Jerry Takigawa received a BA in art with an emphasis in painting from San Francisco State in 1967. He studied photography with Don Worth and used the medium primarily as a tool to do photo-real paintings and drawings. In 1969 he made a transition from being a painter to working exclusively with photography. His early photographs were concerned with sociological and ecological documentary. In the early 1970s, he moved from the San Francisco Bay area to the Monterey Peninsula and began exploring color photography. By 1977, his photography made a break from the traditional approaches and he began developing new visual solutions in both approach and concept to coincide with his changing views and perceptions. Through the 80s, he concentrated on color imagery and in 1982 created the first color portfolio to be recognized with an Imogen Cunningham Award. The 90s gave way to a return to black and white imagery and an interest in digital printing techniques as a way of reconciling his fine art background with the photographic medium. Presently, he is owner and creative director of Takigawa Design, a full-service design and branding agency in Monterey, California.
