The "Aomori Discovery Photo Seminar," a photography course where participants can learn photography and retouching techniques, will be held three times starting June 15th at various locations in Aomori city.

The project was planned by Takuya Kakuma, a member of the Aomori City Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team. The aim was for participants to improve their photography skills, interact with each other, and discover the charms of the region. Kakuma, who moved from Chiba last year, said, "Aomori is such an attractive city that I took over 3,000 photos during work last year alone. I hope to improve my photography skills while sharing wonderful people and places with the participants."

Each course is divided into two parts. The first half is classroom learning such as lectures on photography methods, and the second half is fieldwork and retouching of photos. The theme and location of each course is different, and a professional photographer is invited to be the lecturer according to the theme.

The theme for the June 15th event is "Photo Walk," a walk around the city and photo shoots. Junichi Okugawa, a photographer known for his photo books such as "A Beautiful Floor Under Your Feet" and "Cabaret, Dance Hall 20th Century Night," will be the instructor. The event will be held in the Namioka area.

The theme of the September 14th session will be "Portraits". The instructor will be photographer Kyohei Narita, who works as the exclusive photographer for Nebuta artist Asako Kitamura and has experience photographing celebrities. The session will be held at the Aomori Contemporary Art Center (Aomori City, Aomori City).

The theme for November 9th will be "Landscapes" that capture the most stunning scenery of autumn. The instructor will be Shintaro Tsushima, a "stunning view photographer" who has experience as a photographer who creates examples for Nikon Z lenses and teaches how to take photos for social media. The event will be held in the Hakkoda area.

Participants must be high school students or older, regardless of place of residence. The conditions are that they can bring a single-lens reflex camera and be able to post photos they have taken on social media.

Kamata smiles and says, "I like taking photos myself and looking at photos taken by others. I'm planning to hold an exhibition after the three classes, so I want you to take your best shot while being taught by a professional." She adds, "I'm looking forward to seeing photos taken from various perspectives by photographers."

Each session will be held from 10:00 to 17:00. Participation is free. The capacity is around 15 people per session. Applications are accepted through the application form on the Aomori City Migration and Exchange Support Site. Multiple participation is possible. The deadline is two weeks before the event.