This episode takes us to Hawaii where I talk to photographer and writer, Floyd K. Takeuchi, about his beginnings as a photographer and writer, and his artistic philosophy on creating beautiful images of the people and places of Micronesia, Oceania, and the Pacific region.

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Floyd K. Takeuchi is a writer-photographer who specializes in Hawaii, Japan and Oceania. He has had five solo photo exhibits in Japan and 15 shows, mostly solo exhibits, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was awarded “Best in Show” in one of Hawaii’s largest juried photo exhibits. A collection of his photographs was acquired by the College of Micronesia-FSM as part of that college’s 25th anniversary last year. He has also had commissions to photograph in the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands for new hotel developments in those island nations. Floyd has also spent more than four decades working as a journalist and media executive in Hawaii, Guam, Fiji and Japan. He has published four books based on his photography and writing, along with an e-book that includes more than 30 videos of the best dancers in Oceania performing at the Festival of Pacific Arts. An American with degrees from Boston University and the University of Hawaii, Floyd was born and raised in the Marshall Islands, and his family lived on Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, for nearly 20 years.

Website: www.floydtakeuchi.com

Instagram: @fktakeuchi

 Artist’s Statement; Floyd K. Takeuchi

After leading two media companies through the unchartered waters following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2009 Great Recession, I decided I was past due for an infusion of creativity, to remember why I became a journalist 42 years ago. And that was to tell stories that help people better understand the world around them. This time, I rely on a camera to tell those stories. And I made the decision to focus on stories that showcased beauty, physical and spiritual; that honored traditions; and, which emphasized cultural values of the Pacific region. I’ve followed that standard in nearly every large, small, commercial and personal photography project I’ve taken on over the past decade. Whether it’s been documenting the behind the scenes life of a hula halau or school for nearly two years, roaming the side streets of Tokyo searching for signs of solitude and peace in one of the world’s most frenetic cities, or as I have in recent weeks, traveling by small planes and boats in the outer atolls of the Marshall Islands to do portraits of the master weavers who are reviving one that nation’s great cultural and artistic traditions, I try to remain true to my artistic values: search out beauty; honor traditions; and, respect diverse cultural values.

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Here are some of the great photos by Floyd K. Takeuchi.  (Note: images are copyrighted by Floyd K. Takeuchi).

"Halau - A Life in Hula"

"Pasefika"

"Xavier High School: School on the Hill"