Exclusive Rare Photos of Shohei Ohtani Revealed by Photographer Capturing Major Moments
The superstar is too cute to be seen only on FRIDAY! Shohei Ohtani is on track to win the Triple Crown this season. Here are the best shots of the superstar in the first half of 2012, taken by a photographer who has been covering him on the field!
On April 7, the game against the Cubs was held. In this game, teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto achieved his first Major League victory.
“It’s difficult to photograph Ohtani.”
That’s how sports photographer Yukihito Taguchi (51), who has been photographing Major League Baseball for nearly 30 years, describes it. This season, Shohei Ohtani (30) is competing for the top spots in three batting categories and is even aiming for the Triple Crown. What does it mean to say that such a superstar is ‘difficult to photograph’? Taguchi explains (the following are his words):
“He doesn’t have a routine. For example, other players, when they hit a single, will usually turn to their bench and show a smile. However, Ohtani’s expressions change from moment to moment. Even if he hits a home run and gets a ‘sunflower seed shower’ from his teammates, sometimes he’ll be smiling with his head down, and sometimes he’ll be expressionless looking up. If you try to capture a cute pose with team staff that he did before the previous game, you’ll rarely get the image you envisioned. On the flip side, it’s this unexpected difficulty that makes Ohtani so captivating as a subject.”
What was published is a valuable collection of the best shots of Shohei Ohtani from the first half of the 2024 season, captured with great effort by Taguchi.
“The only thing common in the photos is that Ohtani looks happy. Even when he makes a mistake and returns to the bench, there’s a certain brightness about him. Ichiro, who also excelled with the Mariners, had a stoic aura, but Ohtani has a different presence. In the future, I want to capture photos that make Ohtani himself overjoyed,” Taguchi says.
Taguchi’s work showcases the true face of the eternal baseball boy Shohei Ohtani.
“Even When Making Mistakes, Always Bright and Enjoyable” — On March 29th, in the game against the Cardinals. After a baserunning mistake and returning to the bench, he explains the situation with gestures to his teammate Betts and interpreter Iatton.He shows a playful pose with Dodgers staff, pointing fingers together.Peace sign on the bench before a game against the Giants on April 4. On the same day, he hit his first home run of the season.Peace sign on the bench before a game against the Giants on April 4. On the same day, he hit his first home run of the season.He greets lead-off hitter Betts with a roar and at home plate after a solo home run.At the bench, he sometimes shows a contemplative expression. Entering his seventh season in the Major Leagues, he exudes an aura of a big name.“Every Time the Camera is Aimed, a Different Expression” — Standing with his finger up, passionately explaining something to his coach!? The richness of his expressions is one of Shohei Ohtani’s great charms.“Relaxed Smile During the Game” — Relaxing before the game against the Twins on April 9th. On this day, he hit his third home run of the season in the seventh inning.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.Exclusive Unpublished Cut: “Exclusive Access to Rare Photos by a Photographer Who Continues to Capture Major League Moments!” The Real Face of Shohei Ohtani.
Yukihito Taguchi, born in 1973 in Shizuoka Prefecture and raised in Fukushima Prefecture. He aspired to be a sports photographer and enrolled in the Tokyo University of the Arts, Junior College Division. He moved to the U.S. in 1993 and transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute. While still a student, he started working as a freelancer and continues to photograph Major League Baseball for about 150 days a year.
