This is the photograph that threw me right in at the deep end. It was December 2015 and I was working in the video games industry as an art director. I had a graphic design background and so I definitely had an artistic eye and could compose an image – but all I knew about the camera was how to press the shutter button.
I was based in Canada but was on holiday in Tokyo. I was walking back to my hotel one night in the rain when I came across this taxi driver – he was waiting for a couple to leave a love hotel. The passenger door was open, causing the interior to light up. A lot of luck was involved. I had saved up for and bought a new camera, but at the time I didn’t really know how to use it. I took several pictures of this same scene and they were mostly blurry, but this shot came into focus.
If it looks composed that’s because I was thinking of all the movies and cinematography that I love: Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love or Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. It was all just there in front of me. Before this moment, I was just a visitor in the city taking photographs at regular tourist spots.
I didn’t have any social media presence back then, but I would occasionally share pictures on my personal Facebook page. I put this image online and it created a real buzz with my friends, who encouraged me to take more in the same style. As a result, I spent each night of my holiday capturing the streets of Tokyo after midnight. When Adobe and the Saatchi Gallery shared it things went wild. It was quite intimidating. I didn’t consider myself a photographer, and yet suddenly my work was being viewed by thousands of people and in great detail. I found it challenging. I hadn’t even heard of the phrase “pixel peep” – when other photographers look closely into every single detail of an image and find its flaws. But it made me want to practise more to master the technical side of photography rather than just relying on the camera’s automatic settings.
I specialise in night photography now, so I’m often walking around looking for a strong light source. Low-light photography has its own set of challenges, which I love. I probably wouldn’t have noticed the taxi driver if he hadn’t been lit up by the open car door. I know the door invites a story, but I’m not a storyteller. I’m actually really bad at writing. When it comes to photography, for me it’s really about capturing moments. I’ve never had to inject a narrative into my photography work, I much prefer to leave it open to interpretation.
A lot of people tell me my work reminds them of Blade Runner. Every still in that movie is like a painting. Roger Deakins, who worked on Blade Runner 2049, is one of my main inspirations – he’s brilliant at using strong silhouettes and restricted colour palettes. I try to combine the kind of treatment you see in films with the composition techniques of old black-and-white photographers. My absolute favourite is Fan Ho and his 1950s images of Hong Kong. But I never went down the route of that style of photography. It was more about seeing movies and trying to figure out how I could apply those techniques to street photography and combine it with my expertise developing styles as an art director for video games.
It was in Tokyo during that trip that I discovered another key influence. I’d been to the Imperial Palace and stumbled upon the old book district, Jinbōchō. I found an old copy of the late Syd Mead’s art book: Kronolog – a rare discovery in perfect condition with the LaserDisc still in its wrapper. Mead had worked on the original Blade Runner and it was his work that inspired my photography.
I think people found the image compelling because it felt like a frame from a movie. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect image, but it means a lot to me and was the beginning of my series TO:KY:OO – capturing the beauty of Tokyo at night. The photograph kickstarted my photography career, which in turn connected me with people and opportunities that would not have been possible had I never pressed the shutter button.
• Liam Wong’s book TO:KY:OO is published by Thames & Hudson.
Born: Edinburgh, 1987.
Training: Art degree from Abertay University, Dundee.
Influences: Syd Mead, Hideo Kojima, Wong Kar-Wai, Roger Deakins, Fan Ho, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Saul Leiter.
High point: “Connecting with people through photography.”
Low point: “Lacking the confidence to pursue art as a career.”
Top tip: “Find your voice – seek all of the things that inspire you and create something wild.”
