The Journey of Mamoru Horiguchi, the Photographer of Energy
Capturing and Conveying Energy ── The photographs of Mamoru Horiguchi resonate with the powerful energy that lies within his subjects. His work is beloved around the world not only for its beautiful composition and technical mastery, but for its ability to deliver vitality and emotion through the lens.
From the iconic dancer photo series “1/8th of an Instant ” to striking portraits of legends like Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Antonio Inoki, we trace the remarkable journey of photographer Mamoru Horiguchi.
From Osaka to New York: The First Step Toward Becoming a Photographer
Horiguchi’s photography career began at the age of 21 when he started working and living in the only professional rental photo studio in Osaka at the time. During Japan’s period of rapid economic growth, the studio was frequented by numerous celebrities, including the immensely popular Pink Lady. In this demanding environment, he worked tirelessly while building a solid foundation as a photographer. One day, a visiting photographer who had used the studio offered him the opportunity to assist on an overseas shoot. This sparked a growing desire in him to study photography abroad.
From Santa Monica, in the mid of traveling around the United States by Greyhound bus to New York, the journey was full of turmoil, including being attacked by robbers with guns
And finally, he set off for America with his sights set on New York, the city so many professional photographers recommended. Fortunately, the money he had earned working at a bustling fish market, drawn by its energy before his time at the rental studio, became the funds for his journey.
After many twists and turns, he arrived in New York, a city buzzing with ambition, where challengers from all over the world gathered with hunger and passion, carrying the scent of the latest tren
The first apartment he rented was in the Queens, New York.
New York, The Air That Creates Eras: Establishing His Own Studio
Upon arriving in New York, Horiguchi continued to take on challenges despite speaking little English. He gained experience by working as an assistant to renowned photographers, including American advertising photographer Jerry Friedman.
Test Polaroid from an American VOGUE shoot (left: VOGUE Director)
Later, while working as a studio manager at the studio of fashion photographer Les Goldberg, he was involved in photo shoots with supermodels and Hollywood stars such as Billy Joel’s wife Christie Brinkley and Rod Stewart’s wife Kelly Emberg.
His First Fashion Photography in New York
During a long-awaited vacation in Puerto Rico, Horiguchi experienced an unexpected incident, but it also reignited his appreciation for the joy of creating freely. This pivotal moment led him to decide to leave Les Goldberg’s studio and open one of his own.
To achieve this, he spent his days working in photography and his nights earning tips at a Japanese restaurant, saving up the $20,000 (approximately 5 million yen at the time) needed to establish his studio within a year and a half. That very restaurant was a hotspot frequented by iconic figures of the era, including Andy Warhol. Immersed in an atmosphere brimming with creative energy and cultural vitality, Horiguchi was deeply influenced by the spirit of a time that gave birth to a generatio
He transformed a rented space into a photo studio together with his friends
Plumbing work for the darkroom
After the renovations, approx. 1,600sqft
At the age of 28, Mamoru Horiguchi established his long-awaited photo studio at 153 WEST 27th Street in Manhattan. Setting up his own base in the heart of New York marked a major turning point in his career as a photographer.
Photographed from his own studio, with a view of the Empire State Building.
After setting up his studio in Manhattan, another turning point arrived. In pursuit of the photographs he truly wanted to capture, he temporarily relocated to Milan to re-study fashion photography. It was during this period that his renowned series “1/8th of an instant” was born, a collection capturing the motion of dancers at a shutter speed of 1/8 second. The series vividly portrays the fleeting energy hidden within movement and continues to receive international acclaim. The energy of the subjects in “1/8th of an instant” reflects a raw, inner vitality, an expression of life itself. (Details about this series will be explored further in the next issue.)
While pursuing his artistic endeavors in New York, he also photographed musicians such as David Bowie and Ben E. King. Among them was a then up-and-coming artist, Cyndi Lauper. He visited her modest apartment on the Upper East Side, a small studio she shared with a friend, and photographed her using natural light as she sat on the lower bunk of a bunk bed in the room. About 6 months later, she made a breakthrough appearance on a famous music TV show and quickly rose to stardom. It was a moment when he felt the American Dream up close.
Later, at the age of 37, he relocated his base to Paris. Inspired by the renowned Parisian photographer Brassaï, he would wander the streets of Paris every night with a Nikon camera loaded with black-and-white film in hand. Centered in Europe, the heart of the art world, he energetically held exhibitions of "1/8th of an instant" across France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and beyond.
A Photographer in Pursuit of Energy
Mamoru Horiguchi’s life has been a journey powered by energy. From cultural epicenters like New York, Milan, and Paris, he forged his path as a photographer while standing at the forefront of shifting times. Whether in advertising, fashion, or art photography, he fearlessly dove into foreign lands, undeterred by language barriers in search of creative freedom, continuously expressing himself through his lens. His unwavering drive radiates with a powerful energy that defines his work.
Drawn to that energy, extraordinary encounters naturally surrounded him wherever he went.
In the next issue, we will explore Horiguchi’s signature series "1/8th of an instant" and his work since relocating to Japan. The following issue will dive into "Smiling Baby", a project that could be considered the culmination of his photographic career. Stay tuned as we continue to trace the journey, and the future of photographer Mamoru Horiguchi.
48 Years in Photography.
20 Years Living Abroad as a Photographer.
(New York, Milan, Paris, Shanghai)
And I will continue to live as a photographer always!
Mamoru Horiguchi
■Career
Based in New York, Paris, Milan, Shanghai, and now Tokyo.
In 1978, Mamoru Horiguchi moved to the United States, where he worked as an assistant to renowned advertising photographers, including Les Goldberg. In 1984, he established the Mamoru Horiguchi Photo Studio in Manhattan, New York. He began his career as an art photographer with the globally acclaimed dancer photo series “1/8th of an instant”. He was one of twelve photographers, alongside Helmut Newton, to participate in the "Black, Round and Erotic" exhibition held throughout Asia. While focusing primarily on fashion photography, he has also captured portraits of notable figures such as Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and Antonio Inoki. His artistic works continue to attract international attention through exhibitions and permanent collections in museums around the world.
Currently, Horiguchi is active across various genres, bringing a photographic artist’s perspective to fashion photography, athlete portraits, and corporate portraits. He also founded the NPO Project Smiling Baby, working to address global environmental issues by photographing the smiles of babies in poverty-stricken areas and disaster zones, such as those affected by the Tohoku Earthquake.現
■Series: “1/8th of an instant”
■NPO Project Smiling Baby
He began his career as a photographic artist with the dancer photo series “1/8th of an instant.”
“1/8th of an instant” captures dancers in motion using a slow shutter speed of 1/8 second. By intentionally leaving motion blur as an afterimage, the series powerfully expresses the physical energy and dynamism of the human body. The series was featured three times in "ZOOM", one of the world’s leading art magazines, and has been exhibited in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan.
His works have been permanently archived in museums in the United States, Italy, and Belgium, as well as in Japan’s National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and the Kobe Fashion Museum.
A Movement to Spread Smiles Around the World Through the Smiles of Babies. Started in 2007, this project began when Horiguchi happened to photograph a smiling baby and felt a powerful energy, greater than that of dancers in that expression. Since then, he has continued capturing baby smiles as works of art. To date, he has photographed the smiles of over 4,700 babies. The project also supports impoverished communities abroad and areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and includes activities such as baby visits to senior care facilities.
■WORKS
◇Athlete
Antonio Inoki, Keiji Suzuki, Aaron Wolf, Kiyo Shimizu, Kayo Someya, Mayumi Someya, Mikiko Ando, Keiichi Kimura, Shiori Oikawa, Maho Segawa, Remi Anri Doi, Keisuke Ushiro, Koichi Nishimura, Megumi Murakami, Ryuji Miura, Sae Miyagawa, Michel Miyazawa, Masumi Kuwata, Emi Hariyama, Ikue Teshigahara, Misato Komatsubara & Tim Koleto, Yukiko Ueno, Ozu Moreira, Ryu Sasahara, Shogo Kimura, Miyo Yoshida, Kaito, Rui Ookubo, Naomichi Marufuji, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kazushi Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop, Royce Gracie, Hidehiko Yoshida, Bob Sapp, Takayuki Kohiruimaki, Seika Izawa, Rikuto Shirakawa, Ernesto Hoost, Musashi, Peter Aerts, etc.
◇Entertainer
David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Cyndi Lauper, Ben E. King, Hitomi, HIRO (EXILE), Hiromi Go, Akiko Yano, Kazufumi Miyazawa, Tsunku♂, Miyuki Kawanaka, Jang Dong-gun, Hyun Bin, Kumiko Aso, Eiko Koike, Ikki Sawamura, Yoshio Kojima, Midoriko Kimura, Kichiemon Nakamura, Sumire Haruno, Yu Yamada, Moe Oshikiri, Masanori Hata, James Rosenquist, Jim Dine, Donald Sultan, Terry Winters, Shusaku Arakawa, etc.
■SNS
MAMORU HORIGUCHI's YouTube Channel
Became a dad at 67 ch
https://www.youtube.com/@mamoruhoriguchi
Photographer trained overseas for 20 years[MAMORU HORIGUCHI】 ch
https://www.youtube.com/@mamoruh
https://www.instagram.com/mamoru_horiguchi
https://www.instagram.com/smilingbaby_project