Hiromix

Hiromi Toshigawa, otherwise known as Hiromix, redefined the way female photographers are viewed in Japan. In 1995, her series, Seventeen Girl Days, won Canon’s 11th New Cosmos of Photography award. It provided viewers an unconventional look at the life of a teenage girl, random moments captured and edited into a 36-page photobook. In September 1996, Hiromix’s first book, ‘Girls Blue’ was published and sold a record number of copies.

[all images © Hiromix]

I’m sure that the debate of such ’snapshot’ photography has been discussed to death and that I’m just reopening a can of worms. What sets Hiromix apart from all the self-obsessed people who can’t stop taking pictures of their daily lives? Like Ryan McGinley’s work, these images may or may not work for you. For me, I think that the images are cool but I have no idea why they are so hyped up. Is this a product of our consumer culture, where the hottest is always the coolest and the best? It’s almost like how celebrities are created by the mass media, with more and more people raving about the newest guy/gal on the block.

More about her here, here and here.

p.s. I think she’s hot. Haha.