With fond childhood memories of flicking through family photo albums and travelling between Tokyo and London, Elly's path to become a travel photographer and digital content creator was carved early on. We speak to Elly about the beginnings of her creative journey and all of the exciting projects and collaborations she's worked and been involved in.
Hi Elly, thanks for joining us today! To start off, please tell us a little about yourself.
Hey! I'm a British born Japanese. My parents immigrated from Tokyo to London and growing up I’d make frequent visits between the two cities, which started my love for travel at a very young age. I make creative travel content through photography and video, and hope my travels and experiences inspire others to explore.
A red Japanese taxi driving through a train crossing in a residential area of Ikebukuro, Tokyo
What made you get into photography? What were your early influences and how have they shaped your creative journey?
Growing up my dad had a cupboard full of family photo albums, and I was always going through them. I loved seeing photos taken from my grandparents and my parents, to see what life was like in Japan.
My dad always had a camera on him whenever we went somewhere as a family; a big part of why I love documenting my life has come from him. He would always encourage me to write notes or in my diary, then lead to taking photos and creating videos of my friends.
You feature quite a lot in Joe Allam’s YouTube channel - please tell us about your beginnings as a photography duo!
I met Joe at university when we were both studying at UCA, Epsom. I studied Fashion Promotion and Imaging and Joe took Graphic Design. As two creative students we had a lot of common interests. I was the person who would take my small digital camera on nights out and upload the albums on Facebook. We both loved taking photos and talking about cameras.
My course was very practical which included doing Fashion Photography and creating videos, I’d always ask Joe for technical help on my projects. Fast forward to us deciding that we wanted to travel in 2015, we booked a round the world trip ticket to Asia & ended up living in Melbourne, Australia for the year. We knew we wanted to document as much as possible to look back on, so we started a travel blog which then entailed us now making videos about travel photography and lifestyle.
What is your creative process in the lead-up to a shot? Where do you place the most importance?
I enjoy people-watching and seeing everyday moments, so a lot of my photos are scenes of general life. We all view the world differently and catch little moments separately. To warm up a day of shooting, I would start taking photos of anything I see that takes my interest and roll off quite a few shots quickly.
A bakery in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo, Episode 3 of the 'Japan Rail Series'
Once you start looking through the viewfinder you end up really focusing on the little details that you might not have expected. Lighting also definitely takes place in one of the most important aspects of photography so I really like taking photos in golden hour.
You made a long journey by train during winter a few years back. What would you recommend to people travelling Japan during winter?
To divulge into onsens. It’s such a unique experience and there is nothing quite like being on your feet all day outside to then soaking in the onsen. Japan is beautiful in all seasons and there’s so much to do in the winter. If you’re here for the skiing and snowboarding season, that’s one thing I’d really recommend experiencing in Japan.
What has been your most memorable experience in Japan so far?
One of the most memorable experiences has to be the Made in Japan trip to Ishikawa and Gifu. It’s truly a beautiful part of Japan to see the old towns in nature and see true Japanese culture. I especially really enjoyed my time in Wajima and Kanazawa, the food I experienced during the trip was unforgettable!
You visited Japan a number of times so we’re sure you’ve already ticked quite a bit off the bucket list! What would you like to do next time you’re in the country?
Autumn is my favourite season and I’d love to experience seeing the autumn leaves foliage in Japan! I would love to go on a train ride through the autumn leaves. I've seen a video of the Eizan Electric Railway that runs through the Maple Tunnel which looks magical.
That’s a difficult question as it depends on people’s preference but as a city person I wouldn’t overlook a long stay in Tokyo because there’s so many pockets of areas to explore. However, if I were to recommend a place outside of the city I’d suggest a trip to either Kanazawa or Takayama for a chilled weekend away.
Thank you for talking with us!
The view from a ferry over Matsushima Bay, Miyagi in October for the 'Japan Rugby World Cup Campaign'
You can follow Elly on her YouTube channel, Instagram, Twitter or all three!
Click here to watch Elly & Joe's 'Made in Japan' documentary-style film and here for episode one of their 'Japan Rail Series' travel videos.
Otherwise, you can stay up to date with all the latest happenings in Japan through our Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!
