Daido Moriyama

“Making a definitive declaration of intent or meaning kills the photograph.”

Daido Moriyama is a Japanese photographer best known for his black-and-white street photography. His photos are in a raw, gritty, and confrontational style, often featuring high-contrast, grainy, and out-of-focus techniques. His work rejects traditional composition, instead embracing a spontaneous, instinctual approach to street photography that captures the chaotic energy of urban life. Key characteristics in his photos include tilted angles, unconventional framing, and a focus on capturing the subjective, emotional experience of wandering the city. 

 

Stray Dog, Misawa, 1971

Daido Moriyama took this photograph in 1971 of a Stray Dog, in Misawa, Aomori. There is a few things about this image that makes me feel fascinated: I would not have thought of to crop this photo so tightly, but this is one of the most famous elements of his work that makes this composition so powerful of a solid dog resting within the frame.

The colors in this photo is quite stiff. The high contrast and exposure makes mid tones to almost disappear. It reminds me of the ying yang symbol with its black and white shape interlocking with each other, to me, it references some kind of calligraphy. I think this works really well as the image captures a moment of intense, uncertain encounter. The dog’s watchful look mirrors the photographer’s intense, direct, and often confrontational style.

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