Born in 1898 in Hawaii and raised primarily in Japan, Kira did not begin to explore his interest as an amatuer photographer until he settled in Seattle in the early 1920s. His passion for photography grew quickly and by 1924 he became a founding member of the Seattle Camera Club. Early in his career he was closely associated with the Pictorialist movement, yet by 1926 when he moved to Los Angeles Kira's work took a new direction. Upon seeing several exhibitions of Edward Weston's work, Kira developed a new interest for still-life. In 1928 Kira was made an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and a year later a Fellow. Although working outside of the Pictorialist movement, Kira was included in the 1942 Annual International Salon of the Camera Pictorialists of Los Angeles. Shade and Shadows was produced while Kira was still in Seattle and reflects his early Pictorialist tendencies.