Japanese photographers are technically good, full of advice and tips, make some perfect negatives, way better than the messy ones I produce. But when it comes to making a picture that truly becomes a « fragment of the world » (and perhaps I have made no more than ten since I left, though I value them more than any picture made by any professional photographer) they stand no chance as long as they continue to live as craftsmen rather than as poets.
I am delighted to discover that photography demands the exact same things as writing: it requires to enter a state of genuine vision, trust one's instincts, and be bound to the subject by a deep affection, or a deep hatred.
Simply wandering through a beautiful landscape with an excellent camera is a pleasure, but it is never enough.