Ryo Ohwada has a masters degree in media art studies from the Tokyo Polytechnic University Graduate School of Arts. Since the selection of his work for inclusion in the "50 Photographers of Tomorrow" exhibition at Switzerland's Musée de l'Elysée in 2005, his photographs have been shown at various galleries and art fairs inside and outside Japan. He provides photo artwork for use in magazines, advertisements, CD jackets, etc. His published books include prism (Seigensha) and Notes on Photography (Libro Arte Publishing).

Comment

With these diverse images submitted with the central theme of "new angle," I can say that I, as viewer, have also made a discovery. This discovery was that in the new ways of looking at things, in the looking at things from a slightly different angle, and in the renewed awareness of everyday things, we are able to catch glimpses of the histories and daily lives of the photographers themselves. It is extremely difficult to generalize about the photographs as a whole, but one impression I received was that many of the images were shot very carefully. Evidence of the consideration given to photographic elements such as framing, composition, and exposure could be seen in the photographs themselves, and I was able to intuit the thinking that prompted the pushing of the shutter. I also enjoyed viewing the everyday snapshots taken for the sheer enjoyment of photography. There were many overseas entries for this year's contest, and through them I was able to enjoy something of the daily lives of people around the world. At such times I would strongly feel that an extremely important aspect of photography is the documentary character of the photograph.