“I’m trying to capture life as I see it.”

New York City based street photographer Phil Penman returns to Tokyo year after year. Its energy reminds him of New York, but what draws him in most is the fashion and atmosphere of the city. He is captivated by the people the world seems to pass by and the constant motion unfolding around them. In an age where images can be generated and reality can be simulated, his photography remains a way to hold on to moments that happen once and cannot be repeated.

This story is part of an ongoing Tokyo Street Series. Subscribe to our newsletter to follow the series as new photographers are featured.  

Phil began his career in the press. Assignments, agency work, celebrity shoots and years working on fast moving stories taught him to react quickly. Hesitation meant missing the frame.

Street photography became a way to shoot for himself. While he is no longer chasing press assignments, that mindset still shapes the way he works today. When arriving in a new city, his first instinct is to start shooting immediately. If he waits too long, the details that first caught his attention begin to fade as familiarity sets in.

From street portraits to minimal scenes, from gritty edges to quiet details, his approach stays the same, isolating a single moment within the rush of the city.

Tokyo is often seen as a city of colour, but Phil finds it perfect for black and white. The fashion and frantic pace of the streets naturally align with his style of photography. Returning to places like Shinjuku Station, the busiest station in the world, he is drawn to the constant flow of people passing through its corridors each day. For Phil, a still image alone cannot fully capture that feeling.

Often shooting with a slow shutter, he uses motion to make the viewer feel like they are walking with him. Sometimes figures blur past like ghosts. Other times, he pans with one person so they stay sharp while everything around them rushes by in a blur.

Phil has been shooting with rangefinder cameras for more than 20 years, and the Leica M EV1 has opened up new possibilities for him. With lenses that demand precision, such as the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH., the EV1 removes obstacles. His images can be previewed in black and white, focus can be confirmed with confidence and fast moving street scenes can be captured without needing additional accessories.

Wider lenses become more practical. Seeing the full frame is easier than with a traditional rangefinder, while magnification allows focus to be checked precisely, right down to the eye. Phil is able to move between the EV1 and Leica M11 Monochrom seamlessly, making the EV1 a natural extension of the system.

Modern tools are not about replacing instinct. Faster focus, framing and response allow the photographer to stay closer to the moment, while embedded copyright credentials help protect authorship as images are shared and reposted online.