Okinawa Technical High School wins national photography competition capturing “Okinawan warmth”
A shot from a set of eight photographs submitted to the final jury selection (courtesy of the Photography Koshien Executive Committee)
July 29, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
On July 29, students at Okinawa Technical High School won the 2021 Photography Koshien, a national high school photography competition. Every year, high school students from all over Japan compete to show off their techniques and eye for photography. This year, the young photographers from Okinawa Technical High School earned the Hokkaido Governor’s Award, which is equivalent to first place. The winning students set out to capture photos that “allow the viewer to feel the warmth of the Okinawan people and the atmosphere of their daily lives.” They were happy to showcase the allure of Okinawa to viewers through their pictures.
Due to the pandemic, the Photography Koshien was held online this year for a second time in a row. In total, 479 schools entered the competition and 18 advanced to the final rounds. Results of the preliminary jury selection on July 27 and the final jury selection on July 29, both open to the public, were combined to select the winners.
The theme of the final round was “future.” From Okinawa Technical High School, Yurina Nakamine, 17, a third-year student, Yurika Taira, 17, a second-year student, and Saki Kobayashi, 15, a first-year student, entered the competition. The three tried to capture “the warmth of the Okinawan people” in their photographs and selected the title, “Nankuru-Naisaa.” Nakamine said she “talked with [the subjects] for about 15 minutes before taking their pictures to capture their smiles.” Kobayashi took photographs of island bananas swaying on a tree during a typhoon and a middle-aged man fumbling about. She recalled of the man, “it looked like he was fighting the wind. I had a hard time holding on to my camera as well.” Taira, who is shy, laughed and said, “I was so nervous I was shaking [while shooting]. I tried hard to keep a steady hand.” She added, “Everyone was incredibly sweet and beamed at the camera. I think their kindness and ease can be felt through our photos.”
(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)
A shot from a set of eight photographs submitted to the first jury selection (courtesy of the Photography Koshien Executive Committee)
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