The beauty of a fleeting moment—a waterfall cascading into a mist, a celestial display in the night sky, or the iconic skyline of Los Angeles framed in unexpected ways— is often something we fail to truly notice. Yet, for the past 15 years, photographer Brandon Yoshizawa has made it his mission to capture and preserve these extraordinary moments. A self-taught artist, Brandon possesses a rare ability to transform the familiar into something magical, combining technical mastery with an artistic vision that consistently leaves viewers in awe.
Through his lens, Brandon uncovers the hidden beauty of both natural and urban landscapes, finding fresh perspectives in even the most photographed locations. From the rugged grandeur of Yosemite to the urban sprawl of Southern California, his work celebrates light, composition, and storytelling in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally moving. His patience, preparation, and creative intuition allow him to document rare phenomena, turning fleeting events into timeless works of art.
As a pioneer in web3 photography, Brandon is not only redefining how we see the world but also how art and community intersect in the digital age. His journey is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to his craft.
In this interview, Brandon shares insights into his creative process, the challenges of chasing rare moments, and the personal meaning behind his awe-inspiring work.
A: You’ve described yourself as a self-taught photographer passionate about landscapes and cityscapes. What inspired you to begin your photography journey and what drew you to these subjects as your creative focus?
B: My passion for photography began in 2009 as a way to capture memorable pictures of my honeymoon trip to Australia and New Zealand. Seeing the beauty of these places made me want to capture the same beauty around my home in Southern California. With diverse landscapes ranging from the ocean to the mountains and everything in between, there were no shortages of subjects to photograph. It became a passion of mine to show off my home in a unique way under the best light and conditions possible.
A: Over 15 years, you’ve perfected your craft as a self-taught artist. What were some of the most significant challenges you faced early on, and how did they shape the way you approach photography today?
B: With the adoption of digital cameras and smart phones, the landscape genre quickly became saturated over the past decade. Getting my name out there was (and still is) one of the hardest things to do. Photographing common areas around Southern California meant that there were already plenty of similar photographs by well established artists and I knew that setting myself apart was going to play a crucial role in my success in the industry. This mindset of bringing a unique angle or condition to a scene that may have already been shot thousands of times was the differentiator that shaped the way I approach my photography today.
A: Capturing rare moments, like cloud inversions or a Falcon9 launch, demands precise timing and preparation. How do you plan for these fleeting opportunities?
B: Preparation is only a piece of the puzzle but a critical one. Forecasting apps and studying weather patterns have helped my success rate tremendously with cloud inversion photographs; but the reality is that there are still more failed attempts as compared to successful ones. The web has a wealth of information, even for things such as planning the trajectory for a rocket launch which was helpful for planning the Falcon9 launch, one of my most successful photographs to date. No matter how well I plan, Mother Nature has the final say. The fog can end up being a few thousand feet higher and instead of being above it, I can be engulfed in it. Or the weather can be unfavorable for a rocket launch to be scrubbed. These factors usually lead me to have to re-visit the same exact location multiple times in order to capture that one truly rare moment.
A: In a city as vast and iconic as Los Angeles, finding fresh perspectives can be a challenge. Yet your Los Angeles collection on Foundation reveals unique vantage points. How do you scout locations and ensure distinctive takes in such a frequently photographed city?
B: Google maps is my best friend and has allowed me to scout many unique angles of the city I call home. Once I have an idea of the composition, I usually scout it before hand to ensure it all checks out. 3D satellite view allows me to align various points of interest with the skyline, ensuring a strong composition with many layers. Many of my photographs are taken from a far away distance, utilizing a telephoto lens to compress the elements of a scene for greater impact. You can see this in many of my photographs where I compress the skyline and the local mountains, or when I align a moonrise behind Los Angeles points of interest. These compressed telephotographs have caused a lot of interest and various discussions online as many people are quick to call them out as fake but at the same time they have allowed me to educate viewers and became one of the signature factors in my cityscape photographs.
A: Photographing rare phenomena often comes with unique challenges. Can you share a story about a particularly difficult shoot and the insights you gained from it?
B: ‘Purple and Gold’ has a special meaning to me as a Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan. The city announced that they were going to pay tribute to a legend by lighting up various city landmarks in purple and gold; one of them being the LAX pylons. A unique challenge of obtaining this specific photo is that this angle is only attainable from a specific hotel with only a few “corner view” rooms facing this direction. A drone is out of the question as it is in a heavily restricted airspace near LAX. After a ton of research on finding the exact hotel and room, the difficult decision was having to spend money to book the room for the night just to be able to secure the location for the shot, not knowing if the city would cancel or postpone the memorial. Luckily I was able to capture the purple and gold pylons and on that night Mother Nature treated me to one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve had a chance to witness. I was able to create two NFT’s in my Los Angeles collection (pictured below) and a timelapse of the event in my SuperRare collection (linked below). Sometimes getting the shot requires a bit of extra insights and resources; but given the meaning of this photo to me personally it was all worth it.
A: Astrophotography is a key focus in your Shoot for the Stars collection. What draws you to the mysteries of the night sky, and what are the biggest technical or creative hurdles you face when capturing these celestial scenes?
B: Astrophotography has become a huge passion of mine over the last few years. I enjoy the mystery of the unknown and the fact that the universe is so vast. I’m always amazed as I point my camera towards the dark sky and am able to expose a photograph of millions of stars. The technical difficulty that comes along with capturing a successful shot of the night sky was a huge challenge when I first dove into astrophotography. From being out in the middle of the night braving the elements, to trying to focus and compose a photograph in the pitch black, the technical ability to create a properly exposed photograph is much more difficult than a standard daytime photo and requires significantly more post processing techniques to master. Composition remains a key factor in astrophotography so aligning the Milky Way above a beautiful landscape or strategically placing star trails behind an interesting foreground element helps turn a good photo into a great photo.
A: With your work requiring so much patience and dedication, how do you stay motivated during long shoots or when conditions don’t go as planned?
B: For local shots, I am fortunate enough to be close enough to be able to drive out and back in a short amount of time. However, given that I rely on unique conditions, I find myself having to re-visit locations multiple times before capturing an envisioned photo. The motivation of documenting that one unique moment keeps me dedicated to come back to a certain spot until I am successful. When I do take trips, I already set my expectations that it will be a long outing and my mindset going into a shoot prepares me when I am out in the field. I will usually pack food, water, warm clothes and something to keep me occupied such as music when I am out in the wilderness in the middle of the night when I have little to no cell service. Turning my vision into a reality and capturing that specific moment in time and turning it into a photo that I can look back on forever gives me the fuel to withstand any hardships of capturing it.
A: Your photographs often evoke a deep sense of place and time. Has photography influenced the way you experience and appreciate the world around you?
B: I’ve never thought of myself as a creative person but photography has allowed me to express my creativity through my camera. Photography has helped me appreciate the world we live in, from the beauty of Mother Nature to the architectural elements of a city. It goes hand in hand with my love for experiencing new places and motivates me to document my travels. I find myself looking at the world through more of a focused lens, studying both light and compositional elements and picking apart various components of any given scene.
A: As someone who spends so much time exploring natural and urban landscapes, do you have a favorite place that holds special meaning to you, either for its beauty or the memories tied to it?
B: Yosemite National Park will always hold a special place in my heart. I visited this park as a kid, and took many camping trips here with friends even prior to diving into photography. Climbing Half Dome will always remain a highlight of mine; from preparing for the 16 mile hike months in advance, to being able to stand on the top with a 360 degree view of the valley below. Now, as a photographer and as a parent I get to bring my kids to this special place to witness everything Yosemite has to offer and photograph the same granite icons in different seasons. We enjoy coming up here in the winter when the park is treated to snow and being able to see the entire park covered in white is truly magical. I am fortunate that this park is not too far away and I am able to get up here at least once a year. I even have a dedicated collection to Yosemite that captures the best of the national park in all seasons.
A: Photography often involves a lot of solo time in nature or urban settings. Do you find this solitude to be a source of creativity, or do you prefer sharing these experiences with others?
B: I am an introvert by nature so I enjoy spending time alone unplugged and surrounded by nature. It allows me to do what I love to do and provides the “me” time I need to balance my life between my day job, my family and my photography passion. I am thankful to have a wife and family who are understanding and flexible to allow me to chase my dreams. While it is nice to share my photographic experience with other likeminded individuals, being alone helps me stay focused on my goals and ultimately allows me to be more flexible as needed by changing conditions/circumstances.
A: Is there a dream destination or bucket-list location that you’ve always wanted to capture but haven’t had the chance to yet?
B: I’m fortunate to have been able to visit a few countries already including highlights in Australia, New Zealand and being able to see Machu Picchu in Peru. My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan and Korea in 2025 which we are excited for. I think a dream photo excursion for me would be a safari in Africa. While I don’t dabble in a lot of wildlife photography, being able to witness the raw beauty of the animals is always something that is on my bucket list.
A: Since joining Farcaster in early 2024, what changes have you noticed in your connection with collectors? What role do you believe decentralized platforms will play in the future of art communities?
B: I took a leap into the crypto/NFT space late 2021 and got in at the tail end of the NFT craze which all quickly came crashing down as we moved into the beginning of the 2022 bear cycle. I moved all social activity from my main platform on IG to X where I had to start from scratch and build up my name/brand. I spent the next couple of years connecting with artists and collectors alike while learning as much as I could about web3 and while I can say I was fortunate to be able to have consistent sales over those years, I feel like there was a lot of noise on centralized platforms and we were also at the mercy of the heads that controlled the platforms.
Moving to Farcaster in February 2024 was a refreshing change of pace and with a smaller user base it allowed me to connect with peers on a deeper level. It also gave me a front row seat to all of the amazing things being built by users, free from centralized control. To date, I still believe many collectors remain on centralized platforms but the amount of artist collectors on Farcaster supporting each other continues to amaze me. For Farcaster to be the platform of choice for art communities, it would need to attract collectors and continue to cater to the needs of the artists to which I think Farcaster has done a great job over the past few months. Given we are still at the very early stages of SocialFi, the adoption will naturally come as it becomes more mainstream.
You can find more about Brandon following these links:
