Iceland, 2016. #wasteoffilm #35mmfilm #shootfilm #blackandwhitefilm #leicam6 #ilfordhp5

As you can tell from the second image, this is my go-to combination of film and camera: Ilford HP5 in a Ricoh GR1s. #wasteoffilm #ricohgr1 #ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5 #cameraporn #shootfilm #35mmfilm

It has been almost forever since I last developed film but it sure felt good to get back into it. New work to come - eventually at least. #wasteoffilm #35mmfilm #blackandwhitefilm #ilfordphoto #ilfordhp5 #darkroom

From my latest book “A Place To Be”, 2020. The book brings together 130 photographs on 188 pages - taken between 2016 and 2018 throughout Japan. Available on my website and shipping worldwide - link in bio. Project description: “A Place To Be” ties together the memories of my travels to Japan. It is a document of what I saw, or maybe what I wanted to see during this formative period of my life. Longing for an escape, Japan offered me a place to discover. A world as far removed from home as possible. These photographs feel as if they were taken by someone else, in a different lifetime. I do not seem to be able to remember many of these moments I photographed. Some days, I began to doubt that it was even me who took these photographs in the first place. There will come a time when I will feel the urge to escape again. And Japan will be this place for me to go to; my place to be. #wasteoffilm #aplacetobe #japan #tokyo #photobook #photobookjousting #selfpublishing #blackandwhite #filmcommunity #35mmfilm #ilfordphoto

It's been a minute since I last dug into my archives - and I have to admit, it felt like looking at someone else's work at first. And then I found quite a few rolls of film which were never developed. Time to pull out the developing tanks, I guess! #wasteoffilm #35mmfilm #shootfilm #contaxt3 #blackandwhitefilm

From Tamiko Nishimura's "My Journey II. 1968-1989," published by Zen Foto Gallery in 2020. This book is the second part of Nishimura's photographic journey through Japan of the 1960s-80s. As the publisher states: "She has continued to develop her own style of snapshot photography, capturing her surroundings, her impressions as well as her personal life in brilliantly composed photographs. In this second volume of snapshots taken between 1968 and 1989, Nishimura, accompanied by her young daughter, takes us with her to Okinawa, Tohoku, Hokkaido, the Joto and Johoku areas of Tokyo, and many other regions in Japan." Ever since first seeing Nishimura's work, I have been drawn to its distinct aesthetics. As I have written about her 2012 book "Eternal Chase," there seems to be no second thought between the act of seeing and photographing; the photographs are as close to Nishimura's perception as imaginable. Her publications are not merely a collection of photographs, but one of memories depicting a bygone time - echoing a very Japanese notion of travel and youthful discovery.  #wasteoffilm #tamikonishimura #myjourney #myjourneyryojin #西村多美子 #憧景 #japanesephotography #japanesephotobook #photobook #photobookjousting #blackandwhite

From Tamiko Nishimura's "My Journey II. 1968-1989," published by Zen Foto Gallery in 2020. This book is the second part of Nishimura's photographic journey through Japan of the 1960s-80s. As the publisher states: "She has continued to develop her own style of snapshot photography, capturing her surroundings, her impressions as well as her personal life in brilliantly composed photographs. In this second volume of snapshots taken between 1968 and 1989, Nishimura, accompanied by her young daughter, takes us with her to Okinawa, Tohoku, Hokkaido, the Joto and Johoku areas of Tokyo, and many other regions in Japan." Ever since first seeing Nishimura's work, I have been drawn to its distinct aesthetics. As I have written about her 2012 book "Eternal Chase," there seems to be no second thought between the act of seeing and photographing; the photographs are as close to Nishimura's perception as imaginable. Her publications are not merely a collection of photographs, but one of memories depicting a bygone time - echoing a very Japanese notion of travel and youthful discovery.  #wasteoffilm #tamikonishimura #myjourney #myjourneyryojin #西村多美子 #憧景 #japanesephotography #japanesephotobook #photobook #photobookjousting #blackandwhite

From my latest book “A Place To Be”, 2020. The book brings together 130 photographs on 188 pages - taken between 2016 and 2018 throughout Japan. Available on my website and shipping worldwide - link in bio. Project description: “A Place To Be” ties together the memories of my travels to Japan. It is a document of what I saw, or maybe what I wanted to see during this formative period of my life. Longing for an escape, Japan offered me a place to discover. A world as far removed from home as possible. These photographs feel as if they were taken by someone else, in a different lifetime. I do not seem to be able to remember many of these moments I photographed. Some days, I began to doubt that it was even me who took these photographs in the first place. There will come a time when I will feel the urge to escape again. And Japan will be this place for me to go to; my place to be. #wasteoffilm #aplacetobe #japan #tokyo #photobook #photobookjousting #selfpublishing #blackandwhite #filmcommunity #35mmfilm #ilfordphoto

From Yasuhiro Ogawa’s “The Dreaming,” published by Sokyusha in 2020. On a total of 104 pages, Ogawa showcases 86 of the photographs he took during a long journey through Asia 28 years ago – taking him, among others, through China, Myanmar, India, Cambodia, and Tibet. Upon first viewing, one might mistake the superficial melancholy for a resentfulness considering the young adventurer who took these photographs during such a formative part of his life – seeing and experiencing a world beyond his familiar surroundings. In reality, this body of work is everything but resentful or even melancholic; they rather are an expression of being overwhelmed with everything that is going on. As the publisher perfectly states: “Ogawa’s photographs succeed in a difficult task: capturing the world as otherworldly and fascinating as it can truly be.” #wasteoffilm #yasuhiroogawa #thedreaming #sokyusha #小川康博 #出版社 #蒼穹舎 #photobook #japanesephotobook #photobookjousting #blackandwhite

From Yasuhiro Ogawa’s “The Dreaming,” published by Sokyusha in 2020. On a total of 104 pages, Ogawa showcases 86 of the photographs he took during a long journey through Asia 28 years ago – taking him, among others, through China, Myanmar, India, Cambodia, and Tibet. Upon first viewing, one might mistake the superficial melancholy for a resentfulness considering the young adventurer who took these photographs during such a formative part of his life – seeing and experiencing a world beyond his familiar surroundings. In reality, this body of work is everything but resentful or even melancholic; they rather are an expression of being overwhelmed with everything that is going on. As the publisher perfectly states: “Ogawa’s photographs succeed in a difficult task: capturing the world as otherworldly and fascinating as it can truly be.” #wasteoffilm #yasuhiroogawa #thedreaming #sokyusha #小川康博 #出版社 #蒼穹舎 #photobook #japanesephotobook #photobookjousting #blackandwhite

Over the past time, I have admittedly somewhat lost touch with something that once was a more central part of my life: photography. There is no single root cause for this; it is more so the sum of many smaller and bigger factors, including different interests, new work, and a general uninspiredness. Now that I think about it, I do not even fully remember the last time I took a photograph, let alone picked up my camera. At the same time, an almost finished project has been lingering in my drawer for many months. And every time I pick it up, I question whether to publish it. As of yet, I do not know if that project will ever see the light of day or when I will return to photography. Maybe this break was much needed to reevaluate these past years and question where I want my photography to head. For now, I will try to work on this new project, but at my own pace. #wasteoffilm #ricohgr1 #shootfilm #35mmfilm #filmisnotdead

From Tamiko Nishimura's "Voyage," which was published by Zen Foto Gallery in 2019. Displaying photographs from numerous travels to Europe - such as Italy, France, Turkey - and Asia - such as South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong - "Voyage" is not a mere collection of travel impressions but a testament to Nishimura's unique perspective on life. Her work is often regarded as a hint at the more profound truths, the truths that lay behind the surface and are thus not simply explained. Frequently, I find myself gravitating towards Nishimura's work - and "Voyage" is no exception. There is, however, a different feel to these photographs in particular: they do not express the same intimacy or connectedness as her other work, which centers around Japan, does. In her previous books - such as "My Journey," "Shikishima," or "Eternal Chase" - the viewer instantly feels a sense of connectedness to the subjects. This work is fundamentally different, as the photographs are taken from an outsider's perspective and consequently express this sentiment. After first viewing "Voyage," I was left with an ambiguous feeling: for one, somewhat surprised because of this more distant aesthetic; for another, I should not have been surprised at all. This work's basic premise is different from what I have come to know of her work: She essentially is an outsider looking in and not an insider looking out. At the same time, however, seeing this different side of Nishimura's work has made me understand her previous work even more. #wasteoffilm #tamikonishimura #voyage #zenfotogallery #西村多美子 #旅記 #photobook #japanesephotography #photobookjousting #blackandwhite