石原 友

Tomo Ishihara

Traveling through India does not dramatically alter my values or way of life. However, what I become acutely aware of there is the "distance" between myself and my subjects.
Standing in front of ash-covered Sadhus or Chaiwalas lighting fires in the darkness, I do not assimilate; instead, I quietly maintain my distance.
The cinematic moments hidden in everyday life often go unnoticed by those immersed in the reality of them. That is precisely why there is meaning in my capturing these scenes as a mere traveler. I gaze at the colors blending into the landscape and the intersection of light and shadow—neither merging with them nor rejecting them.
A breathtaking image is born when I confront an overwhelming presence, or in that fleeting instant when I shoot unconsciously and the distance thins to its absolute limit. This does not arise from resignation, but emerges in the moment when conscious thought shifts ever so slightly.
My impulse to release the shutter is driven by an earnest desire to touch the essence that exists in those gaps, all while strictly preserving the boundary.