Ilan Derech

Ilan Derech was born in Mexico in 1988.  He studied art and design and, through a series of serendipitous events, has become a successful documentary and street photographer.

After the death of his father, Derech went through a severe depression. A friend gave him a camera and suggested he begin photographing the world around him. “The moment I looked through the viewfinder for the first time,” Derech said, “I saw the world in a new way and that helped me out of a difficult time. What fascinates me is the blend of raw human interaction and the challenge of capturing it in a way that amplifies the essence of the moment. Street photography pushes me to make split-second decisions, driven by the transient nature of the fleeting scenes I encounter. I'm deeply intrigued by observing how people navigate their daily lives and the constant motion that surrounds them – it sparks my curiosity and fuels my passion.”

Derech began buying equipment and experimenting with a variety of cameras and lenses. He found that vintage lenses worked best for the type of photographs he wanted to create.

He eventually decided to sell all the fancy equipment he had collected to fund his first trip to Japan. He traveled with just one camera and a vintage lens. “I was only carrying one lens, one camera and the only thing that was limiting me was my creativity.” he said.

Derech arrived in Tokyo just as the city, and world, were shutting down because of Covid. He was still able to take photographs. “I decided to focus on finding the beauty in life,” he said, “finding the beauty in candid moments, finding the beauty in everyday life scenes.”

He travels extensively with his camera, and has remained in Tokyo, where he works and lives with his wife.