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An ‘illustrated presentation’ explores Takeuchi’s photos
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Posted on Apr 29 2022
LEIGH GASES
Photojournalist Floyd Takeuchi shows off the Rolleiflex film camera that he uses for his film photography during his presentation, “Tropical Light,” at the American Memorial Park theater Wednesday night. (Leigh Gases)
Writer-photographer Floyd K. Takeuchi made a promise to himself in his art form “to focus on specific stories in particular that did three things: that they celebrated beauty, respected tradition, and honored values.”
That personal vow was the prism through which he did his work through his photographs in the Marshall Islands and in the Federated States of Micronesia. All that came together in an “illustrated presentation” called “Tropical Light” that Takeuchi did Wednesday evening for free at the American Memorial Park theater.
Takeuchi presented his photography work done over the past 10 to 12 years in Micronesia and FSM, along with some photos that he took from Saipan in 1964 when they moved from the Marshall Islands. He presented some of the photographs from his first shoot at Xavier High School in Chuuk as a photojournalist, his photography from the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts held in American Samoa in 2008, some photographs of “halau” or school of hula in Hawaii, some of his black and white photographs, landscapes, and portraits—all of which held the AMP crowd last Wednesday night entranced.
Takeuchi said he was given his first camera at 10 and now has a collection of 15 cameras, both film and digital. Prior to being a photographer, Takeuchi was a journalist. Since 2010, he has focused on using photography to tell Pacific stories.
Takeuchi, who is on island for just 10 days on other business, teamed up with the Northern Marianas Humanities Council to showcase his portfolio to the public.
NMHC executive director Leo Pangelinan said the presentation was in line with NMHC’s mission to enrich the lives of the Commonwealth’s people the through research, publications, programs and dialogue. “So what we’re hoping to do tonight is really work on our dialogue part,” he said.
Visit Takeuchi’s website at https://floydtakeuchi.com/books.
