Photographer. Born in Osaka in 1938. After becoming a freelance commercial designer at the age of 20, Daido Moriyama began to work at the studio of Takeji Iwamiya in 1960. In 1961, he went to Tokyo to join “VIVO,” an agency led by Shomei Tomatsu, and afterwards, in 1964, he began to work as a freelance photographer. He has been positive about his work taking pictures and presenting them - for instance, he brought his photos of Yokosuka to the then photo magazine “Camera Mainichi” in 1965, and on the spot, it was decided that the magazine would carry his works. His major photo books include “Japan: A Photo Theater” (Muromachi Shobo, 1968), “Lettre à St. Lou” (Kawaide Shobo, 1990), “Daido hysteric” (Hysteric Glamour, 1993, 1994, and 1997), and “The Times of a Dog” (Sakuhin-sha, 1995). Also Moriyama’s “From Photos / To Photos” (Seikyu-sha, 1995) collects his essays. His large-scale solo exhibition “MORIYAMA” held at Fondation Cartier pour L’Art Contemporain from 2003 to early 2004 won high praise.

-What led you to become a judge?

Judging is not something I actually like to do. I have a tendency to think, there’s no time for it - it doesn’t leave enough time for me to do my own things to my satisfaction. But, on the other hand, I was a little curious to find out what today’s young people are thinking and what kind of photos they’re taking, so I became a judge.
Because so many works are submitted every year, it’s not actually possible to look at all of them in detail. Ultimately, choosing becomes intuitive - but the dynamic process of intuition is just as acceptable as the many other ways of evaluating photographs.
Still, every year it’s a painful process because I always obsess over whether I might have overlooked a really good photo. In many aspects, a photo is a relative thing, so limiting your choice to this or that photo is really hard to do.
If I were to say what’s rewarding about judging, it would be those moments when I look at an intense work that makes a real impact upon me. Every year there’s a piece that does that in some way, so I’m always optimistic. Still, I can’t say whether a striking piece will ultimately get a prize.

-Well then, what sort of piece gets a Daido Moriyama Prize?

I’d say I strongly tend to acknowledge people who are prolific. I’m inclined to think that if someone can produce that many photos then they’re not fooling around. Also, I like coarse imagery because I find honestly expressing the most basic desires that people possess captivating. The best is photography that despite having a pop, cheap, junky quality makes a strong impact overall. And then, though it’s the exact opposite, a single photo that takes my breath away is also something I always hope to encounter.

-As a judge, have you sensed any changes in submissions over time?

For a while, pieces created with color copying were popular but now there are definitely a lot of digital and processed pieces. It’s only natural that there is a connection between broader trends and submissions. Still, there are a lot of variations among the submissions in this competition. Whatever the major trend at a time is, you’ll also see that within that trend many people are looking for new approaches. But, I just don’t really see bold, trail-blazing work. Photography’s subjects are nothing more than reality, and without a doubt it’s hard to be innovative in such a medium. Still, all of the judges always dream that perhaps a photo will appear that knocks us flat and leaves us speechless.

-It seems that because you are one of the judges, a lot of people are submitting black-and-white snapshots taken on city streets.

Recently, fewer people are shooting in black-and-white so it’s something I want to encourage. I’m always inclined to judge such submissions with a generous eye (laughs). Because the other judges think that those are the kind of pieces I like they don’t select them, and so maybe I’m inclined to unconsciously favor them.

-What are you hoping to see in the current submissions?

I want to see pieces that honestly express the photographer’s deepest desires. Desire and art are directly connected. Also, I want to see people create carefully conceived pieces. Rather than paying attention to trends and techniques, start by thinking about your own desires, then bring that out and express it in your photos.