The photo Stranger No. 1, by Shizuka Yokomizo, is a portrait of a man who is standing in the middle of the room while talking on the phone. The room is a living room and has brown textured wallpaper on the walls with three picture frames – two on the wall behind him and one on his right. Behind him there is a black chesterfield couch and a grey ottoman; in front is a white armchair. He’s dressed in a grey zip up hoodie and white boxers, something that you would wear at home. The setting portrays a sense of comfort and relaxation which is contrasted by the stern expression and the anxious posture of the man on the phone. The photo is taken from the outside in, using the Georgian sash windows as a frame to centre him to the middle of the photo and creating a pleasing composition that directs the viewer's attention to the subject matter. The textured pattern of the wallpaper gives depth and complexity while the pitch-black window frame accentuates the colour of the warm tone in the room. It Is an unusual portrait because it has the conventional features and qualities of a portrait is obscured by the window in front of the subject making it look as if we are looking through the eyes of the photographer.
There is a chance that Yokomizotookthe photo without composing it. What I mean by that is itcould’ve been by chance that she was there at the right place at the right time and took a snapshot of the man as he turned to look through the window.However, I'd say that it is more plausible to suppose that she saw the man as she was walking down a street and took interest.She then probably moved himself to get the right angle and either waited to get the perfect shot or took multiple and picked the one which turned out to be the best.To materialise the picture, I assume that she developed the image in a dark room.Digital cameras were a thing long before 1998, but at the time film cameras were still extremely popular and digital cameras weren’t as advanced as they are today.
The image makes me feel uneasy and tensebecause the man is looking straight into the centre of the lens initiating eye contact with me as I look at the image. The fact that the image was also taken through a window makes me feel like a trespasser, peeking into the homeof another human being. At a time of privacy,we can see what is going on in the man'spersonal life, infiltrating further inwards into somewhere that we are not supposed to be.If I were to ask Yokomizo some questions about the image I would ask: Was the person who you photographed aware of your presence? The reason I would ask that is because when we are aware that someone is taking a photo of us, we often change our posture or facial expressions to make ourselves look the best inthe photo. This can ruin the authenticity as we change ourselves to appeal to others rather than presenting ourselves forward in our natural state. Secondly, I would ask if she could explain her workflow. The basis of this question is to get an insight into how she goes about taking interesting images that do not fail to intrigue the viewer. This would be helpful with my own images as I could apply her processes to mine to become a more skilled photographer. A final question is: What does she look for in a scene for it to be deemed photograph worthy? This would make it possible to understand how she perceives theworld,which could influence how I see life and the world around me.
While looking into Yokomizo's work, I discovered that this photograph belongs to a series in which it holds the distinction of being the inaugural piece. The entire collection is interconnected by a recurring motif, where the subjects gaze towards the camera through windows or glass. Yokomizo employed a unique approach for these compositions, involving the correspondence of letters with unfamiliar individuals. These recipients would position themselves outside their windows during evening hours, allowing Yokomizo to capture their images. While this method was undoubtedly premeditated, the subjects' interactions and awareness of one another were absent. This adherence to the theme of "openings" is intriguing, as it provides us with glimpses into the lives of these anonymous individuals, despite our lack of knowledge about them. The window serves as a metaphorical portal, granting us access to their private realms that would otherwise remain concealed behind impenetrable walls.