Street photographer Sage Akaboshi captured more than the tourist attractions of San Francisco. He cleverly captured every day moments that are based on unique compositions, rather than famous spots.

Akaboshi was born in Japan and now resides in San Francisco, California. Although he’s been living in San Francisco for many years, he claims he still sees the city with a fresh eye and can spot extraordinary moments in everyday situations.

He tells PETAPIXEL, “When I was young I happened to pass by a Polaroid camera promo in front of a shop with my friends. I bought one on impulse. I immediately took photos of my friends using the camera on the streets.” “That was my first experience with street photography.”

He began to take pictures of what he saw around the city as he explored it more. He was soon able to build a large collection of street photography photos.

His work uses contrasting colors and the San Francisco architecture as a backdrop. He also incorporates unexpected coincidences and comical or unanticipated moments.

Akaboshi’s photography style includes people, colors and architecture. Akaboshi says that he focuses his camera on everything he is most interested in, rather than limiting his photography. He says that his photographs are deliberately framed with a square crop to give them a natural look. They are also not noticeable edited.

He finds inspiration in the city. Sometimes he finds interesting images simply by chance. Sometimes he’ll spot a distinctive feature or outfit and approach strangers.

Most of his street shots have been taken with a Google Pixel smartphone. Akaboshi used to use a Sony A5100 to capture images, but he was having trouble with his memory card and had to switch to his smartphone. Although it is not unusual to use your smartphone for street photography, Akaboshi says that he still loves his mirrorless camera and will continue to use it once he has a new memory card.

Akaboshi plans to exhibit his street art in the future. However, for now, he will continue to document the city. You can find more of Akabashi’s work on his Instagram account.