Some projects start with a client brief. Others start with something quieter — a feeling, an image in your mind that won't leave until you make it real.

あなた, which translates from Japanese as "you", was that kind of project. A personal photo series built around the allure of human intimacy, where uniqueness and sensuality meet in a single frame.

The setup was deliberately minimal. A C-stand, a beauty dish with a grid, Profoto equipment, and one model: Philipp Gotthardt. Shot from below, the light carved into the body exactly as intended. Deep shadows, sharp contrast, the sheen of the model's latex trousers catching and holding the light in a way that felt almost architectural.

There is a tendency in photography to equate complexity with quality. More lights, more equipment, more people. This project was a reminder that restraint often produces stronger work. One light source, placed with intention, can do everything.

あなた was recognised with an Honourable Mention at the Monochrome Awards 2023, in the Professional Portrait category. The Monochrome Awards is one of the most respected international competitions dedicated exclusively to black and white photography. Running since 2014, it receives entries from professional photographers across the world and is judged by an international jury with backgrounds spanning editorial, fine art and commercial photography. Being recognised in the professional category, competing against established photographers globally, is a meaningful benchmark in any photographer's body of work.

The recognition mattered, but the work existed before the award and would have existed without it.

This is the kind of photography that sits outside any brief. It is personal, deliberate, and entirely about the image.