George Nobechi
About
George Nobechi, born in 1980 in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and Canadian father, moved to Canada at age 11. After the sudden death of his father while he was a history student at the University of British Columbia (UBC), he was introduced to the financial industry in Tokyo, and later, New York. There he encountered the Photoville photography festival in 2014, which inspired him to change his life.
He set out on a journey that lasted nearly three years and met and was influenced by photographers such as Arno Rafael Minkkinen, Kate Breakey, Arthur Meyerson, and Sam Abell, who encouraged him to pursue photography as a career.
His 15 solo exhibitions featuring quiet observations of the wonders of daily life have been held in Japan, the U.S., and Europe, and he has received numerous international awards, including Critical Mass Top 50 Awards in 2017 and 2021. His work is also in the collection of the Center for Creative Photography in the United States and has been featured regularly in publications such as Huffington Post, Newsweek Japan, Asahi Camera, Tokyo Shimbun, PDN, etc. In summer of 2024 he is exhibiting at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, one of Japan’s most important institutions for the medium.
Nobechi is also the Director for Nobechi Creative, which among numerous events and exhibitions, produced Evenings with the Masters®, a pandemic-era online talk series featuring international photographic masters, which raised $70,000 toward numerous charitable causes. He is also the Creative Director for Karuizawa Foto Fest, a photo festival in his hometown of Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan. He is also a juror for Critical Mass in 2024.
Scheduled to Teach
Gallery
LACP Interviews George Nobechi
LACP asks George Nobechi ten questions about their background, career in and beliefs about photography.
Los Angeles Center of Photography: What kind of photographer are you?
George Nobechi: The everyday kind – as in, “everyday, I walk out my door with an open mind to the possibilities of the world around us.”
LACP: How long have you been photographing?
GN: As a hobby since I was 8 years old, as my way of living since I was 34 years old (10 years ago).
LACP: Where did you get your training?
GN: Practice, practice, practice, though hundreds of thousands of photographs and nearly as many failures, but also from looking at photo books and exhibitions, and through listening to friends, mentors and masters speak about photography (such as Sam Abell, Arthur Meyerson, Kate Breakey, Brett Erickson and Arno Rafael Minkkinen).
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
GN: 2014 autumn, with a crisp Brooklyn Lager in my hand, the twilight sky acting as the backdrop to the twinkling lights of Manhattan across the East River, and with photographers all around me telling me stories of their adventures – at Photoville. At the time I was in Finance, and I would walk away from that immediately after Photoville, and wound up on the road for nearly three years in pursuit of a life in photography.
LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?
GN: No, although I said I was close to giving a couple of times along the way. For me I knew it was this or nothing. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have some very low points along the way.
LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?
GN: Yes, my journey took me away from many close friends, but I gained new ones. I also sacrificed a salary and a way to earn a living, but I have no regrets on that front. I do wish I was still close to some of the people I was close to, but it was a necessary sacrifice.
LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?
GN: Has anyone ever answered this question with a “No?” Just curious. Of course. I have gained so much in my life, that a true answer would fill a book. But for brevity’s sake, I have gained amazing people in my life who mean so much to me.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
GN: I will be teaching a course on incorporating Japanese, quiet sensibilities into your everyday photography.
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
GN: I grew up with some wonderful teachers – especially my Japanese grandfather. I love remembering and honoring him by giving my very best when I teach. And when what I teach is well-received by those learning from me, it makes me glad that I chose photography as a pathway.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
GN: If I can do it (and I was a banker, far removed from the arts), you can do it. And it’s never too late in life to try. Are there guarantees? Nothing is promised to us. But it’s better to give it a try than to regret never trying it at all.