KURIBAYASHI Satoshi
KURIBAYASHI Satoshi 栗林 慧 (1939-) Shenyang, China. Nature photographer, especially insects using his own custom-built camera for extreme closeups.
Education Studied at Tokyo College of Photography (Tokyo Sogo Shashin Senmon Gakko), 1962-63
Career Member of the Ground Self-Defense Force for 4 years, then worked at an insurance company for 5 years during 1959-69. Studied photography and entered photo contests at the same time.
Turned freelance photographer in 1969. Won numerous photo awards in Japan and published many books about insects.
Awards Newcomer Prize, Photographic Society of Japan, 1978; Nikon Salon Ina Nobuo Award, 1979; Western Japan Culture Prize, 1991; Award of the Year, Photographic Society of Japan, 1992; Award of the Year, Photographic Society of Japan, 2002 for photo book "The World of Kuribayashi Satoshi"
The World of Kuribayashi Satoshi
Published: 2001-04-27
Publisher: Gakken
ISBN: 4054012507
Price in Japan: Y4,935
Qualities: A4, hard cover, color photos
Language: Japanese and English
Satoshi Kuribayashi is one of Japan's most prominent and innovative insect photographers. He has published numerous books and makes his own custom cameras for extreme wide-angle and close-up shooting. He makes the insects look like giant insects. Pretty scary if these insects were as big as a dog.
His shooting angle is so close and intimate that he really gives you an insect's eye view of the world and fellow insects. You can see the mouth of the grasshopper devouring a leaf or the tongue of a fly licking off a watermelon. He also does ultra-high speed photography (1/25000 sec.), freezing the insect's wings in motion.
This award-winning book shows all his major works. It will even make people normally uninterested in insects to be very intrigued.
Cosmos in the Grass
Published: 2000
Publisher: Kurivision
ISBN: -- Price in Japan: Y3,390
Qualities: DVD, 18 min.
Language: Background music only
Satoshi Kuribayashi is one of Japan's most prominent and innovative insect photographers. He has published numerous books and this 18-min. movie has won a government award.
He uses extreme closeups of various insects, so close that you can see the mouth of the grasshopper eating a leaf and the tongue of a bee licking off pollen from a flower. It is a real drama enfolding, one which you usually do not or cannot see. The reality of nature is a world where you either eat or be eaten. Even tiny ants can bring down larger prey with their sheer numbers.
This movie is so graphic, you might think it's a horror film. But it is quite riveting, even for me who is ordinarily not interested in insects.
Biography in Japanese
1939年 中国・瀋陽で生まれる
1959年～69年 陸上自衛隊に4年間・保険会社に５年間勤務
1962年～63年 勤務の傍ら、東京綜合写真専門学校で写真の基礎を学ぶ
1964年～66年 アマチュア時代に、ペンタックス国際写真コンテスト、アンスコカラーフォトコンテスト、学研フォトコンテストなどで、推薦・最優秀賞を連続受賞
1969年 フリーの生物生態写真家として活動を始める。
1978年 日本写真協会（PSJ）新人賞受賞
1979年 Nikon Salon写真展「源氏螢」で伊奈信男賞を受賞
1991年 西日本文化賞受賞
1992年 日本写真協会（PSJ）年度賞受賞
1992年 SONYハイビジョンソフト「フ?@?[ブルシリーズ・トンボ」で地球環境映祭・国際高品位映像祭のハイビジョン撮影賞受賞
2000年 平成12年度・第４１回科学技術映像祭で内閣総理大臣賞受賞
2001年 講談社「週間現代」ドキュメント写真大賞受賞
2002年 日本写真協会（PSJ）写真集「栗林慧全仕事」で年度賞受賞
2003年 平成14年度・第43回科学技術映像祭で?@?eレビ朝日系放送「素敵な宇宙船地球号」『里山を育む昆虫たち』が文部科学大臣賞受賞 （KURIKEN HPより）