Satoki Nagata on Fstoppers

Bio

From the practice of Zen Buddhism I have learned that our existence is composed of interconnected relationships. This notion has inspired me to use photography to reveal and establish such dynamics and connections.
While in Japan, I attended Nagoya University where I gained BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in Neuroscience. After moved US in 1992, I started using camera and capture the people and city of Chicago. I learned photography from photojournalist Damaso Reyes.
Professional project started in 2010 with “Cabrini-Green: Frances Cabrini Rowhouses”. This project pervades to the present along with all the projects that have emerged from my continuing practice.
Photography is driven by vision and content. I find my subjects by following the currents and finding the social whirlpools of metropolitan Chicago. My series “Lights in Chicago” has roots in the first pictures I took when I arrived in Chicago in 1992, but the project officially started in 2011.
For “Lights in the City” I have been using a off camera flash on streets. I use light trees positioned behind the subject to produce the backlit effect.
Through unique illuminations, I aim to capture social and cultural complexities within our society. In opening my own mind to new and often frightful vulnerabilities, I offer the viewer an opportunity for parallel understanding and connectivity.
Satoki Nagata