Today, we’re featuring a Japan travel story from film photographer Autumn Kovach. Scroll below to see the images and read more from Autumn about visiting Kyoto…
Analog cameras and films used: Canon AE-1 (Find at KEH Camera or on eBay) | LomoChrome Color ’92 (Find on Amazon)
Connect with Autumn: Website | Instagram
Japan Travel Story
By Autumn Kovach
Kyoto, Japan was the third and final city on my Asia itinerary after Vietnam and South Korea in October, 2025. It was a very anticipated destination based on countless peoples’ reviews and reverence for the country. I was curious if I would come away feeling the same as I had heard it described.
I enjoyed the clean streets, cute cars, and multiple temples. I tried not to have too much of an American experience and seek out truly local spots, but it was fun to see Blue Bottle Coffee; a familiar place from living in New York and visiting San Francisco in the US.
I aim to avoid capturing people’s clear identity when I travel. For me, it just feels too vulturistic, and with the fact that it is illegal to photograph people without their consent in Japan, it provided me with an additional container to photograph blurred motion in order to capture the energy of the people there and at a respectful distance.
When I arrived I found a film store right away and saw a LomoChrome Color ’92 film that I spontaneously decided to play with. Even within the first couple of hours of arriving, Kyoto felt immediately nostalgic, like I was in an old movie and for the first time I believe I captured a place on film in exactly the way I was experiencing it. I loved how this film highlighted the muted colors, the subtle textures and clean lines of the city. I truly felt like I was on the outside looking into a place or even looking back in time with such curiosity and awe.
Check out all of our film photography features here, and if you want to have your own film work featured on the site, view our submissions process!
Shoot It With Film on Instagram
Leave a Comment