髙木 勇斗

YUTO TAKAGI ​Based in Kushiro, Hokkaido / Originally from Tokyo / Born in 1985 Graduated from Waseda University. ​After working for 13 years at a travel agency, I spent 6 of those years in Vietnam (Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City) as part of H.I.S.(travel agent), pursuing my dream of working abroad. "Travel is about fulfilling people’s dreams. If you keep helping others achieve theirs, you may eventually find your own." ​I worked with that belief in my heart, always asking myself what I truly wanted to do. In 2021, I was captivated by the vibrant world of photo editing through Adobe Lightroom. While managing tourism-related social media, I began teaching myself photography and editing. Within six months, I gained about 8,000 followers, and discovered the joy of trial and error through photography. ​That same year, after experiencing three personal wedding photo shoots (in Vietnam, the Maldives, and Hokkaido), I decided to become a photographer who could offer wedding photography to Vietnamese and other international clients. I quit my job, spent a year traveling across Hokkaido, and devoted myself to photography and editing from morning to night, building my skills from the ground up. ​In 2022, I moved to Kushiro, Hokkaido, and joined the city's Regional Revitalization Program as an Adventure Travel Promoter and Photographer. Since leaving my previous job for three years, I've taken over 500,000 photos, edited more than 50,000 in Lightroom, and sold over 250,000 images. My work specializes in portraits, landscapes, product and commercial photography (people, stores, items), animals, and vibrant, luminous editing with a clean, transparent feel. I also teach beginner-friendly photography classes based on my self-taught learning experience. ​Photography is about making dreams come true. It's about creating something precious for someone. And above all, it's the dream I truly wanted to pursue. If I can capture the most beautiful moment of someone's life, I believe it will bring joy — to people, to things, and to the world around us. May that one moment become a lifelong treasure for someone. ​TRAVEL × PHOTO — Connecting a world that keeps expanding.