Earthly Freedom

IF BUSINESS TAKES YOU TO SOME INTERESTING PLACES ACROSS SOUTH EAST ASIA, HERE’S HOW YOU CAN MAKE THOSE TRIPS MORE EXOTIC, EDGY AND FUN.

Most urbanites will agree that in our day-to-day life, we feel completely out of touch with nature. The same can be said for Japanese photographer Yasuhisa Ishii, except that he decided to go out and change that. In 2015 the doctor-turned-photographer packed his Leica M Monochrom and set off to photograph the primordial landscape of Iceland. The influence of the metropolis is visible in Yasuhisa’s work, he appreciates the vastness and serenity of Iceland’s nature as well as its inhabitants. The photographer manages to extract a sense of peace from a landscape that still remains incredible wild. Below, Yasuhisa Ishii talks about his love for Iceland’s horses, how he strongly believes in everyone’s unique eye, and his balance between science and the senses.

Could you start by telling us a little about yourself? How did you first get into photography? And who or what has influenced you the most?

I am a medical doctor and a photographic artist. I started with photography in 2009 with a Leica M8. The 75-year old Japanese photographer Tomio Seike, who I adore because of his beautiful monochrome images, uses Leica. And another one of my heroes, the famous Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, does as well. Hiroshi works with the Leica M8, which inspired me to start with photography, using Leica.

You first began your professional life in medicine, how did the move to photography come about?

Working in medicine not only requires intelligence, but also a flexible, broad point of view and an appreciation for humanity. Photography also needs this, meaning the transition between medicine and photographs was almost inevitable for me. Both professions balance each other out nicely. Inside my brain, science and art are closely tied. It makes for a unique combination.