Hi, I’m
Yaki.

I photograph people one-on-one and in the middle of festivals, performances, parties, and other gatherings. I’m usually looking for the point when someone settles in, gets playful, or shows me something I could not have planned.

YAKIPICS is a personal, evolving portrait project. I want to keep it open enough to follow the people, places, and ideas that genuinely interest me. That freedom lets each shoot be shaped by the person or situation, instead of by a fixed formula.

Some pictures are made slowly and collaboratively. Others appear for a second and are gone. I care about the technical side, but mostly because it helps me be ready for the expression, gesture, bit of light, or relationship that makes a picture feel specific.

My favorite portraits tend to be warm, playful, a little offbeat, and sometimes harder to explain. I hope the work keeps getting more personal and surprising as I go, while staying fun for the people in front of the camera and for me.