward to carefully expressing those things that I feel are beautiful.

Mayu Koizumi/ Born in 1986. Currently attending Joshibi Univ. Art and Design, College of Art and Design, Media Arts Dept. Finalist in Moving Images category at 2007 Asia Digital Art Awards.

The preceding awarded works stood out among the still photography, and unfortunately no other entries were noteworthy. So, I turned my attention to video. The night scenes taken from a moving train became quite interesting—when the landscape was made to stand vertically. I love this amateur-like inspiration. The resolution is not superior, and technique is not outstanding. Just purely pretty. And the work leaves analog impressions, too. It's a great contrast to the other works with a solid grounding in digital photography.

The Judge's Award receives a prize of 100,000 yen.

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Motion Picture Award

"TIME SPREAD" -Conversation-

Video taken simultaneously from multiple angles was exploded into still images. The work was developed as a photo collage by leaving previous impressions over the passage of time. We decided to reproduce a time-space collage as David Hockney intended—with video. We wish to continue the development of works that can be interpreted as a perspective on time.

Yosuke Ashida / Born in 1980. Graduated in 2003 from Sophia Univ., Dept. of Philosophy. Recipient at 2006 New Cosmos of Photography, and 29th Hitotsubo-ten photo contest. Kazuki Nakata / Born in 1980. Graduated from Sophia Univ., Dept of Chemistry. Currenty a programmer at a web production firm, following a career as a systems engineer.

Perhaps we could call it an interactive, cinematic version of David Hockney's photo collages—works that were widely acclaimed some years ago. Video taken simultaneously from five angles is exploded into still images and developed on a plane. The result succeeds in acquiring a new quality of video. Spatial depth is embedded with the passage of time. Moving the mouse is exciting, as various fissures emerge in the homogenously flat images. Another interesting point not to forget is the actual warping and deviations rendered by our own ocular movement while viewing the stereographic continuum of cubic images.

(Toshiharu Ito)

The Motion Picture Award is presented with prize money of 50,000 yen.

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amana Award by Hideaki Kodama, Board Member and Creative Director of amana

Elevator Drop

I thought of expressing with photography the chic feel I cultivated in the world of video. I believe that the power of the target speaks entirely for the photo, and am very grateful to Mr. MJ who posed. I hope to let the children that I met and foreign nationals that enjoyed the moment know what happened.

Kensaku Kakimoto / Born in 1982, Kagawa Prefecture. Worked as assistant director under Director Hiroyuki Nakano, and in the production unit Piece Brothers. Production of the movie COLORS in 2005, and first theatrical showing accomplished with Sleeping Flower. Active in many circles producing piece works: mainly movies, as well as PV, commercials, stills, and art directing

This dramatic work provides a distinctive tone and cinematic touch to an ordinary life setting from the youth scene. Through the sensitivities applied by the artist, the digital finish delivers an extraordinarily super-realistic visual, above and beyond timing concepts, to an ordinary landscape. It truly looks like a scene from a contemporary, speed-charged movie.

The amana Award receives a prize of 500,000 yen.

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Parker Award by Kentaro Kobayashi, stage and skit writer, member of comedic group Ramens.

Heading Towards the Sunset

The photograph was taken while strolling in my community of Teganuma. Writers of the Shirakaba magazine influence lived around Teganuma in the 1910s. At that time, the area was known as "Kamakura of the north," owing to the abundant nature. Does this photo impart a sense of those good old days of Teganuma?

Masato Ijima / Born in 1960. Advertising graphic designer. Award of Excellence in exhibition contest for drawing Japan's nature (Ueno Royal Museum), finalist for Sekiguchi Art Foundation Award, selection for 2008 Abiko Municipal Bird Museum Calendar.

>>10 Finalists for Parker Award

The shot uses the water's surface like a mirror. It is interesting to see the real images and reflections combine. I felt the idea was the smartest among the entries. The theme called for an arrow. This work was the only one using a dotted line. The arrow has action and even looks three dimensional. Most works did not provide a national identity, but this one was Asian, or Japanese, a landscape with familiarity. I was also attracted to its freedom of interpretation for a story.

The Parker Award receives a prize of 100,000 yen, and the Duofold Black PT International fountain pen.

All 10 finalists receive an Executive Data Multi-Function pen.

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Starflyer Award by Kentaro Kobayashi

Kirin [translation: Giraffe]

Thank you very much for awarding me the Starflyer Award. I intend to polish my technique further, and continue the challenge of expressing my images and shooting moments that impress people through photography.

Junpei Ishikawa / Born in 1985, Chiba Prefecture. Graduated from Tokyo Polytechnic Univ., Dept. of Photography.

The theme was "black and white," and resulted in many entries that were sharp photos, while this work was striking in its lazy feel (humorously speaking). I assume the giraffe is the protagonist, but the clouds concern me. They look like word bubbles for a comic strip, and I keep wondering what words should be included. The clouds also stimulate my imagination over parts not shown within the shot, and in the areas outside the frame. The requirements for good photography, in my opinion, are beauty and fascination that deliver sensations before I have to think. This work neatly satisfies these two conditions.

The Starflyer Award receives a prize of 100,000 yen, and roundtrip air tickets (a pair for two people) between Haneda (Tokyo) and Kansai International. The awarded work will be shown aboard the Starflyer aircraft on the in-seat display units.

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Photo & Blog Section Grand Prix

Ruins Discovery

Ruined buildings have an uncontrived rawness. I have carefully photographed the ambiance and texture of unusual sites, such as soft light entering from holes in a roof, heavy machinery with rust on top of rust. As I update my blog, I feel gratified when readers gain the same sense of adventure and excitement.

Tetsuro Kobayashi / Opened Haikyo Discovery (blog) in 2004. Gold medal for Digital Category of Nippon Photo Contest. Supplied numerous photos to books associated with ruins. Co-author of Nippon Chika Kanko Gaido (Aspect).

The yardstick for selection this time was message significance. In short, we requested clarity on the message delivered to the viewer. The ruins theme selected for "Haikyo Discovery" delivers the artist's message for edifices destined to disappear or rot away. The blog also raises consciousness for this issue, and provides a different kind of excitement, compared to the diary format of blogs lately gaining notoriety.

(Atsuko Tomikawa, Editor in Chief, Esquire Japan edition)

The Photo & Blog Grand Prix receives the Flybook VM series laptop PC with detachable display by Dialog Japan.

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Readers' Poll Award

Aki no Kaori [translation: Scent of Autumn]

Because of our pending move in the spring, this would be our last fall season in Shimane. I am so pleased to receive such an award for a photograph taken at that time, because it commemorates this transition. Moreover, I wish to express my gratitude to all of you who voted for this photograph of my beloved pet dog.

Michiru Sakashita / Born in Hiroshima Prefecture. Currently residing in Shimane Prefecture.

This is our fourth time to select a Readers' Poll Award. As the two spend their last autumn in Shimane with their spring move already decided, our recipient Ms. Sakashita photographed her pet dog Sakura looking back at the silver grass and up towards the clear sky. The expressions of the dog embrace a tinge of nostalgia. The emotions in this photograph may have subconsciously tugged at the people who voted.

The Readers' Poll Award is presented with a one-year subscription to Esquire Japan edition.

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