Hey, my name is Yoshi. I'm a Rotterdammer with Asian roots. An east-meets-west globetrotter who, by accident, swallowed both the red and blue pill, resulting in side effects such as permanent wanderlust and shutterbug syndrome.
A bird so big, I thought it was a duck.
My first camera was an Olympus PEN E-PL7. I bought it on the very last day before my flight abroad. "I'm going to live in the Netherlands!" That's my inner voice screaming, can't hold back the excitement. It was a big change in my life, and I wanted to photograph everything.
My first "big" photography subject? A bird so big, I thought it was a duck. "Look! A duck on the street!" I yelled enthusiastically at the free walking tour as I pull out my camera and started shooting.
Little did I know, that "duck" was a seagull. Seagulls aren't majestic fowls, they are food-snatching avian jerks! Where I come from, the only avian jerk I know of was the "UwU" bird. Technically, they are called Asian Koels (I had to google), and man, do these birds know how to escalate a screeching crisis!
Stranger in a strange new place.
In a place of strange foreign language, I can't count how many times I've walked into the wrong bathroom. How many times do I have to tell you? "Heren is for the men's, Dames is for the ladies." Well done, Yoshi! You've done it again!
You know what else I thought was strange? Savoury pancakes. My whole life, the only pancakes I had eaten were sweet pancakes. "Ham in pancakes? That is so strange." I blurted those words on my first visit to a Pannenkoekenhuis (what a mouthful!), and that was when I had my first pleasure of experiencing Dutch Directness from the old lady who was taking my order.
"No! That is not strange! If you don't like it, order something else!" The old lady scoffed at me in a very thick Dutch accent. Slightly taken aback, I nervously smiled and said, "I'll have the banana pancakes, please!" while inside my head I was thinking, "Err, rude much?".
Travelling, shooting, and making friends, on set and off set.
With comedian Matteo Lane, DJ Dennis Sheperd and singer-songwriter Plamen Dereu.
With comedian Matteo Lane, DJ Dennis Sheperd and singer-songwriter Plamen Dereu.
Making friends through food & fun.
New guy, new place, but no friends. Is it because I'm that weirdo who's never seen a seagull? Or is it my disdain for savoury pancakes? Just setting the record straight, I don't have anything against savoury pancakes. As a matter of fact, I actually do enjoy ham in pancakes! The only thing I don't enjoy is Satay dipped in Peanut Butter. Some folks seem to enjoy it, but that combination is so repulsive, it's a culinary crime!
I did make a lot of friends, eventually. I did that through food exploration. "I'll show you what a Real Satay is!" said me, a person who didn't know how to cook. I was so determined to make the authentic satay sauce, I actually made it after yet another homesick trip to Amazing Oriental to buy the ingredients.
The only cost of this experiment? Blisters and burned fingers. Making satay sauce is more labour intensive than I thought. You'd literally have to melt the peanuts in very hot oil to get that rich nutty scent. Over-fry the peanuts, and it tastes bitter. Under-fry the peanuts, and the texture is grainy. This demand of constant, precise attention, feels like a tightrope walk in the kitchen. Never again! And don't get me started on making poached eggs! That's a story for another time!
Vain selfies, real connections.
Tragedy brings people together; food invites people to gather. I would invite new friends out for food, we would explore the city together, and of course, I would bring my camera along to capture the experience. A feast for the mouth, and a feast for the eyes! Sounds like a win to me!
But you know what's the real win? Cameras with built-in Wi-Fi! At that time, Instagram was becoming the "it" platform for posting photos, but phone cameras didn't have Portrait Mode. If you really wanted to take beautiful photos with shallow depth of field, the only option was to use a real camera.
Although I have switched over to Sony full-frame cameras, Olympus cameras will always have a place in heart. Micro 4/3 sensor in a compact body made it a great choice to lug a camera around everywhere. Pairing it with my favourite 45mm f/1.8 prime lens, I have captured so many beautiful travel portraits that I could instantly transfer to my phone and AirDrop to my friends. It was a real hit and a great way to make friends!
Over 40+ countries and 150,000+ photos.
Over the past 10 years, I have travelled to over 40 countries, exploring new places, meeting new people, trying out new foods, learning new words, immersing in new cultures, and... shooting over 150,000 photos. I've bitten off more than I can chew, as I often struggle to cull and curate these photos!
Back then, I was an introvert software engineer who avoids socializing. Now, I'm fairly comfortable meeting new people. I'd like to think that I'm a calm, cool, collected guy with an open mind and a worldly perspective. At least, I'm trying to be that person.
I could do this professionally, but...
Being a photographer is just a side gig. I'm a software engineer by trade. You should take me as your fun, easy-going hangout buddy or travel buddy, who also takes good photos and can hold a conversation.
If you've managed to read up til this point, congratulations! You now have a sense of my personality and humour. Now leave your baggage by the door because only good vibes are allowed when you are shooting with me!
With celebrity fashion photographer Kim Mun @kimmmmunnn (Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Vogue) who showcased one of my photos as seen in the Neon Syndicate gallery at Sony Alpha Workshop 2024.
Want to Shoot with Yoshi?
Think we'll get along well? Want to connect, hang out, explore the city and do some photo shooting? Drop me a message below!
Thanks for your message. I will reach to you soon!
Yours truly,
Yoshi
Yoshi
