Fascinated with photography and motor racing at a very young age, Ryoma Kashiwagi spent a dozen years as a successful photojournalist covering the Middle East before finding his true calling as a fine art fashion photographer. Here he shares the fascinating story of how he came to create “Le Mans Classic 2014,” a work that may well be considered the masterpiece of his career.
Q: Can you provide us some background information on this portfolio? The images appear to be auto racing images from the Le Mans Classics, is that correct?
A: Yes, you are correct. The images were taken during Le Mans Classics 2014 held at the Le Mans circuit in Sarthe, France. There were many cars that joined during the race and they were all vintage and historical, a lot of older models from the 1970s and earlier. There were six different categories that the participants could join and they ran around the circuit.
Q: What was your involvement at this event?
A: I’ve taken many photographs of classic car racing events like the Mille Miglia and the Goodwood Festival of Speed for magazines and exhibitions. Recently, I visited the Le Mans Classic 2014 to do the same and I think I was able to take some amazing and fantastic photos during this event.
Q: You used the Leica T to shoot this portfolio, correct? What lens(es) did you use?
A: Yes, I shot all the photos using the Leica T with two lenses, the Summicron-M 28 mm and 50 mm. I have been using them for 15 years, and I’m also using an optical viewfinder.

Q: What stands out to you about the Leica T from a technical standpoint? Are there any features or characteristics of the T that make it especially suitable for your kind of work and why did you choose the Summicron-M 28 mm and 50 mm lenses?
A: I have used the film Leica M models for a long time. What I like about the Leica T is that it’s lighter and more compact than the digital M models and it’s thin like the analog Leica Ms, which is why I really love it. It also has a big digital display on the back, and thanks to the display, I think that it’s easy to control and orient for shooting vertical images when required.
I am so moody that I am often not in the mood to take pictures even when I’m on an assignment. However, I immediately want to take photos with the Leica T because it has such a good body design. The Leica T also has many great functions, and the best of them is the design that I believe embodies “the perfect beauty” factor.
Regarding the two Summicron-M lenses, my fingers have the perfect sense for setting the distance correctly. Thanks to the daily training I don’t need to check the focus in the finder, even when I shoot with my Leica M. As soon as I catch the subject, my Summicron lens focuses on it. My fingers and my Summicron-M provide the best combination for focusing, the fastest in the world. That point is the best in using the Summicron-M. No AF camera can vanquish it. During this event I missed only four focusing opportunities out of 600 shots. Also, the Summicron-M has good performance for rendering out of focus areas very well when I shoot at f/11-16.
Q: What kind of knowledge must a photographer possess in order to photograph cars and racing events?
A: I think a photographer has to have deep knowledge of specific racing events because there are different types of cars and they all have different forms, so when you take photos the framing will differ. For example, pre-World War II machines were very different, so when I shoot pictures of historical cars I change the framing depending on the car.
Q: How would you describe your photography?
A: I strive to capture sophisticated images that are intelligent and convey certain nobility.
Q: How did you get into shooting car racing and what are a few things that you learned that allow you to create “sophisticated images” that are “noble and intelligent?”
A: I  studied basic automotive engineering in high school and was fortunate to attend a school that offered specialty classes for mechanical engineers. Even now I can distinguish the sounds of different racing cars. While attending university, my favorite classes were aesthetics and philosophy. That’s why I’m thinking about sophisticated images, the noble and intelligent, constantly. By the way, I often create these sophisticated images based on the works of Baudelaire and other great writers.
Q: What does photography mean to you?
A: I think my photographs capture beauty and make my private world visible to others. I want to take pictures that can transport my audience to another world. And, even when my mission is reportage, I still strive to make images that are artistic.

Q: This image is a masterful off-center composition with large dark areas to the left and below the main subject that enhance its impact. The race is evidently taking place at dusk or after dark and the glowing headlights, slightly blurred but still identifiable image of the lead car, and streaked headlights of the following cars give a visceral sense of being there. It looks like you panned the camera and shot at a slow shutter speed to capture this dramatic image, but please tell us how you took the shot and provide the EXIF data if possible.
A: An image like this can only be used for 1960s or 1970s machines. Thanks to the expression possible with slow shutter speeds only round-shaped machines can exhibit their beauty. This image also needs lights on headlights to work effectively. I think I should take  high-angle photos to make the image look elegant, and low-angle shots to express the power of the latest machines because their shape has a powerful edge. EXIF data: 1/15 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100, non-flash exposure, Summicron-M 28 mm.

Q: This shot really communicates a lot about the auto racing experience when you look at the details. The racer is sitting back in the seat in a relaxed manner, clasping his gloved hands and wearing his helmet as he waits for the action to begin. The image conveys patience, focused energy and a deliberative professionalism. Surrounded by gauges and controls, he can see the clear, handwritten note to the right of the gear-shift lever listing specific data including the “window” of distance ranges and actual road speeds in different gears at various RPMs. It’s all about control, precision, and not taking any unnecessary chances. Do you agree, and what were you thinking when you pressed the shutter release.
A: All racers have different ways of concentrating. This scene was shot in the starting grid on the race track, and the engine was not running. Maybe he is wrapped up in imagining what will unfold on the track. I have caught this moment many times and what I feel here is his concentration. I remember such moments as often being too difficult to capture in an image, and the reason that he is standing firm, like a rock in a moment in time that seems stretched to infinity.

Q: This image is a graphic tour de force, an oblique composition that shows two people evidently looking over the racecourse from the high vantage point of an open window. The image is taken to another level by the dense clouds reflected in the windows of the building and the tension of having one of the observers partially cut off. What exactly is going on here, and why did you include this image in your portfolio?
A: I think that racing is dangerous and the people who enjoy watching such events also may perhaps be a little crazy. I took a shot of the crowd on the reflective surface of the building in order to portray the ever-changing condition of the circuit. The picture talks about what kind of condition the circuit is in. I like the stories that convey meaningful and intelligent feelings to the viewer.
Q: How do you see your photography evolving over, say, the next three years? Do you see yourself branching out into new genres such as fine art photography, or perhaps returning to the Middle East where experienced photojournalists are faced with an incredibly challenging mission, revealing the truth of what’s happening there to the world.
A: I think my mission will be create a portfolio that expresses my ultimate aesthetic statement. That was also my final goal as a photojournalist. For example, when I shoot high art fashion and racers in a documentary style, that represents just one technique. Now I’m interested in my latest challenge, to truly capture and convey my view of the world.
Q: Overall, are you satisfied with the coverage of high-stakes auto racing that is communicated through this portfolio, and do you plan to publish or exhibit these images anywhere other than the Leica Blog?
A: Yes, I like this “Le Mans Classic 2014” the most of all of my stories on this type of subject. I think it will become the masterpiece of my career. I have a plan to exhibit this series in Tokyo.
Q: Do you have any new or ongoing projects in the works that you are able to talk about at the present time?.
A: At this very moment, I am writing the scenario and making a storyboard. This story has a motif taken from the Japanese classics at the name of “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (however I renamed in my story “Tsuki/Kage no Hime”). And this story consists of an extensive series of graphic images. Incidentally these are all high art fashion photos that I will also shoot using Summicron-M lenses on the Leica T.
Thank you for your time, Ryoma!
– Leica Internet Team