Travel to Japan with Sarah Witt and the LomoChrome Purple Film

Photographer Sarah Witt takes us on her latest trip to Japan, where she experimented with our LomoChrome Purple film. The result? A series of photos where landscapes take on a dreamlike quality, as if straight out of a Miyazaki film. True to her love for analogue photography, Sarah shares her unique experience with this film.

Hello Sarah! We’re thrilled to have you back in our magazine. Tell us, what’s new for you since our last interview?

Hello Lomography, so happy to be back! Since our last interview, I’ve been moving forward with my photography, balancing commissioned work for brands and institutions with personal projects. I’ve also significantly developed my press assignments for newspapers and magazines, and I must say I love this new dimension of my career. Reportage work makes me feel like I’m at the heart of current events, contributing to shedding light on environmental or societal issues that deserve attention. It gives me a sense of purpose, and every new report feels like an adventure.

Has your love for analogue photography evolved over time? What does it represent for you today?

Analogue photography has never left me. I continue to shoot all my personal projects and travels on film. This passion for analogue photography has taken on even greater significance this year with the creation of Collectif Phosphore, a collective of artists co-founded by architect Matthieu Fares and myself. We’ve begun work on a project focusing on freshwater issues in the small islands of the Mediterranean, entirely shot on film. As part of a call for submissions that required a printed portfolio, we produced all the color prints at the Émulsion lab in Paris. I truly enjoyed returning to the darkroom and spending hours experimenting; this is where the true magic of analogue photography lies.

This is your first time testing our LomoChrome Purple film. What do you think of the results? Did you enjoy using it?

Testing the LomoChrome Purple was part of an experimental approach. It was my first time using this type of film. For this trip to Japan in August 2024, I wanted to step away from classic patterns and colors, to step out of my comfort zone. This film perfectly matched the dreamy, Miyazaki-inspired vision I had of Japan. The results are very different from what I usually produce, so I really enjoyed using it because it gave me a fresh perspective and transported me into another dimension. The outcome is completely unexpected—something I couldn’t easily replicate in post-production. I’d love to use it again for fully experimental photography, as this film inspires the creation of other worlds and new universes!

Do you have any tips for using it that you’d like to share with us?

I’d say it’s best suited for bright scenes, preferably outdoors. I didn’t have a flash with me in Japan, but I imagine it could beautifully enhance the purple tones!

How do you envision your photo series? And how do you prepare for your shoots?

When I travel, I always bring several different types of film and choose them based on the feeling the location inspires in me. For instance, in the Japanese mountains, I was drawn to using the LomoChrome Purple because the vast forests dotted with rivers evoked a magical, fairy-tale atmosphere. On the other hand, I photographed Tokyo—its crowds, packed subways, and towering buildings—in black and white because that’s how I mentally envisioned the city.

For personal projects or professional shoots, I think in advance about the universe I want to create. I stick to the same film, the same tones, and the same lighting to stay true to the atmosphere I imagined. Later, I remove any photos from the series that have colors too far removed from the others.

What’s your favorite photo from the series? And why?

My favorite photo from the series is the one of the black taxi parked in front of the empty Mino-shi station in Gifu Prefecture. I love the feeling of calm it conveys, reflecting the peaceful, almost mystical vibe of that place where we encountered very few people. It’s also the only photo I kept from that city, which left a lasting impression on me. It was in Mino that I discovered the creation of Mino Washi paper, a beautiful traditional Japanese paper that can be used for photographic prints. Lastly, I love the little light leak on the left side of the image—it adds a charming touch!

You travel extensively. How do you prepare for your trips?

I like to travel as lightly as possible and without too much of a fixed itinerary. This trip to Japan was very last minute—we booked our tickets just two weeks before departure, and the entire itinerary was a big improvisation based on our whims and, above all, the weather. . . we had to deal with a heatwave, an earthquake, and a typhoon!

What destination can we look forward to in our next collaboration? Is there a dream destination you’d love to visit?

The Collectif Phosphore is conducting multidisciplinary research on the small islands of the Mediterranean, so it’s very likely you’ll find me in that region. Our current focus is on the Aeolian Islands, a small archipelago off the coast of Sicily, and I think 2025 will see us spending a lot of time there.

As for my dream destination, without hesitation, I’d say Algeria. I dream of visiting Kabylie, the village of my grandparents, where my mother spent all her summers when she was young. This trip would be the most meaningful one of all for me.

Do you have any other upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?

This time, closer to home, I’m working on a new project connected to the Basque Country, where I’ve been living since 2019. This work is taking me across the region, allowing me to rediscover its culture and delve into its history. I can’t wait to share the first images with you soon!

A big thank you to Sarah for answering our questions! To explore more of her work, head over to her Instagram account.

written by alplvl on 2025-02-13 #gear #people #places #travel #japan #lomochrome-purple Share Article