what's the point of my art? why do i do it? what does it mean?

it's a personal thing. i create art because i love it. i take pictures of what is interesting to me, in a way that i personally find meaningful. if i can share them with others who appreciate them, that's great. actually, i'm quite glad that other people like my stuff, though my favorites aren't necessarily ones that other people like. i get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing an image come out in the developer tray. taking the shots is fun too, but my favorite thing is having the actual print right in front of me. composition is the most important element to me, and i use it mainly to convey my thoughts and feelings. i also appreciate tone very much; some of my most expressive, beautiful images have a gentle gradiation of grays. i tend to like more dark images, night time and low light shots. i like to experiment with my images, trying new darkroom techniques as i learn of them and trying to create my own.i love to work in the darkroom, with the smells of chemicals in the subdued atmosphere. i love to mold and shape the image, until it's just right.

when i'm happy and everything is going well i go out and shoot. when everything seems to be falling apart and i long for death, i work in the darkroom. indeed, the low times are when i need to create art the most. photography is my passion, and i intend to continue doing it for the rest of my life.

-hikaru