Around the World in Analogue: A Trip Through Japan

In this edition of Around the World in Analogue, LomoAmigo Ivy Nguyen shares an overview of her travels revisiting Okayama, Naoshima, Osaka, and Tokyo, Japan.

Her trip with her friend and fellow artist Laika, allowed for a deeper understanding of the places she's previously been to, resulting in some beautiful collages of expression and an indulgence of fleeting memories.

Name: Ivy Nguyen
Instagram: @ivyhn
Cameras: Lomo'Instant Wide, Leica M6 with a 35mm Summicron lens
Film Stocks: Instax Wide Film, Kodak Gold 200, Kodak Pro Image 100, and Marix 800T (the Japanese version of Cinestill 800T)
Locations: Japan (Okayama, Naoshima, Osaka & Tokyo)

The catalyst for the trip was Laika's Blythe Doll exhibition at Such As, Gallery in Tokyo. I designated a significant portion of my luggage space for photography!

Anytime I travel, I love to prioritize art and museums, so we spent two days on the art island Naoshima. It was a good summer memory to swelter in the heat and notice new things about the pieces that I had seen before. Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden especially resonates with my narrative of anonymous portraits because when I take a photo, the viewer can see a human figure, but the details are distorted by the spheres.

In Okayama, we visited some friends at one of my favorite cafes/bars in the world, ダーヂ. You have to get the cheesecake with the au lait glacé.

In Osaka, we thrifted and ate delicious tofu with other friends. I got a Yohji Yamamoto cardigan, and I realized that I like matcha now.

In Tokyo, we visited the doll exhibition and a lovely photo exhibition at another of my favorite cafes, 229. I was about to move to Brooklyn, New York, so I wanted to get handmade, artisanal ceramics for my home. We also sat in the summer heat with some friends and enjoyed the lotuses and some lemon pie. We ended the trip by going to a summer fireworks festival, a first for me.

The whole trip, we collected ephemera because we planned to make collages. Laika does a lot of collages, so I was inspired to make some because I was getting physical printouts of my photos with the instant camera. Rather than fussing over little digital edits, I could play with the photos tactilely and make several different arrangements that I otherwise may not have thought of.

It was also interesting to work around the limits of the ephemera I had and the shots I took. When working digitally, the unlimited options can be overwhelming.

As for traveling tips for Japan, ask your friends for recommendations and pre-plan a rough idea of what you want to do, but leave spaces open for the inevitable gems that you'll come across! I highly recommend going to a hot spring, especially Goshonoyu Onsen in Kinosaki.

As with any international location, be respectful and open-minded. Although more stores accept cards these days, exchange some cash for yen at your local bank before the trip.

In using the Lomo'Instant Wide, my intention was to embrace imperfections and see how the process of taking a photo could influence the outcome. One of the things I love about film is the little quirks that are unplanned, and instant film is just another method to explore that. I also love that the digital artifacts from scanning physical objects create more layers of color and texture.

I carried my two cameras with me everywhere, and didn't exactly have a thought process for when I chose which one. It was just a feeling. I was able to recompose shots because I saw the results relatively quickly, but I was still careful about shooting things because each exposure was precious.

The Lomo'Instant Wide complemented my documentation of the trip in that the lower "resolution" as well as the distinctive white border. I enjoyed focusing less on the technical aspects of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO since it's fully automatic.

Thank you, Ivy, for sharing your tips and experiences with us! Make sure to check out her Instagram for more of her work.

Want to take us Around the World in Analogue? Drop a line to magazine-submission@lomography.com with the subject "Around the World in Analogue" and share your unforgettable travels with the rest of the community! Read the guidelines here.

written by eloffreno on 2024-11-08 #gear #culture #people #places #around-the-world #travel #adventure #asia #japan #traveling #abroad