Around the World in Analogue: Japan in Redscale

We've featured the outstanding landscapes and cityscapes of Japan several times in the Around the World in Analogue series. From the busy streets of Shibuya in Tokyo, to the majestic mount Fuji and juxtapositions in LomoChrome Purple, there's so much of the East Asian country to appreciate and capture.

In this edition, community member Fah (@fah-blue-sky) tells us about her experience growing as a Lomographer and discovering Japan's mountains through film photography. Drenched in tones of red, yellow and orange, she also shares her thoughts about the national parks of Japan which she visited armed with the Lomography Redscale.

Name: Fah
LomoHome: @fah-blue-sky
Social Media Account: Instagram: @fahblue_sky
Camera: Lomo LC-A+, Konica C35 EF D
Film : Lomography Redscale XR 35 mm ISO 50–200
Locations: Senjojiki Cirque, Komagane Nagano; Gassan, Yamagata; Oze National Park, Katashina Gunma.

Fah has been using film cameras since her university days, having been inspired by friends who are also part of the film community. Whether or not the photos came out good, she said there was satisfaction in going out for photo walks with friends, making them some of the most exciting moments of her university days.

After a break from film photography, moving to Japan for work rekindled her passion for the craft after seeing a friend use a Lomography camera.

So I remembered that fun time again. I thought it would be nice if I could travel and take pictures with a film camera. Now I enjoy planning my travels and thinking about which rolls of film would be suitable for those places.

Still currently working in Japan, she has also added hiking to her interests, noting that Japan has interesting hiking guides offering words of encouragement, which helped boost her confidence and appreciation for the outdoor activity.

For the plan now, I'm going to keep hiking in Japan with a film camera to take those impressive shots. I was excited every time I met wild animals, once we saw them and we stopped, looked at each other before a deer continued to walk. In a short time I was always impressed.

Or being able to see images I would like to see, such as those from Oze National Park, for me it's also an impressive moment.

In her Lomography Redscale album of Japan, Fah said she visited three places, namely Senjojiki Cirque in Nagano Prefecture, Mount Gassan in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture and Oze National Park in Gunma.

These are photos I took from Senjojiki in the summer. The Senjojiki Cirque is the Central Alps of Japan in the Komagane City of Nagano Prefecture. It is a mountain range formed by glaciers. Born into a rocky mountain with a beautiful scenery, the wonder is the shape of the mountain that is full of those rocks.

This is the holy mountain Gassan in Tsuruoka city, Yamagata Prefecture. Gassan is one of the holy mountains of Dewazansan. At the top there is a shrine. It is a mountain that many travelers like because of its 360-degree view and it is a mountain where you will find priests called the Yamabushi.

These are from Oze National Park in late May when the Mizubasho flowers bloom. This place is very famous as a wetland surrounded by mountains and the other side of the lake area has a very beautiful view.

What I like very much is the convenient transportation, only half an hour from the entrance, you will find another world that is very beautiful, a place to relax and close to nature.

These places, I think, will take time to become popular among tourists. I hardly saw any foreigners. And that made me feel so Japanese in a different way that I've never been before. That impressed me, both the view I saw and everything that happened around me as well.

Asked about her experience shooting with Lomography Redscale, Fah said she appreciated it for its dimensionality and how it "portrays light and shadow very coolly."

And one of my favorite things about Redscale has always been the clouds. It reflects the turbulence of the clouds very well. So I took this film on a hike and I really liked it, it captures the mist beautifully and is very interesting.

While shooting the rocks and grass, the dimensionality is very good. And I also know that if we adjust the ISO differently, the output will be different as you can see from thse two photos. The output is very different.

Fah has this advice for anyone planning to visit these beautiful spots in Japan:

First of all, Japanese people love their privacy. They don't like us taking pictures of them, especially in front of them. But if you shoot from a distance the back or the side, they don't mind. Most importantly, don't take pictures of children.

As for film, I recommend the Lomography Color Negative 400 as the film I use almost everywhere. Other films depend on the time and weather conditions. In the fall I tend to use LomoChrome Purple, in the winter I like LomoChrome Metropolis. I think the winter light goes well with the film, and Redscale I tend to use on cloudy days.

We'd like to thank Fah for sharing her stories and images with us! To view more of her work, visit her LomoHome and Instagram Page.

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 sylvann on 2023-08-22 #culture #people #places #around-the-world #japan #lomography-redscale #gassan #around-the-world-in-analogue #oze-national-park #senjojiki