Description

New Year in a Pandemic — A Liminal Space Print from Iwaki, Japan

“New Year in a Pandemic” is a black and white liminal space print made from a 35mm negative — the deserted, softly glowing reception tent of Ino Hachiman Shrine in Iwaki, Fukushima, photographed just after midnight on New Year’s Day at the height of the pandemic. Where crowds should have gathered, there is only light, empty chairs, and a hush that the film seems to hold in its grain.

The Story Behind This Liminal Space Print

New Year is normally the busiest night of the year at a Japanese shrine. In that first winter of the pandemic, it was nearly silent. This liminal space print catches the strange in-between quality of the moment — a place built for crowds, standing lit and waiting, with no one there. It is a photograph about absence and endurance, the quiet that settled over a whole world at once.

An Empty Shrine at Midnight

The composition centres on the illuminated tent, its glow bleeding softly into the surrounding dark. The emptiness does the work: rows of light, a threshold with no one crossing it, the uncanny stillness of a familiar place emptied of people. Rendered in monochrome, the scene becomes timeless and dreamlike, less a document of a night than a mood you can step into.

Leica Craft and Pushed Tri-X Grain

This liminal space print was shot on a Leica M6 35mm rangefinder loaded with Kodak Tri-X 400 film pushed to 1600 ISO to gather the low light. The push gives the image its rich, grainy texture — the visible grain is part of the atmosphere, not a flaw. Hand-printed in the darkroom as a silver gelatin photograph on archival fiber paper, it holds a full range of tones from the glowing tent to the deep surrounding night.

Why This Liminal Space Print Belongs on Your Wall

Hung on the wall, this liminal space print brings a quiet, contemplative, faintly uncanny presence to a room — the kind of image that rewards a long look. Its moody monochrome palette suits modern, traditional, and minimalist interiors alike, and it makes a striking focal point for anyone drawn to the liminal-space aesthetic and atmospheric night photography.

A Moody, Atmospheric Focal Point

• Uncanny stillness: an empty, illuminated space at night — quiet, evocative, and open to interpretation.
• Versatile placement: at home in a living room, studio, office, or gallery wall.

Archival Darkroom Quality

• Atmospheric tonality: pushed Kodak Tri-X 400 gives rich grain, deep blacks, and a luminous glow.
• Built to last: hand-printed on archival fiber paper, signed, and made to endure for generations.

Bring a genuine moment of history and mood into your collection with “New Year in a Pandemic” — a liminal space print that turns one silent midnight into a lasting, handcrafted photograph.

More From the Series

One of several silver gelatin prints of Japan’s quiet, atmospheric corners. See more:

• torii gate print — moonrise over the Bentenjima gate on Japan’s sacred coast.
• minimalist lighthouse print — the Shioyasaki lighthouse at dusk on the Iwaki coast.
• coastal moonrise print — moonrise over the port of Onahama, Japan.
• rustic Japanese house print — a weathered farmhouse in the Fukushima countryside.
• Jizo statue print — light among the Jizo at Akaidake Temple, Iwaki.

Timeless Craft: Handcrafted Silver Gelatin Prints

Experience the beauty of silver gelatin prints, meticulously crafted in the darkroom. Unlike digital reproductions, each print is a true piece of photographic history, created through the delicate and demanding process of traditional film development.

Darkroom Developed

Each print is personally developed by hand, ensuring archival quality and unmatched craftsmanship. The image is carefully transferred from the negative onto fiber-based photo paper using an enlarger, achieving the perfect contrast and exposure balance.

Intricate Process

• Following exposure, each print undergoes a precise chemical development process, followed by a 45-minute archival wash to ensure longevity.
• The print is then carefully air-dried over several days, naturally curling before being pressed flat in a specialized hot mount press for a flawless finish.

Enduring Quality

A silver gelatin print is not just an image—it is an heirloom-quality artwork, designed to last generations.

Custom Selections

• 11 × 14 in (27.9 × 35.6 cm) – Ilford B&W Matt Archival Fiber paper for a classic matte finish.
• 11 × 14 in (27.9 × 35.6 cm) – Ilford B&W Semi Matt Warmtone Archival Fiber paper with a subtle sheen, rich warm blacks, and velvety whites.
• 11 × 14 in (27.9 × 35.6 cm) – Ilford B&W Glossy Warmtone Archival Fiber paper for a deep, lustrous finish with warm tonal rendition.
• 16 × 20 in (40.6 × 50.8 cm) – Ilford B&W Glossy Archival Fiber paper for a crisp, neutral-toned high-gloss finish.
• 16 × 20 in (40.6 × 50.8 cm) – Ilford B&W Glossy Warmtone Archival Fiber paper for a rich, lustrous finish with warm tonal rendition.

NOTES: Warmtones are not toned prints; the paper itself has a subtle warmth and creaminess. The glossy versions enhance deep blacks, while the matte versions provide an elegant, distraction-free finish.

Edition and Authenticity

• Open Edition, ensuring every print remains accessible without compromising quality.
• Each print is personally signed by the photographer and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Purchase and Delivery

• Prints are sold unframed, allowing for custom matting and framing to suit your aesthetic.
• Bespoke matting and framing services available upon request.
• Worldwide shipping available from our darkroom in Japan via Japan Post EMS (FedEx available upon request).

Embrace the timeless beauty of handcrafted silver gelatin prints—a perfect addition to your collection.

Secure your print today and bring the beauty of monochrome photography into your home.