“The photographs of wild birds and nature that I love cannot be taken unless the world is calm and peaceful.”
A Photographer’s Promise to the Sky
Hiroto Fukuda’s journey into photography was not driven by a desire for fame or commercial success, but by a powerful sense of duty born from personal loss, a love for nature, and the unspoken dreams of his parents. Born in 1973 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Fukuda’s earliest artistic awakening came from an encounter with the kingfisher, a bird often described as the jewel of clear waters. This moment sparked a lifelong passion that gradually evolved into a mission. Even while working full-time as a company employee, he spent seven years photographing kingfishers, nurturing a vision that eventually pushed him to leave corporate life behind. His father’s final words, urging him to live without regrets, and his mother’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a photographer, gave him the courage to fully commit to photography. Their memory now forms the emotional bedrock of his practice, driving him forward through both creative triumph and physical hardship.
Fukuda’s approach is characterized by a deep reverence for his subjects. Rather than simply documenting wildlife, he seeks to capture fleeting moments with the grace and composition of fine art. His lens treats each bird not as a specimen, but as a living presence with its own rhythm and soul. This respect is evident in his shooting technique, where he prioritizes minimizing the stress placed on animals by keeping a safe, respectful distance. His works often feature birds suspended in elegant stillness or mid-flight, set against backgrounds that highlight their natural beauty. Moving beyond kingfishers, he expanded his focus to a wide range of wild birds, including crested serpent eagles and ruddy kingfishers, especially during his four-year period photographing on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. Eventually, he relocated to Kushiro City in Hokkaido to photograph red-crowned cranes, continuing his exploration of wild bird life with renewed purpose.
Photography for Fukuda is more than a visual medium; it is a form of spiritual and philosophical expression. He often likens his camera to a brush and light to his paint, transforming film into a canvas where nature reveals its quiet splendor. Each image is an attempt to translate the invisible — the atmosphere, the emotion, the harmony of the moment — into something others can see and feel. This aspiration becomes especially powerful when considered in light of his personal mission: to encourage people to reflect on peace, kindness, and the value of protecting nature. Fukuda’s deepest hope is that viewers of his work will feel a sense of joy and responsibility, choosing to cherish the Earth and its creatures more deeply. His photography exists not only to document, but to inspire a collective wish for a gentler, more compassionate world.
Hiroto Fukuda: Carrying Two Generations of Dreams
Family lies at the very center of Hiroto Fukuda’s artistic identity. His path to photography cannot be separated from the influence of his parents, whose lives quietly shaped his sense of purpose. His father, a dedicated railway worker, and his mother, the director of a children’s home, lived lives marked by compassion and integrity. Observing their hard work and values instilled in Fukuda a strong sense of duty and sincerity, yet also left him feeling conflicted when he considered leaving his stable job. For years, he hesitated, feeling that to abandon his career for photography would somehow dishonor their sacrifices. It wasn’t until his father’s final admonition — not to live with regrets — that he made peace with this inner conflict. After his father’s passing, his mother revealed her own abandoned dream of becoming a photographer. Her support and pride in his new path fortified his decision, and from that moment, Fukuda began to carry not just his own aspirations, but those of both his parents.
Their influence remains constant, even as he navigates the complexities of life with illness. Fukuda openly credits his parents with giving him the strength to continue, especially during times when his health makes photography extremely difficult. Despite battling chronic symptoms, including anemia, pain, hearing loss, and heart-related conditions, he continues to create — not out of obligation, but because he feels his work is an extension of their legacy. The emotional connection between his art and his upbringing also gives his work a profound depth that resonates with audiences worldwide. His photographs, infused with sincerity and quiet intensity, reflect the kindness and resilience his parents embodied. Through his lens, their values live on, not only in the images themselves but also in the compassionate gaze with which he captures his subjects.
Another formative influence on Fukuda’s philosophy came from a more painful place: childhood bullying. Those early experiences of cruelty left deep emotional marks, yet over time, he came to view them as a kind of unexpected gift. From those dark memories emerged an unwavering commitment to kindness — not just toward people, but toward all living beings. He credits that sense of empathy with shaping the way he approaches wildlife, always striving to be gentle and never intrusive. It has also shaped his personal relationships and outlook on life, leading him to wish for a world where everyone can smile freely and live without fear. His wife often tells him he is one of the kindest people she knows, a reflection of the empathy born from both suffering and healing. In his eyes, photography is a means to extend that kindness into the world, offering beauty as a source of hope and peace.
The Sacred Moment: Between Motion and Stillness
Among all the works he has produced, one photograph holds a unique and irreplaceable place in Hiroto Fukuda’s heart: a portrait of a kingfisher captured mid-motion. This image was selected as the cover for his debut photo book and remains his most cherished creation. It represents a turning point, not just in skill but in life direction. At the time, Fukuda was still developing his technical abilities and struggling to capture the notoriously elusive kingfisher in action. That particular shot, with its perfectly timed capture of the bird’s wings unfurling and droplets of water suspended in air, marked a breakthrough. It was both an artistic triumph and a symbol of his decision to pursue photography full-time. The image encapsulates the essence of his style — precise, painterly, and emotionally resonant — while serving as a personal emblem of transformation and resolve.
Another pivotal image in Fukuda’s portfolio features the red-crowned crane, a majestic bird often associated with longevity and grace. Captured after the onset of his illness, the photograph was painstakingly composed against a minimalist white snow background. Unlike the kinetic energy of his kingfisher work, this image centers on quiet dignity and balance. Fukuda followed the crane carefully, waiting for the precise moment when its form would be framed in stark simplicity, embodying an almost meditative stillness. The result is a photograph that not only resonated with audiences globally but also earned him multiple awards in international competitions. Beyond accolades, this work stands as a reflection of his inner world: shaped by struggle, tempered by suffering, and made stronger through endurance. The image speaks not only of beauty, but of perseverance, becoming a quiet testimony to the artist’s ongoing battle with illness.
Fukuda’s evolving relationship with his own body has subtly altered the artistic direction of his work. Once drawn to dynamic motion, capturing birds in the very act of flight, he now finds himself drawn to moments of stillness. The physical limitations imposed by his condition have encouraged a deeper contemplation of composition and mood, shifting his focus toward creating images that function more as visual poems than as biological records. This transformation has led to a more introspective approach, where silence, space, and subtlety carry emotional weight. There is a growing awareness of time, mortality, and fragility within his recent work — a quiet echo of the internal battles he faces daily. In each frame, there is a question lingering just beneath the surface: What does it mean to live meaningfully, even in suffering? His photographs seem to respond with a gentle invitation to slow down, to notice, and to find peace in the fleeting beauty that surrounds us.
Hiroto Fukuda: Art in the Shadow of Illness
Long before illness disrupted his rhythm, Hiroto Fukuda lived in near-constant pursuit of the perfect moment. Every day, regardless of exhaustion, he ventured into nature, knowing that unforgettable scenes rarely announce their arrival. He often slept in his car to maximize time in the field, investing enormous physical energy to build a body of work that would later gain the attention of Canon, Tamron, Nikkei National Geographic Japan, and the Japan Wild Bird Society. Yet, the pace he once maintained eventually took a toll. Today, Fukuda lives with numerous health challenges: heart complications, chronic fatigue, anemia, hearing loss, and pain in his limbs. Three times a week, hospital visits break up his schedule, and the physical cost of simply leaving the house is often severe. Despite this, he pushes himself to continue shooting, particularly during Hokkaido’s harsh winters when red-crowned cranes grace the snow-covered landscapes. These photographs, created at the edge of his physical limits, have garnered international acclaim and recognition.
Illness has not only altered Fukuda’s process but also deepened the emotional tone of his work. The vibrant energy of his earlier photographs has been tempered by a profound sense of quietude and reflection. Moments of movement are now balanced with spaces of calm, where the silence of nature speaks just as powerfully. This shift in focus mirrors his internal transformation. Living daily with the awareness of mortality has made each image feel like a prayer or offering. He sees his illness not as a curse, but as a gift that has sharpened his understanding of empathy, allowing him to create works that resonate with others facing similar hardships. His new ambition is to produce photographs that provide emotional comfort to those in pain, images that hold the power to heal simply by being seen. This desire has given his work a renewed purpose, transforming photography from a personal dream into a tool for shared healing.
Looking to the future, Fukuda dreams of publishing a comprehensive collection of red-crowned crane images, alongside a retrospective photo book that gathers highlights from his previous series. To realize this goal, he faces not only creative challenges but also practical ones. Medical treatment is ongoing, and he requires both surgery and a potential organ transplant, which will likely extend his recovery timeline significantly. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful. He speaks often of miracles and views each day as a gift to be used in service of art and peace. He is actively seeking sponsors and patrons who connect with his vision and wish to support his work—whether through collaboration, promotion, or acquisition. For Fukuda, every photograph is a step toward a future where art uplifts those who suffer, and where beauty reminds us all to live with kindness. His ultimate hope is that his images will help usher in a world where peace prevails and smiles are shared without fear.
