chihi ( @chihi_film )

“Rather than creating or chasing the ‘perfect’ moment, I want to preserve the atmosphere of the moment that made me want to press the shutter.” — These are the words of chihi, a photographer whose work centers on family photography (@chihi_film).
A child absorbed in something, siblings laughing together, the lived-in scene of a cluttered morning room — chihi gently captures the quiet atmosphere that lives within ordinary days, together with soft light.
In this feature, alongside digital photographs taken with TOKYO GRAPHER filters, we also introduce her film photographs and ask about her perspective on preserving daily life, the gear she loves, and the way she relates to photography.

What matters most to me is not “creating” or “aiming for” the best possible moment, but preserving the atmosphere of the moment that made me want to take the picture. Of course, there are times when I intentionally set things up, but I still feel that nothing surpasses a photograph taken in the instant I truly wanted to press the shutter.
A child’s profile when they are deeply absorbed in something, siblings laughing over something silly, or the view of a cluttered room in the morning — I believe those ordinary moments that pass by so casually each day are often the very moments we long to return to later.
That is why I try not to over-arrange, not to interrupt, and to photograph from a distance that doesn’t disturb the rhythm of the scene.

I’m drawn less to staged light and more to the natural light and shadow that already exist within everyday life.
I love the soft light entering the living room in the morning, the slightly orange light coming into the kitchen in the evening, and also the calm light of rainy or cloudy days.
I want to focus on those moments when a familiar scene looks just a little more special because of light — and on that sense of seeing something differently through the camera.
I’m also fascinated by shadow: the space it leaves for imagination, and the way it allows light to stand out even more.

I mostly use digital for recording everyday life. I enjoy being able to express the colors I imagine — the colors I love — and there is also a sense of reassurance in being able to shoot freely and without hesitation.
Film, on the other hand, is something I reach for when I want to concentrate on the feeling of wanting to preserve something. Without overthinking composition or color, I simply release the shutter, and the excitement of seeing the developed images is a joy unique to film.
Because the number of frames is limited, each image naturally carries more of my feeling. That is one of the things I love about film.

The photographs below introduce the film images that chihi turns to when she wants to focus on the feeling of preserving a moment.

The camera I mainly use is the FUJIFILM X-Pro3. I love the feeling of looking through the viewfinder and taking my time, as well as the compactness that lets it blend naturally into everyday life.
For lenses, I often use a standard focal length around 50mm in full-frame equivalent. I like how it feels close to the distance between what I saw and what I felt, while still letting me frame the scene in a way that feels just a little more beautiful than simply “as it was.”

When I use TOKYO GRAPHER filters, they add an element of light to the image, so the result is not just a record of the scene in front of me, but something that feels closer to the atmosphere I experienced that day.
The slightly softened or diffused light, the imperfect and not overly tidy expression, and the way certain highlights can sparkle all make the image feel closer to the way it exists in my memory — and even a little more beautiful.
I also love how, with the Layer-X series as well, the scene seen through the viewfinder can look a little different from what I see with my eyes. Even the feeling of carrying the camera while wondering, “How will it render today?” makes the act of photographing itself richer and more enjoyable.

Special events tend to stay in our memory more easily, so I consciously want to preserve the ordinary days that might otherwise fade away.
A child trying hard to finish breakfast, an evening nap on the sofa, the time when siblings start playing together again as if nothing happened after a fight. As children grow, there are many things they gain, but also many moments that quietly disappear.
In the rush of daily life, I want to hold onto those times we may long to return to years or even decades later — the moments we will want to look back on someday.

At present, I mainly work in family photography, while also sharing thoughts on preserving daily life with children and on photo color-making through SNS and note.
I also regularly host an online photography class for those who want to enjoy photographing everyday life with their children.