Hirata Digital

Graphic designer and vintage art restorationist Valerie Vavrik has designed three art pieces showcasing some of Hirata's photography. Two have been created with silk fabric prints. the first was entitled “Pink Explosion.” Selected images were printed on silk satin and silk chiffon fabric sheets and crafted into a hanging art quilt. Maggie Backman, well-known instructor and silk expert from Things Japanese, assisted with the construction and bordered the quilt. “Pink Explosion” was on display at the American Sewing Expo in Novi, MI and at the International Quilt Show in Houston, TX. "Pink Explosion" is currently on display at Bellevue Community College as part of the Silk Experience exhibition in the front hall.

Hirata was invited back to the Quilt Festival in Houston for a new lecture in 2007 which was also well received. Vavrik's second quilt design, "Beauty of a Rose," also constructed by Maggie Backman, was on display in the Things Japanese booth at Quilt Festival 07. All of the silk habotai fabric prints are from Hirata's image CD entitled, "Beauty of a Rose."

Vavrik's third quilt design is entitled "Kimono" and has not yet been constructed out of fabric.

People are beginning to discover that images from Hirata Digital are wonderful for business use. From a peaceful, serene sunset photo used on a water bottle, hypnosis CDs and eventually, a website (Sound Hypnosis and Intervision Wellness Center), to a dramatic, cloudy sunset photo used in a heavy metal CD design package (Hamara), business professionals are beginning to seek unique, high quality photographic images instead of settling for clip art or common stock art photos to market their products.

"Hirata has his own special style combining composition and aesthetics, whether he is photographing insects or flowers, many from his own garden and his favorite public gardens around Japan. Hirata has the patience required to wait for just the right butterfly to land on that perfect flower. His ability to zoom in and capture the butterfly just as he lands, samples the nectar or leaves the flower is amazing."
Introducing Takuo Hirata:

Combining his love of photography with a passion for nature, Takuo Hirata has just released his first series of nature themed image CDs. The first three CDs are entitled Beauty of a Rose, Winged Creatures and Garden Images. In addition to the high resolution images, the CDs include some bonuses (e.g. Japanese characters that can be combined with the images, ready-to-print templates for notepads and postcards, vignettes of some of the images, ready-to-print scarf templates). Each CD features a different set of bonuses.

In addition to the image CDs, two sets of Limited Edition Art Cards were released. The art card sets feature five beautiful photographs that individually are worth more than the $14.99 asking price for the set. One could keep the set intact as a collectible or separate the photos to be framed or mailed as postcards. There were only 1,000 of each set printed, and they will not be reissued. We expect the sets to become quite collectible as people discover Takuo Hirata's incredible talent. There are a limited number of autographed sets available.

Hirata-san was a special guest lecturer at the 2006 and 2007 Quilt Festival in Houston, TX. Hirata's lectures were both very well attended and received.

Individual images (flowers, sunsets, cats, gardens, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, art deco, animals and more) are now available for purchase.