Meet the Photographer - Bronwyn Townsend

Lodestars Anthology has just released a new travel magazine all about Japan’s Kanazawa - the latest addition to our City Guides collection. It’s full of fabulous restaurants, activities, workshops, quiet corners, ryokans and weekend escapes - and photographic travel inspiration aplenty. You can order a copy here (or pick it up as part of a bundle here).

To celebrate the guide’s release, we sat down with cover photographer (and co-curator) Bronwyn Townsend to talk about life, photography and the best way to explore Japan, a country that has called her back again and again (you can catch her gorgeous work in the Japan mag too).

When did you first pick up a camera, and what did you adore about it?

It was on a three-month-long trip around Australia with my family. I was still in primary school and we were camping in a retro Jayco caravan. I remember watching my dad photograph Uluru as the afternoon light changed, transforming the rock-face from a light rust to a deep, burnt umber as the sun set. It was then that I knew I wanted to document moments through photos, to create a way of keeping those memories forever.

Shortly after that I received my first camera, a 35mm point-and-shoot. I don’t remember much about that specific camera, but I do remember the way it helped me capture the small moments, the fragments of everyday life that I wanted to make tangible.

What made you fall in love with Japan? 

I had a longing for Japan years before I visited. It began with an interest after a family member gave me some coins with holes in the centre after they visited [turns out these were lucky five-yen coins, the best the leave as a donation when visiting a shrine or temple]. That fascination grew when I studied Japanese for a few years at school. 

But the moment that really changed everything was one rainy evening soaking in an outdoor onsen in Kawaguchiko. The steamy, mineral-rich water. The pitter-patter of rain drops on the yellowing autumn leaves. And the best sleep I’ve ever had. Nothing tops a night slumbering away on a futon on a tatami floor.

Since then, there have been numerous experiences that have made me fall in love with Japan all over again. Hiking through dense cedar forests in Nagano Prefecture. Bonding with izakaya owners over stories of travelling through Japan and Australia. Moments of quiet contemplation in manicured zen gardens.

Can you tell us the story behind the cover shot? 

The only time I’m grateful for jetlag is when it wakes me early enough to explore a destination before the rest of the city rises. It was a crisp late-December morning, and I took a solo wander along the banks of the Asano River, through the narrow lanes of Kazuemachi Chaya, and then across to Higashi Chaya. Mounds of snow lingered on street corners, but the morning was bright and clear. It was the perfect introduction to Kanazawa. 

What keeps you coming back to Japan?

Sometimes a place makes you feel like you were always meant to be there. That’s how I feel when I’m in Japan. In the countryside, I feel lighter, freer. In the cities, I feel inspired and excited. It’s the people, the attention to detail in just about every aspect of life. I have a particular fondness for the traditional arts, particularly Japanese ceramics, so I try to visit places that will help me learn more about the history, processes and styles.

How would you spend a perfect weekend in Kanazawa?

Coffee at one of my favourite cafes is a must, a few standouts are isotope, Higashide Coffee and Townsfolk Coffee. Then a morning stroll along the banks of the Asano River and time spent relaxing in the mossy garden at Oyama Shrine. 

I will always make time to wander through Kenrokuen and mooch around ceramics boutiques to find a new piece of Kutani ware to add to my collection. For dinner, I’ll pay a visit to Fuwari, and I love either Kanazawa-style curry or Noto Beef while I’m in town too.

What's at the top of your Japan bucket list - or where in Japan are you itching to return to? 

I’m currently planning a road trip through Shikoku and to cycle the Shimanami Kaido. I want to return to Kyushu and spend more time hiking, particularly on Yakushima. I’d also love to return to Hokkaido in summer for a completely different experience than the white-out winter I spent there a few years ago.

What do you enjoy most about the creative work you get to do? 

I’ve always considered photography to be the art of noticing; a way of freezing otherwise impermanent moments and preserving them. Being able to share the way I see the world feels magical, especially when we’re often too busy to notice the small details, like the way light spills between leaves, or the texture of weather-worn historic city walls.

What do you want people to feel when they look at your photographs? 

I hope people feel inspired when they look at my images. Whether it’s to visit a palace, try a new dish, consider a hike, or see something in a new way. I hope what they see evokes some sort of emotional response, whatever that might be.

Do you have any advice for aspiring travel photographers - or any budding creatives for that matter? 

It’s cliche, but practice, practice, practice. Spend time figuring out how you see the world, and how to turn that into an image you can share. Try different angles, understand light, and what makes you feel most inspired when you shoot. It’s also important to always be open to improvement and learning, because there is always room for trying new things. And most importantly, give up on the idea of perfection, it will hold you back. We learn best through trial and error, so just keep going and you’ll find your groove.

To learn more about Bronwyn’s Japan, check out her blog.