Today we’d like to introduce you to Floyd Takeuchi

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Much of my professional life has been spent as a journalist — a reporter, editor, foreign correspondent, then a media company president. But as I moved up the professional ladder, I realized that I was missing what drew me into journalism in the first place. And that was being a storyteller. So after 40-plus years in the business, I gave up the corner suite for going out on ny own as a writer-photographer,. I’ve done well on the creative side of the ledger. A few books, some big projects, a lot of travel. And telling stories that I think are important, mostly focused around the Pacific Islands and their people, I’d like to think the best is yet to come.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Even under the best of circumstances, it’s never a smooth road. Life happens. Relationships sour. You learn about yourself and find out that you’re taking the wrong path. But it’s how you deal with these expected adversities that deterine how successful you are. I got thrown a big challenge when I ended up in the hospital in 2018 with a case of sepsis cellulitis. It nearly did me in, though I didn’t fully understand that at the time. And the two-week hospitalization, which left me with a gimpy left leg, followed by six months the surprising determination that I had Parkinson’s Disease. Talk about having to rethink your assumptions about life. I got past the feeling sorry for myself stage pretty quickly. I decided I was going to go hells bells to complete meaningful projects that make a difference. I’m pretty good about keeping my focus. That’s kept me going though it’s a race against time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

My photography is very personal. I don’t try to be commercial or trendy. I want it to reflect what I feel about a person or place. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of what would be considered travel photography. Particularly in Japan. The photos are a reflection of me trying to make sense of what I’m seeing and feeling.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?

Happiness is pretty fleeting, so I’ll take it when I can get it. What makes me happy? If I can capture beauty in a photo, that makes me happy. If I can suggest the mystery of life in a photo, that makes me happy. If I feel like I’ve been able to nudge the needle a bit, that makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @fktakeuchi

Image Credits
All photographs courtesy Floyd K. Takeuchi