Collection: Kōyō
Location: Kyoto 京都市

Kōyō (紅葉) refers to the Japanese tradition of admiring autumn foliage, when trees, leaves, and entire forests turn glowing in red, orange, and gold. This new series explores that fleeting moment.

In December 2024, I went back to Japan for the first time in five years. I’d been wanting that solo trip for a while, Japan has always influenced how I see and photograph the world, so returning felt natural.

This time was different. The weather was incredible, and instead of spending my nights in the streets with my camera, I ended up walking through nature during the day. Even in December, the autumn colors were still present, gold, orange, and red across entire landscapes. I started photographing what I was seeing, without really knowing if it would become anything. I mean, it’s just trees and leaves… but something about it kept me going. The series slowly came together on its own.

In the end, Kōyō is a body of work I’m really happy with, I enjoyed the entire process. It moves away from what I usually do, but the way the colors come together still feels true to how I approach my visuals. Maybe it’s a new direction, or maybe just a moment I needed to follow. Either way, I hope it leads me toward more projects in this spirit.