{"id":172153,"date":"2026-11-04T11:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T16:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=172153"},"modified":"2026-11-04T11:57:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T16:57:19","slug":"how-fine-art-shaped-photographer-daria-kobayashi-ritchs-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/how-fine-art-shaped-photographer-daria-kobayashi-ritchs-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"How Fine Art Shaped Photographer Daria Kobayashi Ritch\u2019s Lens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.<\/em><\/p>\n<style>\n.quote {\nline-height: 1.2em !important;\npadding: 35px 25px;\n}\n.wp-caption {\n    margin-top: 65px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-portrait.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"929\" height=\"1158\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nDaria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/daria-kobayashi-ritch\">Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/a>, Photographer<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Los Angeles, California<br \/>\n<strong>Based In:<\/strong> Los Angeles and New York<br \/>\n<strong>Representation:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/agency\/sn37\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SN37<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>What sparked your interest in photography, and was there a defining moment that made you pursue it professionally?<\/strong><br \/>\nPhotography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents really embraced and nurtured my creativity, so there wasn\u2019t one defining moment that led me to it. Rather, it grew out of the opportunities I had as a child to explore my voice through art. One of my earliest milestones was winning a photography competition in fourth grade with a series of images of my dad teaching my very scared younger brother how to ride a bike. I think the prompt was \u201ccourage.\u201d As a preteen, my love for photography really grew alongside social media, MySpace in particular. Think peak Tumblr-era creativity: my friends and I covering ourselves in paint, taking moody black-and-white photos, or making dresses out of caution tape. This is such a millennial answer, but it really was a pivotal creative outlet for me and my first introduction to developing and executing visual concepts. I began seriously considering photography as a career during an independent study in high school. Over two years, I developed a series of projects that culminated in my first gallery exhibition, and it was through that experience that I realized photography was something I wanted to pursue professionally.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You studied fine art before moving into fashion photography. How does that foundation seep into the way you approach a shoot?<\/strong><br \/>\nStudying fine art at UCLA changed everything for me. Beyond giving me an outlet to explore art in many different mediums, the program is heavily focused on art theory and the intention behind the work you create. Class critiques centered almost entirely on the \u201cwhy\u201d rather than the technical execution. Having your work dissected by your peers forces you to think critically about what you\u2019re putting into the world and to develop a meaningful answer for why you felt compelled to create it in the first place. That foundation made me far more conscious of the purpose behind what I create and the ways an image can communicate and connect with people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How would you describe your work? What\u2019s your trademark?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think the trademark of my work is capturing authentic moments and building a real connection with my subjects. My work is built around the person in front of the camera. I\u2019m not interested in imposing an idea onto someone or creating a version of them that doesn\u2019t feel true. My photographs are honest and rooted in observation. More than anything, they document the relationship that forms between me and the subject, even if that relationship only exists for the length of a shoot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your images have a quality that feels lived-in, like you\u2019ve caught something intimate rather than constructed it. How did you develop that visual language, and was it a conscious pursuit or did it emerge more instinctively over time?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was introduced to that visual language at UCLA, but I think it really developed when I met <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/paul-jasmin\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Paul Jasmin<\/a> at ArtCenter College of Design. He was a truly pivotal role model and taught me how to bring fashion and portraiture together. It\u2019s hard to say whether it was conscious or instinctive, because I honestly feel it was a bit of both. I think I\u2019m instinctively drawn to this type of documentation, and mentors like Paul helped me see that. It made me more conscious of it and pushed me to focus on honing that voice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What draws you to a subject, and how do you build trust with the people you photograph?<\/strong><br \/>\nChoosing a subject is one of the most instinctual parts of my practice and one of the hardest to put into words. I\u2019m often drawn to people who have a certain depth to them: a strong sense of self, an interesting story, or simply a presence that I find compelling. It\u2019s not something I can always explain; it\u2019s just something I respond to. I build trust with the people I photograph by being human: having a conversation and taking the time to genuinely connect. I try to understand how comfortable or uncomfortable someone naturally is in front of the camera and meet them where they are. The goal is always to create a space where people feel at ease, and I think being soft-spoken and easygoing has helped me foster that sense of trust.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What non-fashion influences (art, film, literature, music, etc.) shape your creative perspective?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy heritage has had a huge influence on my perspective. I\u2019m Japanese, Italian, and German, and growing up with a multicultural background has deeply shaped the way I see the world. Although I\u2019m a fourth-generation Japanese American, my mom instilled in me an appreciation for Japanese culture and traditions from a young age, and I spent time in Japan as a child. As I\u2019ve gotten older, I\u2019ve become more and more drawn to that part of my heritage, and I see it increasingly informing how I express myself creatively.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you watched, heard, or read lately that has inspired you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI recently watched <em>Love &amp; Pop<\/em> by Hideaki Anno and was really inspired by how visually experimental it is. The film was shot almost entirely on digital Handycams and is full of unexpected camera placements and POVs, along with extreme lens choices, image overlays, and aspect ratio shifts. I\u2019m drawn to films that challenge me to think beyond conventional framing and perspective. Seeing the same kinds of images and angles over time can make you forget to stay open to experimentation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s something outside of your work that you would like people to know about you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m happiest when I\u2019m in the mountains. I love being in nature, having no cell service, swimming in natural bodies of water, and climbing rocks. I love spending uninterrupted quality time with the people I love, away from the rest of the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s been the most challenging moment in your career, and what did you take away from it?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne of my biggest challenges has been staying inspired and learning how to keep growing while still maintaining a sense of self. I was fortunate enough to jump straight into my career the week I graduated from college, but for the first several years I gave everything to work and didn\u2019t really have time to come up for air. When things eventually slowed down, it hit me harder than I expected. It was the first time I really had to sit with myself and think about who I am outside of my work, and what I\u2019m actually doing all of this for. I think these moments are important, both as a human and as an artist, but they can be difficult to move through when you\u2019re in them. As a freelancer, I\u2019ve also had to learn how to sit with the slow periods as much as the busy ones. Any lull can feel like the end of everything, and then a month later things are suddenly intense again, and I wish I had just enjoyed the quiet instead of spiraling. That\u2019s part of why I go to the mountains. It\u2019s a way of stepping out for a moment and appreciating the slower stretches.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s one to watch?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy younger brother, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/aron.kr\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aron Kobayashi Ritch<\/a>. He\u2019s a producer, mixer, and engineer, and he\u2019s part of the band <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/momma.band\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Momma<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Selected Work<\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-fader-billie-eilish.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1493\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nBillie Eilish by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/the-fader-who-is-billie-eilish\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Who Is Billie Eilish?<\/em> for The FADER<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI photographed <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/billie-eilish\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Billie (Eilish)<\/a> on her bed, beneath a canopy made of knock-off designer fabrics, at her childhood home. I chose this image because I had the opportunity to document Billie on the brink of fame, right before she released her debut studio album, <em>When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?<\/em> It was a small, intimate shoot. I spent the day getting to know Billie and her family and seeing the real person behind the artist. I got to see the height marks on the wall, the bedroom-turned-recording-studio where she and Finneas created the album, and the collection of fan gifts that filled her space. This image represents one of the greatest things about photography to me: the ability to capture a moment in time that can never be recreated, and the privilege of stepping into such an intimate part of someone\u2019s life. It\u2019s access that not many people get.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-nike-alysa-liu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1446\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nAlysa Liu by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/nike-alysa-liu-for-nike-sportswear\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Alysa Liu<\/em> for Nike Sportswear<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nThis was Alysa\u2019s first shoot after winning two gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. I was a huge fan of hers during the Games and, like so many others, was drawn to her story and everything she represented. As a fellow Asian American California girl, I had hoped to photograph her one day. Luckily, the stars aligned, and within a week I got the call from <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/nike\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nike<\/a> to work with her. I immediately hopped on a flight to New York. <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/alysa-liu\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alysa (Liu)<\/a> arrived around 10 p.m. after driving into the city, and we had just one hour together to create these images. It was a whirlwind, but such a special moment to document.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-kiko-kostadinov-ss26.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nOlivia Forte by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/kiko-kostadinov-kiko-kostadinov-ss26\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>SS26<\/em> for Kiko Kostadinov<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI chose this image because it\u2019s from a shoot I created with my close friend and creative director, <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/mindy-le-brock\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mindy Le Brock<\/a>. We were commissioned by <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/kiko-kostadinov\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kiko Kostadinov<\/a> to conceive and execute a shoot around the brand\u2019s SS26 womenswear collection. I\u2019ve really been enjoying collaborating with designers on creative projects that allow for more freedom and experimentation. I think it\u2019s a really exciting way for designers to expand how they share their work, while also giving creatives the opportunity to build something they\u2019re genuinely passionate about.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-ashley-williams-kissaten-diaries.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1465\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nSerena Motola by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/ashley-williams-ashley-williams-ss26-kissaten-diaries\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Kissaten Diaries<\/em> for Ashley Williams<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nI spent a month in Japan this past January and made a point of working while I was there. I reached out to <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/client\/ashley-williams\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ashley Williams<\/a>, a designer I\u2019ve had the pleasure of working with a few times, and she was kind enough to commission a project. The concept was to photograph <a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/serena-motola\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Serena Motola<\/a> with different specialty desserts in kissatens throughout Tokyo. One of my favorite parts of this job is that it takes me to places and introduces me to experiences I might never have discovered otherwise. We only had one day to shoot, so we weren\u2019t able to visit as many kissatens as we had researched, but I can confidently say I\u2019m now your go-to person for kissaten recommendations in Tokyo.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-sandy-liang-your-new-uniform.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1493\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nSandy Liang by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/work\/sandy-liang-your-new-uniform\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Your New Uniform<\/em> for Sandy Liang<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/models.com\/people\/sandy-liang\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sandy (Liang)<\/a> and I have been working together since 2019. I feel very aligned with her vision, and our creative relationship has been a pivotal part of my career. Part of what makes our collaboration feel so natural is that we share many of the same childhood references and inspirations as Asian Americans who grew up in the \u201990s and 2000s. This image is from my favorite shoot we\u2019ve done together. The concept was based on her uniform collection, and we were drawn to the idea of multiples. I pulled inspiration from old images of Japanese schoolgirls, K-pop imagery and, more specifically, Yoshiyuki Okuyama\u2019s <em>Pocari Sweat<\/em> series.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-tae-park-kono.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1486\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nKonoka Lulu Smith by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Kono<\/em> for Tae Park<\/strong><br \/>\nI chose this image because it\u2019s currently one of my favorite photographs I\u2019ve taken. It\u2019s such a simple moment, but I love the way the window light outlines her figure, and the pattern of the building in the background. I was also really drawn to the shape and movement of her body. The pose was inspired by a woman my friend and creative director, Sarah Brown, saw on the street braiding her hair this way.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/11\/daria-kobayashi-ritch-newjeans.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><br \/>\nNewJeans by Daria Kobayashi Ritch | Image courtesy of Daria Kobayashi Ritch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>2026 Summer of NewJeans<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nThis shoot is a true testament to the power of manifestation. At the beginning of the year, I made a vision board, and NewJeans was on it. I\u2019ve had a soft spot for K-pop for the past few years, and NewJeans has been my favorite group. Being asked to photograph them for their first official shoot in two years, marking the start of their return after so much uncertainty around the group\u2019s hiatus and future, was such an honor and a true highlight of my career. What made the experience even more special was the amount of creative freedom I was given. It\u2019s rare to have that level of trust on a project of this scale, especially with artists of this caliber. Even at such a pivotal moment for the group, there was room for me to bring my own perspective and create images that genuinely felt like my work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent. Daria Kobayashi Ritch, Photographer Hometown: Los Angeles, California Based In: Los Angeles and New York Representation: SN37 What sparked your interest in photography, and was there a defining moment that made you pursue it professionally?&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":172166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12752,10414,16,2,13943],"tags":[12930,12691],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172153"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172153"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172187,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172153\/revisions\/172187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}