Towson University is currently celebrating its 150th year as an educational institution. You would be hard pressed to find another University employee from the last 20 years that is more beloved, more respected, and more valuable to the institution, than Towson’s resident University Photographer, Kanji Takeno.

Kanji Takeno has been the resident University Photographer at Towson since 1996, and over the course of his tenure he has touched the lives of thousands of students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University. He has evolved into a local legend. The University often uses the hashtag #WhereIsKanji on social media, and students feel a sense of accomplishment if they are able to sneak in a snapshot of the man that resembles the energizer bunny as he glides across campus from appointment to appointment.

He has not only captured key moments in Towson’s history, but also the minds of hundreds of students as an adjunct Japanese Language Lecturer – with his two course sections filling to capacity within minutes of opening. Kanji also personally plans and leads culturally rich and insightful study abroad trips to his home island in Japan.

Students don’t just want pictures taken by Kanji but rather pictures taken with Kanji.

(Picture posted on Facebook by Kanji Takeno)

I am immensely fortunate to call Kanji a friend, and his office is one of the first I try to visit when I make my way back to my Alma Mater. Although difficult to pare down to just a few, I wanted to pass on some of the key professional lessons I have learned in my time knowing him.

Inspiring people with your craft goes beyond being good at it – it requires your passion.

Without hesitation, Kanji will tell you his favorite part of his job is working on Graduation day (at Towson we have six individual graduation ceremonies spread across three consecutive days). The students overjoyed with their accomplishment; proud families holding back tears; the laughter and cheering – it’s always his favorite event.

Sure there are other qualified photographers who can snap a well framed, well angled photo – but I will bet money that no one would hold each of the thousands of shots Kanji takes over those three days with as much gravity, as much passion, and as much intent as him.

This is just one of hundreds of shout outs Kanji will receive on Facebook every year.

(Picture taken from Kanji's tagged pictures on Facebook- posted by Kiki Oosterwijk‎)

Kanji doesn’t just see the 12-14 hour days on his feet, where he has to maneuver, squat and get inadvertently squished between thousands of people - all in 90 degree heat. He fully understands that he is capturing what is for most young people the most triumphant moment in their lives up to that point. Poll any recent Towson graduate and I bet they will say that having their picture taken by Kanji in their cap and gown with their family was a rite of passage – it makes the day all the more special.

Because of his passion, his photos don't just show people smiling, they reflect the joy they are feeling in that moment.

The temporary fear that accompanies taking risks dwarfs in comparison to the reward.

I know of at least five separate instances of Kanji chartering a plane or helicopter to capture a gorgeous aerial shot of Towson’s ever-changing campus. He will often post a picture of himself with the safety belt on leaning out the window; but the impressive part is that Kanji has a fear of heights!

When asked why he doesn’t contract another photographer to do the shots that are several thousand feet in the air, his reply will always be something to the extent of “because I know our campus, and our students, and how best to capture them”. Kanji knows that he is the one who needs to capture the campus we all love; that he is the only one who can provide the care that it needs, and he won’t let 60-90 minutes of being uncomfortable get in the way of that.

Kanji doesn't necessarily enjoy the places his job can sometimes take him...

... but he knows the results that will come from them.

(Previous two pictures posted on Facebook by Kanji Takeno)

Only a fraction of your value comes from your skill set, the rest comes from how you treat people.

Although they are of high professional quality – Kanji isn’t beloved because of his pictures. He is beloved because of the manner in which he carries himself when he comes into work, and in his interactions with the hundreds of paths he crosses every single day. If there is anything Kanji feels as strongly about as he does making the students feel happy, it’s how much he dislikes being put in the spotlight, even when he deserves it.

The authentic humility he shows, even towards his local celebrity status, solidifies this even more. I can tell you that although he may appreciate this post, he won’t see it as necessary; he gets to do a job that he loves, surrounded by people that love him – and that makes coming into work, even on long days, worth it.

Even when accepting Towson's second ever Presidential Distinguished Staff Service Award, Kanji can’t but help do what he does best – make everyone around him smile.

(Picture posted on Facebook by Kanji Takeno)

If any of us reading this post can be as half as impactful as Kanji has been on Towson University, then what a great career we have to look forward to.

Now move a little to the right, and drop your chin down just an inch… big smile now… and in the Towson-famous words of Kanji… 3..2..1!

(Previous two pictures provided by me)

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Matt Sikorski is a Talent and Organizational Development Associate at Total Wine & More. He regularly posts his ideas about many of the ‘fluff’ topics often seen surrounding business and HR publications today, but with a more pragmatic and tactical approach. If even a few people find some useful tidbits in his posts, he is one happy camper!

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