Hitachi has used this giant monkeypod tree in its advertisements since 1973, and it has become their corporate symbol, a bit like the Apple logo is for Macintosh computers. Japanese tourists flock to the park by the busload to see the expansive park and take their photos in front of the iconic Hitachi tree. The tree and the park are actually owned by Damon Estates, but Hitachi supports the upkeep of the park, and retains photographic rights to the tree.
Over the years, Hitachi has photographed the tree from every angle and in every light they could find, so the challenge for us was to find something they hadn't seen yet. They were designing covers for corporate sustainability and environmental reports, so the images had to have a "green" feel. I came up with some interesting techniques to light the tree in late evening with starlight, but that was nixed by the art director because it didn't really show the "green" image they were looking for.
In his infinite wisdom, Mr. Seyama noted that a photo shoot is always a learning process in which the client and the photographer gradually come to understand each other. In the end we did find some beautiful greens, and we are looking forward to seeing the images in print.
View Tor's past work for Hitachi Corporation at http://www.hitachinoki.net/download/wallpaper.html.
Below: Hitachi's 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report featuring Tor's photo.
