Posts Tagged ‘equine photographer’

By Ray Paulick
Few readers of the Paulick Report have probably ever heard of and fewer still have  probably ever met Japanese photographer Hisae Imai, and that’s too bad. She was an international ambassador for Thoroughbred racing and breeding who helped racing fans in Japan and elsewhere see the magic and mystique of horses through her art.

Amazingly Miss Imai was, to my understanding, legally blind. It’s something I’ve never quite understood, how someone with such poor vision could have such an exquisite eye for her subjects and create some of the most beautiful images of horses ever produced.

I first met her at the 1993 Japan Cup, when introduced by the American-based photographer of Japanese descent, Shigeki Kikkawa. She spoke about as much English as I spoke Japanese, so our conversation was extremely limited. But she handed me a packet of post cards as a small gift, and they were the most stunning and unique equine images I had ever seen – before or since. 

The photographs of Thoroughbreds racing across the plush green paddocks or the deep snowy fields in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido were absolutely beautiful, and her racing shots were always sharp. But it was her artistic images that were unforgettable: the horses running through clouds were my favorites. She had a seemingly never-ending well of creativity that connected with people who love horses.

Miss Imai has been widely honored in Japan for her art, but I don’t think she was in it for the glory or the money (her commercial web site can be found here). She had a passion for the animals,

spending hours upon hours with them to get one special shot. She traveled the world, covering major international races on several continents. In the few extended conversations we had, she always spoke of her subjects with reverence and a heartfelt emotion.

I wish I could say I knew her life story, for I’m sure it was fascinating, but the language barrier always limited us to a greeting, a deep bow from Miss Imai, and a poorly executed bow in return from me. She was ever gracious; 15 years after our first meeting she continued to thank me for a small article I had written about her art in a series in Bloodhorse magazine on the hugely popular Japanese racing industry.

She was a short woman who almost always sported a hat from what appeared to be an unusual collection, and she had a wonderful laugh. The enormous lenses she lugged around on her shoulder almost touched the ground as she moved about, always looking to find the right place to get the perfect shot. She was never in a hurry, yet never seemed to miss anything, either. She was a perfect fit for the Japanese racing industry, whose fans have an intense interest in their Thoroughbred stars, and not just in cashing a winning ticket on them. They bought souvenirs featuring their favorite horses; photos like Miss Imai’s that looked into their soul and captured their personalities.

Miss Imai was well into her 70s when her heart failed her last Tuesday. Fortunately, her work will live on through the art she created over more than 40 years of a life dedicated to horses.

It’s sometimes easy to forget what’s at the heart of this business. In all the talk of medication, integrity, takeout, and the myriad of issues that are dealt with on a daily basis, we cannot lose sight of the fact without that beautiful Thoroughbred, we have nothing.

Hisae Imai knew that as well as anyone I’ve ever met.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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