What caught my eye there was a polar bear mother and cub. Hokkaido is cold in winter with snowfall, similar to the environment where polar bears live, and I found myself captivated by the polar bear family. Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for the zoo visit, but at that moment, I found myself enjoying it and becoming engrossed in photography.

One of the shots from that time is "Hello!". This piece was selected for the Daily Dozen on the Your Shot photo submission site by National Geographic during that time. It was the moment when I was convinced that the world-renowned National Geographic recognized a photograph of polar bears taken at a zoo.

Additionally, there was advice from Mr. Kent Shiraishi, who is both my photography mentor and friend. From then on, I started frequenting the zoo regularly, focusing on photographing polar bears and expanding to other animals as well. This marked the beginning of my serious involvement in animal portrait photography with the zoo as the backdrop.

Initially, I was shooting without much prior knowledge, just vaguely. However, I found it challenging to achieve the desired results in that manner. So, I started to study the behavior of animals in advance and made efforts to understand their personalities and behavioral patterns through careful observation. Each animal has its own personality, after all. I believe that observation is as important as photography itself.

Being in a confined environment makes observation easier. Of course, there are times when I retreat to the back of a building while observing, and that concludes the day's photography. I think that prior knowledge about animals and observation are essential factors for getting closer to the essence.

If they were in the wild, meeting animals itself would be difficult, let alone being able to observe them as desired.

When photographing at the zoo, my challenge is to always be considerate of other visitors and avoid causing inconvenience. The zoo is not a space solely allocated to me, nor is it a priority for photographers. I am mindful not to ignore other visitors and occupy space for photography, causing disturbance. The main focus should be on the animals for the visitors at the zoo, not on photographers. I strive to photograph the animals without causing them stress as much as possible.

The animals at the zoo are not domesticated as pets. To capture appealing images, I must find favorable conditions by being flexible and adapting to the situation. Sometimes, it's important to switch to photographing other animals if necessary. This can lead to new encounters and discoveries.

In Japan, when it comes to animal photography, "wildlife photography" is predominant. Of course, I recognize that there are amazing photos that can only be captured in the wild, and the effort required for this should be admired. Many people may perceive photography at the zoo as inferior, considering it less challenging or less authentic.

However, I believe that the value of a photograph as an artwork is not determined by whether it was taken in the wild or at the zoo. Just as there are photos that can only be captured in the wild, there are also photos that can only be captured at the zoo. With a little creativity, we can elevate a simple "animal snapshot" into an "animal portrait" artwork.

While there are certainly remarkable photographic works taken at zoos, I haven't seen many that truly stand out. I aspire to be a pioneer and top performer as a zoo photographer. If I'm going to do it, I want to aim to be among the best in the world!

Life is short, and there's no time to stand still. I want to continue sharing my work while enjoying the process. I'm grateful for the opportunity provided to me on this occasion.