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Oka Morikawa Click on image to enlarge and learn more about the photo.

In This Article
	Blending Photojournalism and Art The Challenge of the Club Maintaining Control, Creating an Edge Strategy for Going Global In Morikawa's Camera Bag Morikawa's Biography

Finland’s most esteemed wedding photographer actually spent the first decade of his professional life as an IT architect.

“I was designing software and doing 3-D animation and modeling,” says Oka Morikawa. “But I realized I was in the wrong line of work. I needed to do something more creative.” Plus, he liked being around people.

So, less than two years ago, after coveting his friends’ cameras and lenses for far too long, Morikawa went out and bought photographic equipment of his own.

“I started it as a hobby,” he says. Little did he know that his whole life would change as a result.  “I realized that photography was that elusive thing I’d been searching for — the reason for my being, the point to my life. I loved it instantly.”

He has not put his camera down since.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to photograph at first,” Morikawa admits. “I just knew I enjoyed taking pictures.”

In that first year, Morikawa estimates that he took over 100,000 photos. “Most of those were taken in and around Helsinki’s nightclubs,” he says. “As my style developed, I thought it would be great for wedding photography. The clubs were a great training ground for me.”

Not that his experience as a 3-D animator was for naught. “From there I realized that I have a good eye. I learned how to make the building models look good, where to put light and shadow. It helped me see how light works and how to use it in photography, which is crucial because I don’t use flash at all.  I don’t like artificial lighting. I like natural lighting.”

Today, while still “clubbing” every chance he gets, he’s proving that wedding photography can be a lucrative career in Finland, and a way to achieve creative fulfillment.

Morikawa’s work is often featured in Finland’s most popular bridal magazines, Mennään Naimisiin! Bridal Magazine and Häät ja Juhlat Bridal Magazine. Additionally, word-of-mouth advertising from ecstatic clients has generated a steady stream of brides and grooms eager for his fresh approach to capturing what is for many, the most celebrated and important day of their lives.

Blending Photojournalism and Art [Back to top]

Morikawa’s work has been described as fun and spontaneous, with great tone, movement, and character — a paean to Cartier-Bresson — that creates an air of mysteriousness and longing.

Morikawa describes his style as a blending of photojournalism and art, rooted primarily in intensity of emotion.

“I want to make photos that are more than photos,” he says. “I love people’s reactions — how they communicate with each other and the atmosphere. I’m always looking at how people look, how they laugh. When I get those key emotions in an artistic way, then I’m really satisfied. Those moments are what drive and motivate me.”

A self-taught photographer, Morikawa learned his craft primarily through studying the work of others, and through trial and error.

The two wedding photographers he looks to most for inspiration are Joe Buissink and Jeff Ascough.  “Buissink likes to photograph emotions and get very close up. Ascough is a master at storytelling,” Morikawa says. “I try to be in the middle. To shoot the people and capture the motions, then blend it with the background.”

The Challenge of the Club [Back to top]

Morikawa started his photography at nightclubs because those are places he has great access to, and that offer great opportunities.  “I know a lot of local DJs and people,” he explains. “And I can experiment with equipment, technique, and style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I don’t care. It’s my personal hobby. Whenever I have time, I return to clubs to practice and try new styles. Basically, in both wedding and club photos my purpose is the same: to capture emotions in a timeless and artistic way – but in clubs the environment is much more challenging.”

Indeed it is — the conditions are difficult, the backgrounds are erratic. There are spinning lights, strobes, low ceilings, black walls, smoke — all elements he likes to incorporate into his shots.

“It’s always a challenge,” he laughs. “Plus you have to use flash in the club, which can distract people and prevent you from getting that emotion that’s so crucial. This is one of the reasons I don’t use flash at all in my wedding photography.”

Challenges aside, Morikawa derives the same pleasure shooting in clubs as he does photographing weddings, “It’s still about people’s emotions,” he says. “When people are dancing in the clubs, they have intense emotions, which are actually quite hard to capture.”

Bottom line, he says, “You need to know how to use the camera, and use it fast. If you can get good photos with emotional intensity in clubbing conditions, you can get them anywhere.”

Maintaining Control, Creating an Edge [Back to top]

Initially, Morikawa provided his clients with digital files and left them to handle the printing. “But I saw some of the prints that my clients were getting from the local labs, and the quality was horrible. So I decided to add the prints to my packages so that I can control the print quality and my work can look its best.”

He specifies KODAK PROFESSIONAL SUPRA ENDURA Paper, saying, “I really like the Lustre surface. It has big, rich color and it’s really durable. Compared to other products, I think it’s superior.”

Seventy to 80% of Morikawa’s images are black-and-white, which he also prints on SUPRA ENDURA Paper. For clients who want something unique, he’ll print on ENDURA Metallic Paper. “I show them both and let them decide, because different clients have different tastes. The metallic is quite unique and it gives me a slight edge.”

Internationally acclaimed for his digital editing and retouching, he says, “It’s nice that cameras today have many automatic image adjustments for improving image quality, but you can get much better results if you do it yourself during RAW conversion and with ADOBE PHOTOSHOP Software.”

Morikawa relies on his own custom actions, as well as those others, such as Jeff Ascough, have developed.

“In my color photos, I often use the KODAK DIGITAL GEM Airbrush Professional Plug-In to clean the files and soften the photos just a bit,” he says. “It lets me retain the sharpness and the contrast, which is important to me.”

Strategy for Going Global [Back to top]

Today, barely two years into the business — with several [AG] WPJA awards under his camera strap, a talent for capturing timeless yet modern photos, and a strong connection with a loyal entourage of clients — his goal is as ambitious as you’d expect from someone unafraid to dive into uncharted territory head first.

“When I start getting international weddings and destination weddings, then I think I will have accomplished something.”

Currently, he has his sights set on New York City. “I’m connecting with wedding magazines in New York,” he explains. “And learning how the U.S. wedding business works.”

As for his marketing strategy, he relies mainly on Internet advertising. “In Finland, we have one wedding portal,” explains. “I run ads there and on Google.” This year he is also adding print to his mix, running full-page ads in the Finnish bridal magazine, Häät lehti, and in the U.S. bridal magazine, Grace Ormande Wedding Style. He also runs ads on FACEBOOK to develop and grow his U.S. clientele, and has followers on TWITTER.

“I just want to be the best,” he laughs. “Best in Finland, then best in the world.”
But he’s quick to concede that there’s no such thing as best. “It’s all about your style, and how you work.  I’m constantly trying to develop that, improve that, to raise the bar.”

In Morikawa Camera Bag: [ Back to top ]
KODAK DIGITAL GEM Airbrush Professional Plug-In Smoothes skin surfaces For a quick and powerful way of smoothing skin without blurring or affecting facial-feature detail. Achieve meticulous airbrush effects, automatically, without tedious, time-consuming masking and manual softening. Equalize unflattering facial highlights and shadows — smooth surfaces by reducing harsh shadows and highlights, minimize skin imperfections and other surfaces, while fully preserving details like hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and the true character of a subject’s face. Control image detail at three levels: fine, medium, and coarse. This plug-in can be used with both 8- and 16-bit image files.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Metallic Paper Distinctive output that stands out from the rest ... with century-plus image stability. ENDURA Metallic Paper has opened a whole new dimension for commercial and portrait output. Its glossy finish and metallic appearance create images with exceptional visual interest and depth that will appeal to both photographers and display designers seeking a unique look. Color images are vibrant with flattering flesh tones. Black-and-white scenes are stunning, with dramatic impact and fluid contrast.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL SUPRA ENDURA Paper Simplified lab production. Superior print quality. KODAK PROFESSIONAL SUPRA ENDURA Paper delivers the full capability to handle all portrait printing operations in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Long-lasting prints with pleasing color and exceptional flesh-tone reproduction.