Interview with Jeff Yiu, Photographer. More info and rad pics here.

Who are you?

I am a boy called Jeff but my friends call me Jefske

Where do you live?

Sydney.

What do you do?

I am a photographer and a digital media planner.

What do you love?

Stories, interesting people, sweet things and clothes

So, you've been to Japan! When did you go?

I went to Japan in July 2008

And what were your first impressions?

I have actually been there before when I was 10 or somewhere around that age… I always remembered the city to be a bit energetic and of course how could any child forget Disney Land? But when I got to the airport this time around and stepped on the train, I felt a little like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. Tokyo just feels a little surreal with all the people squeezing through the streets, neon lights buzzing. It is larger than life and the language barrier was definitely overstimulating to my senses, but it was exciting.

What where you working on, creative wise, while you were here?

I actually went over to Japan for Lions At Your Door. They are an up and coming Sydney band and coincidentally a Japanese promoter from Tokyo Style Band found them on MySpace and asked them to go over for a small tour to Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, so I packed my bags from HK and flew over as their tour photographer.

How did your environment influence your work?

I think the people around me influenced more than the environment. Since the band and their Japanese supports were all up for a good time and it was certainly a new experience for Lions and I to be on tour in a country like Japan, saying it was wild would be a bit of an understatement. =)

We just really let go and find ways to amuse ourselves whenever the opportunity was available, so that made photographing the people all the more interesting. The local music scene was definitely eye opening for us too. There is some amazing talent all over Japan and the kids who follow the music is also inspiring, especially when they would lose themselves in a song so freely, that was beautiful.

(Image, Lions at Your Door, Jeff Yiu)