As a follow up to my last Instant Cameras: Fujifilm vs. Lomography post, I thought I would share some of my favorite instant film photos I’ve taken throughout the years while traveling the world.
By the way, you can click the images below to view the full image using a lightbox effect.
I don’t remember what year these were taken, but they were taken during a single trip to Yosemite with my family. We try to go every year because this national park is just that impressive. I really like this photo set because you can see waterfalls and rivers as well as lush green grass contrasting the jagged, majestic mountains in the back. I also love how blue the sky looks coupled with the white clouds in the last three photos.
These were taken during a solo backpacking trip to Europe back in the summer of 2016. This was my first time traveling abroad other than moving to America and traveling to South Korea a few times to visit family. Not only was it my first time traveling abroad, but it was also my first time traveling completely alone. I absolutely fell in love with London and wanted to move to this city one day. I still think one day living in London would be great.
Paris was another stop during my solo Europe trip. I had such a wonderful time even though the sweltering heat was no joke. I took French in high school, so I tried to utilize what I learned, but everyone responded to me in English. I guess my pronunciation was blatantly American. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would ever see the Eiffel Town in person. This whole trip was a dream because I never ever thought I would ever get the opportunity to travel to Europe. Ever since then, I’ve had the travel bug. It’s incurable, really. By the way, do you like the airmail film I used? I thought the red and blue were a nice touch since they are the colors of the French flag.
In 2018, after my study abroad program at Yonsei University in South Korea, I took the opportunity to visit a country I’ve had on my bucket list since junior high: Thailand! Krabi quickly became my happy place, and I kept thinking how much I want to bring my parents here one day. They have never had a real travel abroad experience since they’re always working so hard to provide for the family, so I hope to one day change that. I’m planning to treat them to a travel vacation within the next 2-3 years. Anyways, Thailand was a memorable trip because it was my brother’s first time abroad, and I was able to share with him the joy of traveling. I had plans to travel around Asia the last month by myself, but my brother was also in Korea at the time, so I invited him along on my trips.
After Thailand, we traveled to Japan. We first stayed in Osaka then Nara with Kyoto as our last stop. It was very hot and humid, but I had the most wonderful experience in Japan. The most memorable thing to me is when my brother and I had dinner at Hard Rock Café inside Universal Studios Japan after a fun day at the theme park. Our waitress was so friendly, and she even left us a sweet note on our receipt welcoming us to Japan. I still have the note, and I keep it in the inside pocket of my wallet. She was an absolute muffin, and I hope to one day run into her again. I wish I caught her name as I doubt she would still be at Hard Rock Café by the next time I go to USJ. This trip must have had a lasting impact on me as I’m now living and working in Japan.
Also, do you see the photo in bottom left corner? Isn’t it stunning (definitely tooting my own horn here!)? I love how it evokes tranquility with the lush green mountains, the temple, and a large pond that reflects the blue sky and white clouds. Look! I even captured the koi fish!
Finally, we ended our Asia tour trip outside of Seoul in Jeju Island, South Korea. This was both my brother’s and my first time here. My parents had their honeymoon here, and my mother would always tell me how lovely Jeju Island is. After visiting, I can confirm it truly is. I didn’t know Jeju Island had turquoise waters. The black volcanic rocks covered in green algae next to the sea were so beautiful and unique. We went here with our aunts and uncles as well as their young children, so we did fun activities that we probably wouldn’t have if it was just my brother and I such as swimming in the ocean. We also went to an aquarium, a traditional village, and hiked a UNESCO World Heritage site. We had the best time, and I hope to visit again soon.
The previous photos were more straightforward, travel photography, but I also wanted to share some more creative and artistic ones that I’m proud of.
I really like the one with the vintage car, people strolling through Portobello Road antique shop, and the floral garden. I also really like the one with the statue taken at Kensington Palace. I feel like it evokes a bit of eeriness and a different time period. I also have a little inside joke with the Portobello Road photo, the joke being that I took a photo of Portobello Road using my Portobello Road limited edition Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide (the camera shown in the title featured image). If I remember correctly, the vintage car, antique shop, and royal statue photos were taken in London and the floral garden photo was taken in France at the Palace of Versailles.
I also really like this multi-exposure photo I created of my friends and a flower bush. I think it turned out really beautiful and artsy!
Thanks for walking down memory lane with me! Traveling and photography are two of my favorite things, so thank you for taking the time to read about what makes me happy!
