An Unusual Path

Frames from the Field #1: A solo walk, a shifting light, and the slow seeing in-between.

Quick Intro

As I wrote here, lately, social media has started to feel like a never-ending treadmill—and it’s quietly drained some of the joy I used to feel from photography. I’ll still share photos from time to time, just not as frequently as before.

Over the past year, I’ve been posting almost daily on Twitter and Instagram—sometimes even twice a day, with up to four photos per post. Since I shoot only on film, that’s taken a lot of time, energy, and rolls. In the process, I found myself chasing engagement rather than appreciating my own work.

I want to change that.

Instead of posting for likes, I want to revisit my photos, reflect on them, and share the thoughts and feelings behind them. That’s why I’m shifting my focus here—sharing not just the images, but also the thoughts and feelings behind them through a photo essays on Substack.

So here’s the first one. I hope you enjoy it—and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

It was a cloudy day—normally not the kind of day I’d go out to shoot. But for some reason, I did. I brought my camera, loaded with black and white film, and headed out with no plan. That’s not like me at all. I usually shoot on bright days, with color film, and always with a plan. I don’t even remember why it felt different that day—but it did.

Actually, embracing change, seeing (and try) things differently, and letting myself go with the flow wasn’t as bad as I thought. In fact, discovering things I didn’t plan for felt refreshing. I’ll definitely do this again.

This was taken in Higashi-Ojima, a quiet suburb of Tokyo. Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to peaceful places like this. With all the noise—both online and offline—slowing down, wandering through the suburbs, and taking photos with no plan or expectations feels really refreshing. It also helps me see things differently, since what I saw there isn’t the same as what I usually see in the city center.

Beyond the unusual things I did that day, this was the first one I not only shot, but also developed myself—and I even printed two of the photos in the darkroom.

Thank you for reading! Let’s connect through some of my social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

And if you want to support me on my journey, you can buy me a coffee! ❤️

I’ll see you again next time!

Cheers,