In my native language, Japanese, there is a poetic expression that compares words to water droplets. (“kotoba no tsuyu”) Inspired by this expression, in this work I have entrusted the abstract theme of “words” to “reflections in a puddle”. By observing the same puddle from a narrow perspective, I have used the motif of the indistinct outlines of passers-by reflected on the surface of the water to visually express the flow of time and the ephemeral nature of existence. To emphasize the ambiguous atmosphere, I took the photo with a split diopter filter attached to the lens.
Asako Naruto is a Japanese photographer based in Madrid, trained in design at Musashino Art University and art history at Nagoya University. Her work explores traces of absence and untold urban stories, including a Madrid train-station series and playful work using prisms and split diopters. Since 2022 she has won consecutive Grand Prix awards, including the Paris International Street Photo Awards and B&W International Awards, plus recognition from All About Photo Awards 2026, juried by Steve McCurry. Her first photobook, All the Fading Words, was published by Snap Collective, Denmark, 2025.
