Photographing Japan's Spiritual Landscapes | Ulana Switucha

In episode 474 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen, host Matt Payne chats with photographer Ulana Switucha about her deeply intentional, minimalist landscape photography and her decade-long project photographing Torii gates across Japan’s spiritual and geographic landscapes. Ulana Switucha shares how living in Asia and practicing long exposure photography has shaped her contemplative approach, blending meditation, yoga philosophy, and presence in nature. The episode covers her photographic journey from childhood, her involvement in documentary street photography projects, the creative process behind her new book, and the technical and emotional challenges of sequencing and publishing a cohesive body of work.

Listeners get tips on curating projects, insight into Japan’s geography and spiritual traditions, and recommendations for other inspiring photographers to follow.

Links and Resources:

Ulana Switucha
Ulana Switucha’s Book, Torii
Muench Workshops
Support the show on Patreon
Michael Kenna Photography
Olivier Robert Photography
Kino Seido
Yukari Chikura
Gui Christ
Mark Kogel
Austin Bell
Matt Payne's Book, The Colorado Way