Fashion photography is a profoundly complex subject. It's not just the beauty of the clothes and the models, but also the stories that unfold through the lens that captivate the viewer and transport them to a fantasy world. What thoughts reside within the mind of a photographer who manipulates color and light to continue to move people's hearts? We spoke with Maciej Kucia (AVGVST), a genius photographer whose work has appeared in the fashion pages of prestigious magazines like GQ JAPAN, as well as music videos and TV commercials. --The subjects in your work seem to exude a strong inner charm. Do you provide detailed direction during the shoot? Not at all. After all, a person's inherent charm cannot be brought out through direction alone. I simply enjoy the chemical reactions I can create by pressing the shutter at the right moment within the allotted shooting time.

--Do you ever offer ideas for the set or styling?

I sometimes leave it to the art director or creative director, and sometimes we decide together, but recently I've been given more and more opportunities to decide the theme and direction of the shoot.

In those cases, I especially spend a lot of time preparing. First of all, I didn't grow up in Japan, so I have almost no prior knowledge of the actresses or actors I'm photographing. So I start by searching the name of the person I'm photographing and thinking about what kind of image I would like to create if I were to photograph them. By doing this, by the time the shoot begins, I have a clear vision of the type of shot I want, and I can often finish in a short amount of time.

By the way, I also discover things that I discover precisely because I know so little about my subject's past achievements. What I mean is that it's only once I start shooting that I realize, "Huh? This person has such interesting reactions," or "I didn't know they had this other side to them" (laughs).

--That's interesting. It seems that Maciej's improved mood will make the other person look even happier. By the way, what brought you to Japan in the first place?

I simply love Japan (laughs). I had visited once on a trip before moving here permanently, and at that time I fell in love with Japan and wanted to work here. So in 2000, I became independent as a fashion photographer in my native Poland, and in 2008 I moved to Tokyo and began working as a freelance photographer.

My mother and brother are also photographers, so I've been interested in commercial photography since I was little. So, becoming a photographer itself seems like a natural progression for me, but as for why I came to Japan, it might have been a fateful encounter.

--Are there any differences between Japanese and Polish fashion photography?

It's the same as the difference between Japanese art and European art. I think the biggest influence on photography comes from everyday life. Japanese houses have had large windows since ancient times, and rooms are divided by shoji screens rather than walls. I think this is because Japanese people prefer the soft, warm atmosphere of whitish light. Westerners, on the other hand, prefer warm colors and lighting that is not too bright. This difference is clearly reflected in photography. Western photos tend to be somewhat dramatic or like a scene from a movie, while Japanese photos have a very bright and gentle impression.

Another big difference is probably due to the difference between sex appeal in Europe and sex appeal in Japan. That's because sex and fashion are very closely related.