Field Notes
Portrait of Youngmin Kim
Cosplaying as a sailor.Manhattan, New York.

Youngmin Kim

Finding my way forward, one frame at a time.

Life is a sequence of little moments, some forgotten, some monumental. These are the ones I kept.

A personal note

My life changed after my stroke. Before that, I was going through the motions every day, meeting everyone else's expectations — afraid, in a way, to take a chance on myself. I'm still in the middle of the story. But I know this: I am not my illnesses or injuries. I am the person who keeps getting back up.

If you're in the middle of your own hard story, I hope these frames keep you company.

A red bicycle beneath the illuminated Hajime no Ippo sign at night in Japan
Tokyo, Japan · 2016

Working note / 001

Hajime no Ippo

This photo marks the end of my first life, and the first step into my new life. I didn't know at the time how much everything would change. But I think it's fitting that this photo is both an ending and a beginning.
— Youngmin Kim

For the anime fans: "Hajime no Ippo" means "the first step" — it's also one of my favourite anime, about a boxer who keeps getting back up.

The Eiffel Tower rising above Paris on a clear day
Paris, France · 2018

Working note / 002

Don't Wait

This is after my recovery. I lost the use of the left side of my body and had to go through rehab to learn how to walk again. The first place I visited afterwards was Europe — my first time there. I always put it off. The stroke gave me a different outlook on life. Don't wait. Live every day.

A monk walking along a Tokyo street beside a taxi
Tokyo, Japan · 2005

Working note / 003

Start Somewhere

This is one of the first photos I actually thought was good. I have a long way to go, but you have to start somewhere.

A red-and-white lighthouse at Jackson's Point, reached by a diagonal stone breakwater across blue water
Jackson's Point, Ontario · 2026

Working note / 004

Where I Am Now

This was my first submission for the Visual Content Creation program at Seneca Polytechnic — a leading lines assignment. Going from the Tokyo photo to this one shows where I am now. Twenty-one years later, and the decisions are visible: the line, the placement, the light. Still a long way to go — but this is where I am.

Nuit Blanche, Toronto · 2026

Working note / 005

One Night in Toronto

Video is a whole new world for me, and an intimidating one. But it's just stills moving at 24 frames a second, right? One night at Nuit Blanche, spent with my chosen family. I took the GH5 out after dark and cut what I saw to the beat.

GH5 · Sirui 35mm f/1.8 Anamorphic 1.33x · M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO · cut to "Be With You" by Televisions

Stills from the night — select one to jump to its moment in the film

Night street at Nuit Blanche with cyclists and onlookers 0:06 SAM SAM record installation glowing at night 0:37 Honest Ed's sign installation with a crowd at Nuit Blanche 1:03 Visitor holding the Nuit Blanche art map 1:24 Illuminated moon installation at Nathan Phillips Square 2:46
A red-bellied woodpecker with a bright red cap and black-and-white barred back, perched on a wooden post topped with bird seed
Lynde Shores, Ontario · January 2025

Working note / 006

Red Diner

This was my first contest win after I joined the Richmond Hill Camera Club. It was just an internal club competition, nothing fancy. But it gave me the confidence to move forward.

For over 20 years, I took photos and never shared them beyond my immediate family and friends. I never thought my photos were good enough to share.

My friend Stephen Wright, who is a professional photographer, encouraged me to join the club and share my photos. Without his encouragement and guidance, I would never have taken that first step. That step is what led me to the Visual Content Creation program.

I am nothing without the people who support me.

About

I'm Youngmin Kim, a student in the Visual Content Creation program at Seneca Polytechnic. The last ten years have handed me more health battles than I'd like to count. I heal through the images I create — this journal is the record.