Reweaving Sound and Photography: 10 Questions for Photographer Naoki Miyashita | ISSUE #11

‘ISSUE’ explores the sensibilities and thought processes of creators from around the globe, serving as a catalyst for new inspiration.
In ‘ISSUE #11’, we present 10 questions to photographer/videographer Naoki Miyashita, delving into his approach to his work and the reasons he continues to pursue photography.

I was born in Kyoto in 1978. I lived in Kyoto through high school, then attended university in Saitama, majoring in German.

After graduating, I started working in Tokyo as a sales representative at an advertising agency, mainly handling campaign-based promotions for five and a half years. Although I sought a career involving sound, language, and visuals, I ended up in sales (laughs).
As expected, it was tough. I often wondered how everyone, myself included, managed to keep going.

After helping a friend launch a company, I eventually chose to go independent. Initially, I continued with work similar to my previous roles, but that alone was draining, so I also took on graphic and web design projects as much as I could. At the same time, I spent about half of each month back in Kyoto, engaging in projects and events related to traditional performing arts and culture, both as work and personal interest.

Despite my strong interest in cameras and photography, I hadn't seriously pursued them as a hobby. While using a GR DIGITAL II for work, I often wondered, "Why can't I achieve this kind of bokeh in my photos?" That curiosity led me to purchase my first DSLR. I realized, "Anyone can take great photos with this!" and gradually became more involved with cameras. In 2015, I decided to step away from planning and production to focus on photography and video as my main practice, which brings me to where I am today.

Since I was in the foreign language department, I often traveled solo. I would take a toy-like compact digital camera my family owned on trips abroad. I didn’t know much about cameras at the time, but I remember using models from Nikon and FujiFilm.

After finishing my job search, I bought a Lomography camera. It felt like the first camera I chose for myself.
To be honest, there aren’t many photos from that time that I find compelling now, but I was struck by how the blacks appeared so deep in the images I shot with Lomography. With typical compact film cameras, the exposure would be high and the shadows would float in an unappealing way, but with Lomography, the blacks were crisp and tight. I suppose that’s what people now call the ‘emotional’ quality of film.

I also remember photographing friends with my first DSLR, the Canon 7D. While I was impressed by how well I could shoot even without much skill, I was also struck by the challenge of how to surpass others in my photography from there. Above all, the most moving experience was shooting with the SIGMA DP3 Merrill.

When I first started carrying a camera, I took a photo of my wife and our then-young daughter during cherry blossom season. It wasn’t so much that I captured an image I had envisioned, but rather, I was captivated by the scene before me and instinctively pressed the shutter, resulting in a wonderful photograph. That’s why it remains memorable.
I don’t often take family photos, so that image is especially precious to me.

Recently, I replaced my studio monitor speakers for work. The vividness I felt when the sound resolution improved was, for the first time in a while, even more striking than a visual experience.

In today’s world, we are inundated with visual information, so I think auditory information, which we consciously choose to perceive, feels fresher. If photography were to disappear, I imagine we would increasingly seek visual information from sound and music.

Since I started working in video, I’ve had far fewer opportunities to discover new music. When I’m editing, I immerse myself in an environment that fits the concept, so I can’t listen to other sounds. There were even times when I forgot how to incorporate music into my life. Lately, I ask models I work with for recommendations, pick up music from films or web dramas using Shazam, or explore Spotify’s recommendations.

I’ve always loved music, and when I lived in Kyoto, I often listened to radio stations like α-STATION and FM802. I used to stop by the Virgin Megastore in the basement of Kyoto BAL on my way home from school, though it’s no longer there.
Recently, I’ve also been listening to mixtapes created by a friend who’s a sound creator, as well as music automatically generated using a system called AISO.

My approach to clothing has changed completely since I started working in video. Now, I choose clothes based on functionality. If I find something that fits when I try it on in a store, I tend to buy from that brand repeatedly.

These days, I mostly wear and wander and Graphpaper. I’ve liked Graphpaper even before I started prioritizing functionality.

When I first started, I used a Canon 6D, then a FujiFilm XT-3, and now I mainly use a Leica SL2-S for both stills and video.
For video-only assignments, I use the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, and for stills, the Hasselblad X2D. For personal projects, I often use the Sigma fp L.

I’ve used about 20 cameras so far. I always want to get as close as possible to the images I envision in my mind. Especially with video, each new model brought clear improvements in specs, so I frequently upgraded my cameras.

I’ve used just about every brand except Nikon and Olympus. Right now, I’m actually testing the Nikon z8 for the first time. But there are so many features that I found the menu confusing.
It made me realize how much I rely on minimal settings in my usual workflow.

Looking ahead, I’m interested in the next Leica SL-3, and I’m also excited about the next-generation Sigma, whenever it arrives.

Working solo means resources are limited. When working as part of a large team, budgets are more flexible, making it easier to pursue quality. Of course, there are situations where working individually is advantageous, so it’s not that teams are always better, but I do sometimes envy what I don’t have.

When it comes to choosing tools, I feel that over the past two years I’ve found equipment that really suits me. I’m looking forward to seeing how far I can push the quality of my output using these tools.