Lui Araki is one of the OGs of the Japanese scene and was already riding for Zoo York in the ‘90s. For an even longer time, he has had a photo camera in his hand and developed such a level of craftsmanship that is only rarely found nowadays. Not only does he take analog photographs, but he also develops color films and prints color photos in his own apartment. The precision with which he shoots his photos within seconds is most impressive – he just has an eye for the right composition. When I met him at an exhibition in The Quiet Leaf headquarters in Seoul for this interview, he hung up his images within a few minutes, perfectly aligned without having to rearrange anything further. It takes an innate intuition combined with years of practice in order to reach such a level of mastery.
Frontside Bluntslide | Photo by XXXX
First, I just did it to remember and just took photos of my friends for fun. I kept shooting and got lucky.
I really like to just walk around and find good things. I’m happy when I capture certain moments. That’s why I try to shoot really quick.
I’m not thinking of anything special. It’s more of a feeling that accompanies me when I walk around in different cities, especially in other countries.
A lot of skate trips for sure. Hong Kong, New York, Paris.
"If other people notice me, a picture loses everything. The feeling is gone."
First, I just did it to remember and just took photos of my friends for fun. I kept shooting and got lucky.
I really like to just walk around and find good things. I’m happy when I capture certain moments. That’s why I try to shoot really quick.
I’m not thinking of anything special. It’s more of a feeling that accompanies me when I walk around in different cities, especially in other countries.
A lot of skate trips for sure. Hong Kong, New York, Paris.
Yeah, Japan is very special, but it’s really fun to shoot in other countries because it’s fresh.
Hong Kong and New York. I used to ride for Zoo York, but I haven’t been in New York for 15 years and then I went last year. It’s so much fun to shoot. The first day, my muscles got fucked up because we’ve been pushing around all day. I couldn’t skate for two weeks, so I went to shoot every day.
Through a Japanese distribution. There was another Zoo York rider in Osaka. We went to New York to go on skate tours with the Zoo York crew every year. We always stayed at Jeff Pang’s house. After that, Ecko bought Zoo York and everything changed.
The framing is very important. It’s very easy to get a good photo when you crop it. It’s a little bit harder this way. I like that, it’s more challenging.
Sometimes I make mistakes for sure, still today. It used to take me like a minute to take one photo, but now it takes maybe three seconds. That’s why no one notices me. If other people notice me, a picture loses everything. The feeling is gone. It’s the best when no one notices me.
My kitchen is my darkroom, I print in there. One print takes an hour, sometimes two, and sometimes I have to give up on pictures.
Just taking a photo is very easy. I feel like it’s a little bit boring, but the thing with shooting on film is that I only see the results when I go back to Japan. So I look at them, see what I did wrong, and know that I have to come back.
Frontside Bluntslide | Photo by XXXX
First, I just did it to remember and just took photos of my friends for fun. I kept shooting and got lucky.
I really like to just walk around and find good things. I’m happy when I capture certain moments. That’s why I try to shoot really quick.
I’m not thinking of anything special. It’s more of a feeling that accompanies me when I walk around in different cities, especially in other countries.
A lot of skate trips for sure. Hong Kong, New York, Paris.
Yeah, Japan is very special, but it’s really fun to shoot in other countries because it’s fresh.
Hong Kong and New York. I used to ride for Zoo York, but I haven’t been in New York for 15 years and then I went last year. It’s so much fun to shoot. The first day, my muscles got fucked up because we’ve been pushing around all day. I couldn’t skate for two weeks, so I went to shoot every day.
Through a Japanese distribution. There was another Zoo York rider in Osaka. We went to New York to go on skate tours with the Zoo York crew every year. We always stayed at Jeff Pang’s house. After that, Ecko bought Zoo York and everything changed.
The framing is very important. It’s very easy to get a good photo when you crop it. It’s a little bit harder this way. I like that, it’s more challenging.
Sometimes I make mistakes for sure, still today. It used to take me like a minute to take one photo, but now it takes maybe three seconds. That’s why no one notices me. If other people notice me, a picture loses everything. The feeling is gone. It’s the best when no one notices me.
My kitchen is my darkroom, I print in there. One print takes an hour, sometimes two, and sometimes I have to give up on pictures.
Just taking a photo is very easy. I feel like it’s a little bit boring, but the thing with shooting on film is that I only see the results when I go back to Japan. So I look at them, see what I did wrong, and know that I have to come back.
I use the Leica M3 because it’s really silent, so nobody notices me. I used to shoot with the Nikon F3. It had a good feeling, but it was too loud, so I replaced it. I really love that one, it has the best feeling.
I didn’t get the chance yet, but it’s something I want to do in the future for sure. Lately, I have been getting more and more requests to shoot photos, so that’s the perfect opportunity to practice. I want to get on a way higher level, so I have to study a lot. I want to do more, not only street scenery.
Girls… sexy girls. Nah, street photography is the best. I get high from walking around. That experience is really good for me.
I can walk forever. It’s so fun.
In Tokyo maybe five shots a day, but of course, if I go to other countries, it might be three rolls a day. Last time I went to New York, I shot 80 rolls. It took one month to develop them. It was so crazy, but it’s worth it.
