Japan 4.0: The Country that Changed Me Forever

Travel and photography have always been part of my life. When I was young, I used to go on trips with my parents, and my father couldn't do without his camera to capture these moments. These trips left a lasting mark on me, and I have many fond memories of them (probably the best of my childhood!). Thanks to photography, they are engraved forever. As I've got older, this interest and my love of travel have continued to grow.

2013 | Thanks to my friend William, I had the opportunity to try out a digital SLR camera for the first time, a Nikon D3100, during a trip to Morocco, France and Spain - I clearly got the bug! I found it incredible to be able to take “beautiful photos” to immortalize these moments. Later, I made a few trips without a camera, and felt that something was missing...

2017 | I decided to leave with a friend for my dream country: Japan. That's when my father gave me my first (compact) camera, a Canon Powershot SX110 IS! My friend bought a GoPro 4 and a stabilizer for it (because, yes, there was that before!). This month's trip to the Nipponese sparked a second interest, the content creation!

I was so happy to explore and capture lots of memories. I was finally able to share my work on social media, even if I wasn't totally satisfied. I knew I could do better.

It was this feeling that prompted me to buy a Nikon D3400 as soon as I returned home. Coincidentally, my colleague Olivier Langevin had also bought his first camera a few weeks earlier, and we motivated each other to pursue this passion. Over the following months, I trained with my new DSLR to be ready for what was to come.

2018 | I decided to explore Southeast Asia for a period of three months; an opportunity to capture many places in photographs and to reconnect with friends I'd met the previous year. I was so looking forward to finally practising photography abroad! During this trip, I wanted to return to Japan for a short 12-day visit. For what purpose? Well, to capture some beautiful photos of the places I'd visited on my first trip, but above all to surpass myself and get the shots I'd had in mind for a year.

One of the photos I was really looking forward to creating was this one. The Shinsekai District, home to Osaka's Tsutenkaku Tower, is a key location for me, and one to which I return every time I visit the country to once again excel through my bucket list shots.

January 2020 | My girlfriend and I had been hired to work in China for an extended period of time (one to five years). However, a certain pandemic in full bloom quickly interrupted our plans. We had to leave China to quarantine ourselves in a neighbouring country before we could return to Canada... Japan was the obvious choice!

So I had the pleasure of introducing my favourite country to my girlfriend, who had been dreaming of this magical place for a long time. As a bonus, I had the opportunity to create content with a new camera and several new lenses. Armed with my Sony a7R II, I couldn't wait to surpass myself once again!

At the top of the list was a photograph I'd been thinking about for two years... I had to get back to Shinsekai! I made it my mission to find someone in a samurai costume to photograph. Not only did I manage to get the shots I wanted, I also ended up with a group of friends who love dressing up as samurai and having their photos taken!

November 11 to 14, 2022 | A city I'd only visited once before, but was eager to revisit and immortalize: Tokyo. It was our first stop of the trip. Such an impressive city, with its 14 million citizens, it's sometimes difficult to get the most out of it and create quality images. However, this combination is to the benefit of those who know how to take advantage of such conditions, and who don't mind having lots of people in their shots! We were lucky enough to spend a good part of the trip in the company of our friend David, who served as a model for many of our photos.

November 14 to 16 | The place I was most looking forward to. One of my regrets was that I'd never seen and photographed Mount Fuji up close. It was imperative to go there. We were unlucky on the first two days, as the famous volcano was hiding in the clouds. So we decided to stay an extra day, hoping for the best. 

Day 3. He finally stood up in front of us. We screamed and jumped for a full minute. It's a moment that will stay with me forever. Naturally, I've taken several photos and videos of it, to help me recall it in case age makes me forget!

Olivier Lemieux
Sony a7 IV + Sigma Art 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN, à 53mm
1/250 | f/2.8 | ISO 400

 November 16 to 26 | To round things off on a high note, we travelled to several towns to make the most of it, and to meet up with friends we'd made on previous visits. Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima and Himeji welcomed us and, once again, we had a wonderful time. 

Unfortunately, the Tsutenkaku Tower was under construction that year, so I wasn't able to recreate my famous photo.

On the other hand, we were lucky enough to meet three super-inspiring photographers and push our art even further thanks to their ideas and perspectives. They encouraged us to recreate their concept in new environments!

For the first time, I rented a costume and accessories to make sure I got the photo I'd imagined! The feeling of having outdone ourselves and having that extra element we were missing was incredible. We also caught up with my samurai friends and created lots of images we'd been thinking about doing since day one of planning this trip!

For me, Japan is a source of inspiration and self-transcendence. It's also the place that triggered my passion for photography and video. Each time I return to this magnificent country, I notice how it has changed my perspective on life.

Each visit to Japan allows me to see how my work has evolved and how much I've progressed in my art, but it also makes me realize how easy it is to create new friendships when you share photography as a passion! 

As many will tell you, photo, video and travel coexist wonderfully! It's the desire for adventure, the creation of art and memories that motivates me most to persevere.