In honour of World Photography Day today (August 19, 2017), I will share with you some of my favourite photos from a recent trip to Tokyo, Japan. These images highlight what photography means to me. Photography involves observing the world around us, finding interesting scenes and capturing specific moments in time. Photography is also a way to create art, framing snippets of our surrounding into art pieces. or turning reality into abstract images that are different from how we typically see our world. 

By observing the world around us, we can find interesting scenes and capture these moments through photography. In both a physical sense and as a metaphor, this reflection image below epitomizes life in Tokyo. The modern architecture is representative of leading-edge design in Japan, yet traditional festivals (the red and white lanterns) continue to this day. This scene may seem chaotic, with a crowd of people crossing the street, the festival float, and shoppers entering the shopping mall, but pedestrians somehow maintain their order.

Reflections on Life in TokyoIn both a physical sense and as a metaphor, this reflection image epitomizes life in Tokyo. The modern architecture is representative of leading-edge design in Japan, yet traditional festivals (the red and white lanterns) continue to this day. This scene may seem chaotic, with a crowd of people crossing the street, the festival float, and shoppers entering the shopping mall, but pedestrians somehow maintain their order.

If we focus in on specific parts of our surroundings, whether in nature or in architecture, there are countless patterns that can be captured by the camera, putting these snippets within frames and creating art pieces. I am particularly drawn to geometry, and the image below makes use of light, lines and reflections to form strong criss-cross patterns. This makes a great piece of art on my wall!

Xris-XrossLight, lines and reflections work together to form criss cross patterns in this contemporary building in Tokyo, Japan.

I also like to use photography to turn reality into abstract images. We see reality often enough that it's fun to see something different, to give our minds a break from real life. The out-of-focus photo below is an example of this. I just love how the lights look when they're not in focus, also the patterns of the crosswalk lines and the cyclist that just passed through. I'm sure the real, in-focus version of this image won't be as impactful!

Quiet Scene in ShibuyaEveryone is familiar with images of the busy Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan. Not far from that crowded intersection, I found a quieter scene in comparison.

The above examples show some my favourite types of photography. What does photography mean to you?