Japanese photographer Satoki Nagata, a Chicago transplant, finds inspiration and material in the streets of his adopted hometown. In his ongoing series titled Lights in Chicago, he captures dazzling, candid portraits of strangers walking the city at night. Using a remote-controlled flash, he backlights his unsuspecting subjects to create an eerie, silhouette effect.
Nagata, a Neuroscience PhD who immigrated to the US to pursue a scientific career, started photographing pedestrians soon after setting up in Chicago. Before long he gave up science to pursue a full-time career in photography.
Speaking about his practice, Nagata told The Leica Camera Blog:
“I started by taking candid street photographs but soon after I realized that I am really interested in photographing the individual person. I chose to take photos closer and more connected to the subject. When I got closer and developed intimate relationships with people, the images were different in comparison to those previously taken from a distance. This oriented my photography towards a more documentary style.”
(via My Modern Met)