Herbie Yamaguchi: Open Aperture to Open Our Heart for Tomorrow
SUPER LABO is pleased to announce the release of a new book by Herbie Yamaguchi, Open Aperture to Open Our Heart for Tomorrow.
At the core of this work lies a simple yet profound idea: when we encounter new people and come to understand them more deeply, we experience a form of happiness that reminds us of the value of being alive. Yamaguchi translates this philosophy into his photographic practice, particularly in portraiture.
Working with a manual-focus camera—often paired with a fast lens—he embraces the few seconds required to achieve focus as an essential part of the process. In that brief interval, something meaningful can emerge: a genuine expression, a moment of openness, a quiet connection between photographer and subject. For Yamaguchi, these fleeting seconds, spent silently wishing happiness for the person in front of his lens, become a gesture that reaches toward hope and the promise of tomorrow.
About the Author
Herbie Yamaguchi is a Japanese photographer, born in Tokyo in 1950.
After completing a degree in economics, he moved to London in 1973, where he lived for about ten years. During this time, he became involved in a theatre group and worked briefly as a stage actor, while gradually developing his photographic practice. His early work documented the rise of youth subcultures, particularly the punk movement of 1970s London, shaped by his direct experience of that environment.His portraits of musicians such as Joe Strummer of The Clash brought him early recognition and critical acclaim.
After returning to Tokyo, he continued to travel frequently across Europe, photographing both artists and everyday people. Alongside his photographic work, he writes for magazines and appears on television and radio. He currently serves as a visiting professor at Osaka University of Arts.
