‘You don’t have to go to special places to find beauty’: Takeshi Aruga’s best phone picture | Photography

Takeshi Aruga was en route from hospital back to his home in Okegawa, Japan, when he took this photograph. He’d had a consultation with a dermatologist, and while his house was a couple of miles away, good weather encouraged him to walk. Along the way, he passed PAPA Ageo, a sizeable shopping centre popular with locals. This blue sign board outside the multistorey car park caught his eye.

“On the side visible to drivers coming down, it usually displays a message like ‘Thank you for visiting’ along with directions for turning left or right to avoid traffic congestion,” Aruga says. “Just behind is a red box, likely for a fire extinguisher.”

He credits his work as a furniture designer and maker for the sense of geometric composition in his photography. “I also liked how the various colours created a striking contrast and balance,” he adds. He used Lightroom and Snapseed apps to apply minor edits.

“Due to various circumstances, I’ve not been able to create minimalist furniture, lighting, or three-dimensional sculptures recently, so have used photography as an alternative creative outlet,” Aruga says. “Sometimes people ask me where the shot was taken, or how I came upon such a beautiful place. I’m keen to let them know that it was on an ordinary street corner. We all tend to think we can’t enjoy wonderful experiences or happiness unless we go to special places, but in reality, these things exist in the spaces we pass through every day.”