Mizu: Japanese Inspired Waterscapes, is an alternative digital photography series that was inspired by the iconic Japanese woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e, which translates to “the floating world”, was a 19th century woodblock print style that depicted contemporary life in Edo Japan. Ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai’s landscape prints have been a major source of inspiration for this series.
In Mizu: Japanese Inspired Waterscapes, I wanted to incorporate the ukiyo-e style into present-day rural and urban Florida waterscapes. I focused on the concept of “the floating world” within my waterscapes. Intentionally, I would disrupt photographic perspective to create a flat style within my images. Once the photograph has been taken, I digitally alter the photograph by drawing on top of the image in a process known as rotoscoping. By drawing on top of a photograph, I am able to merge ukiyo-e style into a photograph.