By the way, yesterday I got a call from a handsome young guy from Southeast Asia. Back then, he was a “tour guide photographer” who took pictures for tourists in his hometown. He was so friendly and adorable that I asked him about his background, what he wanted to be in the future, and what he wanted right now. He said he wanted to become a more serious photographer someday. But Nikon cameras were expensive, so he had the cheapest model, the Nikon D3300, and only this standard zoom lens. “I’d be happy if I could take photos like the ones you showed me, big brother,” he said. When I asked, “Are you gay?” he seemed startled, but… he explained that he’d lost both parents and was completely alone in the world. He said that right now, he had no choice but to sleep with men, and while he wanted to love someone, he hadn’t met anyone suitable. I don’t usually do this, but I gave him the address of my home office and my direct phone number. During the tour, when I spent two or three days traveling with just him, I said, “Here’s a Nikon D800 with a lens. Try using this for work. I’m giving it to you for your future. But—don’t you dare sell it.” Then I returned home. That was the call I received from him. It’s been quite a while since then, but he told me that after switching to the Nikon D800, people stopped looking down on him, and his work opportunities increased.
He was such a handsome young man that I assumed he’d found a good partner by now. But he told me, “I couldn’t forget about you, so I turned down every other offer. Hey, can I come to Japan?” What a delightful thing to hear. Even if it’s a lie, it makes me happy. It seems he’s studied Japanese quite a bit, too.
I’ve stopped doing photography work and now focus mainly on writing for magazines, but I can still offer all kinds of advice, and I have two rooms full of photography gear his free to use. “If you’re serious about this, come anytime—but I want to know how serious you are, so you’ll have to cover your own travel expenses,” I told he. He replied immediately, “I’ll come as soon as possible.”
ところで、昨日、東南アジア出身のハンサムな青年から電話がありました。彼は当時、地元で観光客の写真を撮る「ツアーガイド兼カメラマン」をしていたそうです。とてもフレンドリーで愛らしい人だったので、彼の経歴や将来の夢、そして今の希望について尋ねてみました。彼はいつか本格的な写真家になりたいと言っていました。しかし、ニコンのカメラは高価なので、一番安いニコンD3300と標準ズームレンズしか持っていないとのこと。「兄貴が見せてくれたような写真が撮れたら嬉しいです」と彼は言いました。私が「ゲイなの？」と尋ねると、彼は驚いたようでしたが…両親を亡くし、この世にたった一人ぼっちだと説明してくれました。今は男性と寝るしかない状況で、誰かを愛したいけれど、まだふさわしい人に出会えていないと言っていました。普段はこんなことはしないのですが、私は彼に自宅兼事務所の住所と直通の電話番号を教えました。ツアー中、彼と二人きりで2、3日過ごした時に、「ニコンD800とレンズをあげるよ。仕事で使ってみて。君の将来のためにあげるんだ。でも、絶対に売っちゃダメだよ」と言って、家に帰りました。それからしばらく経ちましたが、ニコンD800に買い替えてから、周りの人から見下されることがなくなり、仕事の機会が増えたと言っていました。
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