How Daido Moriyama influenced my work?

Daido Moriyama

Daido Moriyama the infamous Japanese Street Photographer has had a profound influence on my work especially Street photography of the more Fine Art persuasion and especially  the realms of Black and White. Here we take a closer look how a Master can influence your work, sometimes it can be instant in other cases it can be more subtle and over a longer period of time.

Prior to Daido Moriyama?

Before Daido Moriyama my work was primarily colour based and more focused on street moments, the quirky, the strange and characters. It was what most people did back then in the late 2010's before the Fine Art explostion took effect and Street Photography in general started to branch out into different sub genres and niches. A sample of what I used to do below converted to black and white.

A sample of my early work. Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London by Pavement Pulse

The Daido Moriyama Moment?

I remember it well. it was a day in London on Kensington High Street and it started to chuck it down, I mean really chuck it down with rain. The Kensington Library was a stones throw away so I dived in there to get out of the rain. Went to the photography section of books and this red book just leapt out by Daido Moriyama. I Can't remember the title?  Had sort of heard of him, so picked up the book and sat down for a read?

Daido Moriyama: Record 11

The Daido Book?

As I said, can't remember the title, all I remember is it had a bright red cover and that's it. Opened it up, read the forward and intro and thought that's nice and here we go. I can't remember how many photos there were. 100, 200? Seem to remember it being a paperback? Dived straight in and started  to look at the photos and each page I remember shaking my head muttering WTF and other such words. Got to the last page looked out the window and the rain had stopped. Put the book back and walked out the library shaking my head muttering "What on Earth". I think it was 2021?

After that I carried on with my Street Photography same as usual and that book had no impact at all, so I thought... BUT little did I know that seeds had been sown and that book would have a profound impact on my photography in the years ahead, but not for a couple of years.

Daido Moriyama: Record No10

Two years later?

It was a tunnel underneath Vauxhall Station that sparked the Daido moment No2. On this day I set myself a target of only shooting negative space with a silhouette and that's it. Ignore everything just get that photo. Your are not going home until your get that photo. This is what I came back with.

Vauxhall by Pavement Pulse

For some reason I thought about that Daido Moriyama book in that library on that rain day a couple of years ago, tried to find it again in the same Library, no longer there so had a quick browse in a book store and ended up buying a Daido book online. Much cheaper?

Had a look at this book, read it from cover to cover and a light bulb went off or flicked on. What didn't make sense two years ago, suddenly made sense now and it changed how I viewed photography forever, how I took photos and my photos ended up looking. It was a lightning bolt moment and one you can't go back from. You know something has happened when your photos radically change from that day forward and you look back at your previous old photos and the difference is night and day. I call it a photographic religious experience, but no religion here....just a creative awakening.

A sample from the Daido Moriyma book "Farewell Photography"

VIDEO: Memories of a Dog - The photographs of Daido Moriyama

Probably one of the most influential videos for me about Daido Moriyama. ESSENTIAL VIEWING!!

The Diado Look

His photos are like nothing else, have a distinct style and look, are easy to copy but you just can't replicate the Diado look and feel. He can make a tree look mesmerising, women's tights look like a work of art, mundane scenes look surreal, inject creativity into the banal and boring, turn a stray dog into a cult classic and make photographic disasters and errors look like the outpourings of a next level creative genius.... cue the book "Farewell Photography" which on initial release got a huge thumbs down from buyers and critics alike but which has gone on to become a cult classic and a major artistic and creative inspiration. the original book sell these days for four figures!

Daido Moriyama Record No51

The Daido Effect on My Work

He made me switch from Colour Street to Black and White Street. He made me see not only what is going on within the frame/scene but to look at tonality and to not be afraid of pushing the boundaries with the black and white end of the spectrum. He taught me not to be afraid to experiment and to push boundaries. 

Hello by Pavement Pulse. 

His work has stood the test of time, is not a passing fashion or trend and is as groundbreaking today as it was 60 years ago. That's the hall mark of a master. At the time of writing he has been photographing for over 60 years, is 87 and still goes out on the street.

Check out Daido Moriyama at the Pavement Pulse Pinterest

Check out the Daido Moriyama A Retrospective Book Review by Pavement Pulse

More on Daido Moriyama at MoriyamaDaido.com

VIDEO: Daido Moriyama by Tatiana Hopper