Montreal-born photographer Xavier Tera has created an illustrious career for himself by evoking stories through his photos. The way he captures his photos makes you feel as if you were actually there, whether it’s at an airport in New York or a street corner in Japan — he makes his subjects seem really relatable, and most of all, really alive.

Tera is currently based in Tokyo but has an impressive client list hailing from all across the world, including Vogue, Adidas, and Mercedes-Benz. His photography has also been recognized by different publications and he has won multiple awards for his work.

This year, he is celebrating the publication of his first ever photo book with an exhibition being held in none other than the city he now calls his home.

The photos in his new book were taken in the small island of Ojima in Okinawa, a part of Japan marked for having a distinctly different lifestyle to the rest of the country. Titled ‘青 or the offspring of a blooming death’, the meaning of the color blue (青, ao) as it relates to the residents of Ojima is explored in Tera’s book.

Tera is said to have chosen the island as a theme for his first book because he was inspired by the sight of teenage boys gathering at Ojima Bridge, a small bridge that connects the outlying island to the rest of Okinawa. Every night, this group of boys would jump into the sea, sending out a wave of glistening ocean water with them and consequently, a wave of nostalgia to Tera.

The exhibition is being held at Bookmarc Shibuya until March 4, 2021, with the book being available for advanced reservations through their store. For those who are unable to visit, you can follow more of Xavier Tera’s work through his Instagram or through his website.