◆ Sports Hochi Journalist Column "From Ryogoku"

I was in charge of the cover and inside photos for the recently released tabloid-sized "Orihime Day 2026 Special Issue." The subjects were three players who ranked 5th, 6th, and 10th in the Orix Buffaloes voting: Sho Iwasaki, Ryo Ota, and Ryuhei Sotani. The theme for this issue was "natural," so I tried to capture their natural expressions, but I always struggle to give instructions on poses and expressions because I'm not very articulate.

Not only is it difficult to elicit the best expressions from the subjects of a photoshoot, but I also struggle to convey my intentions. I remember when I was in charge of photographing manager Mamoru Kishida and player-coach Yoshihisa Hirano for last year's special edition of Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes. As I was shooting on ground, I kept saying, "You look great," as I pressed the shutter button, but they made a self-deprecating joke that put me at ease, saying, "What do you mean? We're just two old guys." Instead of telling them how great they were, I made the "rookie mistake" of complimenting the background, saying, "The sky is so beautiful right now." I was worried that I had offended them, but they retorted, "The sky?!" I'll never forget how their beaming smiles helped me to get the shot done. I guess I'm just not good at talking to people.

This time, I asked Iwasaki to pose in a style reminiscent of a fashion magazine. I boldly told Iwasaki, a professional baseball player, to "act like you're in a musical," but he responded to that as well. I was worried that I had asked too much, as I'm not very good with words, but after the shoot he said, "It was fun," and I'm incredibly grateful. Just between us, when I saw the finished special issue, my favorite shot was cut. (Photographer: Daisuke Iwata)

◆Daisuke Iwata: Joined the company in 2022 after 14 years of working for an evening sports newspaper. Covered the Paris Olympics and the WBC.