Masayuki previously told Bored Panda that he has loved cats since he was a child. "My family environment did not allow me to have a cat, so I had a one-sided love for cats until I was almost 30 years old. Also, I didn't pick up a camera until I was 30, but I had to use it for my work. At first, I was terrible at it. However, I gradually learned how fun cameras were and it became a hobby."
"Cats are cute in their presence, even when they are sleeping. Cats are cute on the outside and adorable on the inside, where their fragile emotions are easily expressed in their attitudes. I realized that the relationships between cats and people are as complex as with humans and that each cat has its own identity. I like to express this in my photographs, where the moments and expressions reveal the individuality of each cat without overlooking them."
The artist rarely finds it difficult to photograph cats because they are easy to shoot. "The cats you see are always sleeping or staring somewhere far away. They can look cute no matter who's taking pictures of them. I try to express my own personality by holding the camera and observing the cat's behavior (eye movements and reactions). Once you know the quirks, you can predict the future and find the best shooting position. What I enjoy the most is when I learn something more about cats during the process of shooting."
"I would like to express the natural and spontaneous appearance of cats without carrying toys or food for them. So it often depends on the mood of the supermodel and what kind of pictures I am gonna get. It's often the case that I can't capture a good moment, but it makes me very happy just to know that the cat is doing well. Also, when I approach a cat with a goal, it guesses it and doesn't do anything at all. That's why I'm just focusing on taking pictures. If I have too many things on my mind, I will get confused about which finger to press the shutter with, so I am conscious of looking directly at what is in front of me now."
