Photographer and director Grant Yoshino elicits an elusive demeanor. His moniker – one-word Yoshino – is mysteriously alluring, attached to some of contemporary fashion’s most beautiful editorials. It sparked us to google his name, ‘Yoshino’, uncovering a gold mine of his work for Flaunt Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Elle US, Atlantic Records and more.
Currently building his team around Yoshino Studios, his work remains consistent – a tasteful blend of high fashion and fine art. We caught up with Yoshino on the cusp of his latest project, Artist Decoded, a podcast that explores his relationship with other artists. Read our exclusive Q&A below, and view more of Yoshino’s work here.
In the last 24 hours, what has inspired you?
The idea of transhumanism
How did you grow into your current style of photography? Were you always consistent in your imagery or did your style adapt over time?
The way I see the world is always changing, which in turn changes the way I shoot. I like to be open to change.
Do you remember the first photo you ever took that gave you that ‘ah ha’ moment – the ‘this is what I want to be doing’ feeling?
Not really the exact moment when I was taking a photo. I remember when I made the decision to become a photographer though. I was with one of my roommates in college and I told him I wanted to be a photographer without even picking up a camera yet. The next day I went to Costco to pick up a Rebel XTI which I later returned to get a Canon 5D. It was a very conscious decision to start photography.
What are 3 artist tools that you can’t live without?
My eyes, mind and health
You’ve worked with some pretty big names and faces, James Franco, Wiz Khalifa, Logan Lerman, Dylan O’Brien… – do you ever get nervous behind the camera?
Not really. I tend to just let things flow and not let those factors change the way I approach shooting.
When you’re shooting, do you view the completed editorial / campaign / project as a whole, or do you adapt and modify as you go?
It’s good to have a solid vision of where you want to take a project, but I think you have to be open to adapting as you go. There are too many unforeseen variables that can happen on set.
Best advice to your 18 year old self: Have no fear.
What do you hope others feel when they view your work?
I’m not too sure about that. I think others will feel whatever they feel because that will be their natural response to my subject matter. Everyone has different experiences, so I can’t really hope for a viewer to feel something and / or understand my point of view. I will just keep creating honestly and what’s true to myself. If people grasp onto it then that’s fine too.
Can you give us a hint to any current projects that you are working on?
I’m definitely exploring my work on the film side much more these days.
Also I just released my podcast, ARTIST DECODED.
You can find a link here that goes directly to my iTunes.
The podcast is about my interactions with other artists.
I’m also introducing artists to talk to each other on the podcast too 🙂
Words to live by:
“Just as a snake sheds it’s skin. We must shed our past over and over again.” – Buddha
