Ariel Lee | Tokyo
Ariel Lee is a full-time content creator and mother residing in Tokyo.
Through her work, she captures and shares the beauty and cultural richness of Japan — from the delicate blooms of each season to the vibrant energy of traditional festivals.
How did you first get into photography?
I’ve been interested in photography since I was a child, but I didn’t take it seriously until I moved to Japan. After giving birth to my son, I was suffering from PPD (post-partum depression), and I decided to take a solo trip to Japan (from Shanghai, where we were living) with my son.
It gave me a lot of confidence to be able to travel with a baby and capture a lot of wonderful photos by myself with a tripod and Bluetooth clicker.
I dusted off my old Canon EOS 100D in September 2021, and started to learn to shoot in manual in aims of pursuing a career in content creation.
What subjects or themes do you most enjoy photographing and why?
Most of my photography is related to the seasonality and cultural aspects of Japan. I go to a lot of shrines and temples, as well as traditional festivals. But my favorite subjects to shoot by far are people doing what they love, especially craftsmen and performers. You can see the love they have for their craft through their facial expressions and actions.
I’m most proud of the Grand Sumo photos I take, as it is action packed with lots of cultural significance.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned through photography?
It’s not about how expensive the gear is or the presets. What makes a photo unique is the artist/photographer behind it, who knows how to work the gear, the lighting, and the angles in order to tell a story.
Sometimes we might take inspiration from the photos of other photographers for certain techniques or ways of capturing something, but never forget to add your own personality/story/voice to it.
What advice would you give to your younger self when you were starting out in photography?
Start shooting in manual mode earlier and experiment with different types of lenses. I’m a creature of habit, so I was comfortable with my kit lens and auto mode for the longest time. It’s not necessarily bad since it allowed me to focus just on the framing and composition.
But after I started to shoot in manual mode and tried new lenses, it was a game changer. Since then, I’ve been able to express so much more of myself.
How has photography changed your perspective on the world?
It has made me notice so much more detail in the world around me. The angle in which I look at things, people, and events has also changed a lot. It has really made me appreciate how technically difficult some shots I see from other photographers can be, so it really motivates me to learn more.
Photography is rarely tedious or boring, I can find fun in it even on dark, rainy days.
