Sapporo 4 - CineStill 400D
Love is in the air at the restaurant, quiet Japan, shared warmth, mountain stillness, and one brilliant idea from my wife, this short roll turned into something meaningful.
This roll is short for the photographer’s standpoint, as it has more family/tourism shots that may not be interesting nor relevant for this Substack publication!
Amid the clatter of plates and the quiet rituals of conveyor-belt sushi, a couple carve out a moment suspended in warmth. Her hand over her mouth, his posture tilted in. Laughter shared, perhaps a secret passed. Shot on CineStill 400D, the halation and warm palette echo the intimacy of the moment, something Saul Leiter might have appreciated for its layering and emotional restraint. I love that shot!
On a quiet Hokkaido street, fire and laughter draw people in more than any neon sign could. The man’s shirt shouts “NEW ERA,” but the grill, the tools, and the practice are all at least 30 years old. The woman beside him tends the flame with care, her focus echoing the tenderness of domestic labor made public. CineStill 400D again renders the reds and steel tones with a cinematic honesty. A new era, yes, but held steady by age-old warmth, including the photography and the camera that registered this moment.
Time to hit the road for the Japanese mountains! I took this one just to remind me that I had to drive on the right side. In Japan, the STOP sign is not as in other countries. It’s an upside down triangle, I found that deserved attention because that sign means to yield, not in Japan.
The sign reads: “Snowplow turnaround. General vehicles, please refrain from parking.” But in this quiet clearing, there are no snowplows, no vehicles, only the geometry of absence, and me with my camera, of course. Taken on a Leica M7.
And finally, the Mount Yōtei made its appearance, where I had to stop driving and make the shot. Sometimes called the “Mount Fuji of Hokkaido,” Yōtei rises from the flat farmland like a dormant command. The road curves away from it, as if unsure it deserves to approach. There’s no grandeur in this composition, just warehouses, melting snow, and that signature CineStill contrast that darkens the mud and flattens the clouds. This is the Japan after the postcard, where awe doesn’t announce itself. Like in the work of Takashi Homma, the mountain isn’t framed for spectacle.
For this last shot, I positioned the camera on top of the car and got its reflection as it was a river. I think it composed nicely. Landscape photography isn’t my main strength, and that idea of car roof came from my wife.
This is an interesting approach to things: my wife isn’t a photographer, but she has hell yeah cool ideas due to her creativity, she suggests stuff and I execute, it works as the same charm as the couple in the first picture of this post!
That first shot is really beautiful.
Never saw this type of trip documenting, Raf. Not always comment, always checking those beautiful Cinestill colors, and of course, your composition skills 👌🏻. Thanks for sharing!