The title is sensational but it's borrowed from many media outlets, the real story is far more complex. I hope you enjoy this video. A major thank you to our sponsor exposure for sponsoring a segment of this video, if you want to check out my stories talking about how I put my first book together and my travels check it out here: tatianahopper.exposure.co/from-egypt-to-south-of-france

Honestly this might be one of your best videos. I'm a big fan of Japanese photography so I'm biased but still please bring more!

Thank you for all those beautiful stories you tell us about known and not so well known photographers.

There's something about seeing the work of a someone laid out like that. He put his entire soul and being into his art, and though his life is objectively heartbreaking, he sought out beauty to describe it. The beauty in the people and places he loved, and even the beauty in the capturing of all the ugly things. The stillborn, the ravens, the suffering animals. He had an eye for the things that resonate.

Terrific mini documentary here on a fascinating photographer. Sometimes I think if it wasn't for the internet, we never would've known about photographers Masahisa Fukase. His life story reminds me fo the 1989 Japanese film 'Black Rain' (not the one starring Michael Douglas) about a Japanese family trying to remain true too the social mores of the time, even after their country suffered a devastating attack and unbelievable losses. The photo at 2:56 is a personal favorite. The cat singing a debut with the singer on television is priceless. As with late poet Edgar Allan Poe, Fukase seemed to embrace melancholia the same way one embraces a lover. Several of Fukase's photographic projects such as his family portraits as 'archiving death' and photographing his still born child is what some would consider questionable. To quote an old military saying, 'if sailor/solider believes they're going to die in combat, that person will find a way to make if happen'. It seems to be true of Masahisa Fukase. It's unfortunate Fukase suffered that head injured which ended his photographic career. Perhaps his photos might be inspiration to future artists.

This resonates with me so deeply. My narcissistic ex-girlfriend told me before I left her 4 years ago and destroyed my life that "your camera is creating distance." Even though at the time my lens was primarily pointed at her to capture and show her the beauty I saw and to capture our moments together. I asked her after I left her what she meant and why she said it and she said she didn't know, that she loves photographers and that he current boyfriends were so jealous of the photos I made of her... It's been years and it's like I am addicted to the poison that she is, but at least I am back in college, even though I am 39, and one year through the commercial photography program. I want an MFA or a PHD eventually. It is true I am in love with photography, I too went through a phase in 2021-22 when I was photographing the massive murders of crows over Portland Oregon. There would be hundreds if not thousands of them flying in massive black clouds over the Willamette River to sleep in the trees along the waterfront. The cacophony of cawing was so loud as they settled into their branches.

I’m always in awe of the videos you put out!! The photographers that you showcase and their art. This one is one of your best!!!! I’ve never heard of this gentleman or really 70% of the artists that you enlighten me with. But I’m so glad that you do!!! Thank you so very much and I hope that you will continue to do so! Best wishes always!!!!!

Just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to this photographer and his exceptional work! Your storytelling was also fantastic, he seems a fascinating character.

Just beautifully put together with some lovely theories and insights into his life. Really appreciated this Tatiana.

Incredible! A very caring and insightful piece. Would love to see more like this.

Thank you for this very interesting and well made video. I am not that familiar with Fukase's work but am inspired to explore it. The quotations about Fukase are especially nice.

Photography didn't destroy his life. Photography was his life.

You are so good at what you do 😊another incredibly well informed video and visually stunning!

As always, truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from your work. Thank you!

Finally videos on Japanese photographers, after your Moriyama video I thought you should explore that territory as we don't get to see many videos on them, uncharted territory full of legends. Well done Hopper, Fukase needs more exposure (pun with your sponsor lol).

Thanks for this. Fukase is one of my favorite photographers and Ravens one of my favorite books. He greatly influenced my feelings and approach to photography. Some of his phots are banal, but so many are deeply moving.

great overview, thank you. I never got the "destructive" perspective of photography on his life. he was an artist and it was his joy. He may have been dark but that doesn't equal the negative aspects that some might try to conflate.

Great presentation. Thank you!

Great video. Yes, some colleagues went through a complex and painful life, not always for been photographer, no matter what they have done for paying the bills. I agree with you, photography was a lifeboat in his own way.

Thank you so much. this is my favourite piece you have made. Wonderful.

Really love his crow and bathtub images, this was a good one to follow along to

Kudos for attempting, purposefully or not, to correct and preserve his legacy. He is too often portrayed as an obsessed stalker to his wives. As a mentally broken artist. He was complex. He was damaged by life. He tried to cope. As artist, everything that manifests is in some way a coping mechanism. He was genius at coping. Genius.

Another wonderfully interesting video, thanks Tatiana! I didn't know anything about Fukase, nice to discover his work and story.

Beautiful work Tati, thank you for sharing.

Your videos are a breath of fresh air in contrast to all the gear reviews on KZfaq.

i had the pleasure of seeing fukase's work in tokyo in 2023. such a fascinating story albeit a terribly sad one. RIP Sir i feel your pain

Great video, thanks! greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thanks for introducing me to a photographer with whom I was not familiar.

Thank you once again for your interesting and inspiring videos.

I frankly had no idea with the body of works of Masahisa Fukase. My latest works of photography feels home for me with the works of Fukase, Morimaya, Winogrand, Mary Ellen Mark, Cohen, and Meyeroitz. And then therese my acquaintance from high school I went back on Guam in 2011 to 2014. Making pictures of people without consent is my photography style I actually felt the most comfortable with. My discomfort comes way more on how people getting self-concious rather than me being anxious entirely. I would my photograph my journey as "His Little Way" to give back to the community and the metro Seattle. I really dedicated my style and body of work as a street photographer to Alexandra's black one-piece bathing suit! People will not understand my current body of work with my camera; but she once told me to hold my head high. This shoot was photographer portrait photographer while still living on Guam. But the way that she came out on these shoots; has my mind rent-free. So much things that I cannot properly explain. I might be starting to hear the electrical noise on electrical lines with my pumping heart... The combination of the vibes of Serial Experiments Lain, Mary Ellen Mark, and Alexandra's Black Bikini shoots has me decided not to pursue the traditional portrait and client photoshoots! While photographing the homeless and the mentally ill on the streets in Downtown Seattle often.

Thanks for another source of inspiration! I'm fascinated by the work of Japanese artists that I am discovering through this channel.

Very fascinating. Taking into account the total symbology/archetype of ravens in Japanese culture, it seems appropriate he sub- consciously chose ravens as an arcatypical running theme. Carl Jung would be proud.

I went to see his exhibition at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. It was nice. You did a great portrait video, as always. This year, I went to see an exhibition by another Japanese photographer, Yasui Nakaji. Maybe you know him. I hope you can make a portrait of this avant-garde Japanese artist in the future.

Thank you Hopper for another beautiful video.

Both beautiful and sad ❤ great video as usual x

Thank you for a fascinating video. Wonderful. RS. Canada

Though I have never heard of him before I'm very impressed with his body of work, however I'm saddened to see how his last days were spent. Thank you Tatiana for the introduction to his work and another excellent video. ❤😎

i really wish your videos were longer. great content, i always immediatly click on your videos

Thanks again for a beautifully produced and thought provoking video. Why people think like that I don’t know. I mean you could say that about people who engage in activities where they actually risk their lives but photography as a death wish is about as realistic as accountancy. Are photographers more likely to be alcoholic misanthropes? Is it just Japanese photographers? Is it to do with the war, or growing up in a cold, isolated place like Hokkaido? I think he was a photographer who had a certain personality that drove his photography in a certain direction. He wanted to use photography almost purely as self expression and maybe a way to document his understanding of his culture, the failure of ideas and technology to improve the world. Rather than destroying it, if anything, photography probably saved his life and gave it a meaning he could live with. He fell down because of alcohol. If he’d been a heavy smoker who died of cancer no one would have thought of saying photography destroyed his life.

This was a great video. Thanks for doing these. I appreciate them greatly and assume many other people do!

Excellent work. Love to learn about these photographers.

Fantastic story! Thank you very much for that 🤩

Wow. That was a stunning episode, solidly written and composed to frame some awesome images. The highlight for me was the images from the Solitude series, which I didn't read as depressive (although Fukase obviously was) but inspiring, because despite his state, he was able to produce his most compelling work. Not exactly surprising that he was derailed by alcohol and stairs, but to linger for that long afterwards, seems so random. Or did his "revenge play against life" with photography in wishing to "stop the world" inspire life to exact it's own revenge against him, and make him almost like a static image with a 20 year coma? 😕

Fascinating. Thank you.

Fantastic video. Thank you for your work.

Thanks for the exciting documentary. I had never heard of him before.

Thank you ❤

great video. I learned so much tonight. thank you!!! :)

this is the first time I've cried over an KZfaq video, excellent work Tatiana!

Awesome, I just started reading up on this guy

Very interesting and stimulating. Appreciate your work. Regards.

I have complete empathy with this photographer ❤

Finished the video I mean his story is quite sad but at the same time I do agree that perhaps with everything put into context he wasn’t necessarily “obsessed” with anything, who knows. I liked the narrative very much, not sure about some of the photos just not very keen on his style but still appreciate it. Cheers for Thailand currently!

One of the more intriguing photographers I’ve seen on your channel. My type of photographer; can’t believe I’ve never heard of him before 😲

Well done. Tatiana, one of your best.

That intro song is a agonizingly close to binary sunset, like a single note away. Almost hurts not to hear it go to that note.

Excellent episode Tatiana !❤

Great video. Thanks for sharing it!

thank you

Very interesting.

Great video!

Well done, T! ❤

Let’s go, intro is already 🔥

Will you make a video of Araki? Even though he's somewhat controversial I think his life's work is worth covering. Moriyama Daido is another photographer definitely worth a close look.

Obsessed with this guy...thank you

This was so well done - I’m even - dare I say it? Interested in today’s sponsor…

❤

Cool Beans

Blanking out breasts in these images is indicative of American puritanical idiocy. It’s great and reassuring to see photographers from a range of cultures. Thanks for the video

Photography on review, not the gear... I hope a good photography school makes you an offer for your fine work.

FU-ka-se

HOLY SHIT !!! this is an artist that was so ffff far ahead of the world of photographic art !!!!! I feel that photography kept him alive, gave him life. This is the purest of story telling, fine art , pure art in my opinion. I is jarring, breath taking, beautiful dark happy simple and complex I am left gobsmacked !

I have a personal question, I've been told that I should have a written statement introducing my essays "photo series" for people to read about the "back" story of the images. I have been reluctant to do so as I want the viewer to interact the images on a personal level related to their life experiences emotions, not to try and see them from "my" perspective. What is your recomendation thank you for stepping outside the lines on this but with your obvious talent at story telling and photography your thoughts are of value to me

Thank you for a fascinating video. Wonderful. RS. Canada