We just pulled out of our snow monkey hotel headed to Tokyo for our domestic flights to Hokkaido. Photography was good at the snow monkey park but not great. We did have a little bit of snow and that is always a great addition. I spent most of my time photographing the monkeys jumping over a small creek with a waterfall that runs through the park. I had several chances and produced one or two keepers. Not my personal best, but I did like the one I’m posting below.
*The above image is one of my favorites shot from the famous bridge. It was our coldest day and all of the elements came together for a brief time. The lone crane standing was what I had hoped for.
This is a multiple exposure that I had to create in post processing because my Sony gear does not have a multiple exposure feature. I layered my original image than moved the top layer over slightly and reduced the opacity of the top layer. I then added a slight motion blur to the background.
Our tour bus for the snow monkey portion of our trip was a “rockstar bus.” It had three chandeliers and a group seating area at the back with a table; we used that area for our slideshow programs. We’ll have to be sure to book the same bus again next year.
Also, we stopped at one of the many “bus stops.” Most of us got an ice cream. Mine was served on a cone made from an ultra-thin vanilla cookie with brown edges. It was both crispy, creamy, and delicious!
After our plane landed in Hokkaido our guide and his team met us at the airport and transported us to our lodge. We were served a delicious hot meal (I have no idea what it was called but it was like a soupy stew), and we all went straight to bed as we had an early call with the Red- crowned cranes.
"“The Last Bow”, I captured this on the morning that I stayed back with one of our guests. I was quite happy with the shot.
A white out!
This image shows how much snow we had one morning.
Red-crowned cranes dancing
Our first photo session with the cranes was a good one, we were blessed with heavy snow. Having snow helps to soften the background and adds an additional element to the photos. Plus, the cranes like to jump and dance a bit more when it snows.
Our next few days were filled with fox sightings, lots of Long-tailed tits coming to maple icicles, and an endless search for the elusive Ural owl. We usually find plenty of Ural owls to photograph but this year we struck out until the very last day.
Long-tailed tit feeding from a frozen icicle.
Long-tailed tit
Ezo fox
Our day on the boat for Eagles was good. Not much snow and pack ice but the clients enjoyed it and the group stopped to photograph some foxes on the way back to the lodge. I stayed back with a client that was experiencing vertigo and felt a boat trip would not be a good. He and I went to photograph the cranes, and we had some good dancing, so it worked out well for us.
My favorite swan shot.
Whooper swans fighting,
We also visited Lake Kussharo for the Whooper swans twice. The frozen lake offers incredible opportunities for creative shots with the swans. Our days with the swans were productive for everyone. It’s always been one of the most inspiring locations for me on the tour.
In addition to the photography, we have been literally eating our way through Japan. We’ve enjoyed local ramen dishes, sushi, tempura, okonomiyaki, pastries and much, much more. Not to mention our convenience store grabs.
During our workshops we usually have image review sessions. I always find it helpful for everyone to see what their fellow participants are seeing at any given location. We had an excellent group of incredibly talented photographers. Everyone shared some amazing photos! Plus, they were all lots of fun to be with.
I used my Sony gear for this trip— but again, I had issues with my main camera body- the A1. I’ll contact Sony when I get home to see if they can finally fix it or what they will do for me. If they don’t resolve the problem, I’ll be looking to switch systems. I just need a camera that I can count on.
We had some snow here and there but not as much as we had hoped for. Conditions were cold but not frigid. Our main guide, Makoto, is a talented photographer, musician, and guide. He and his “A Team” made our tour a one-of-a-kind experience. His wife Shinobu is a creative chef, and everyone appreciated her delicious dishes. Overall, it was another memorable year. Plans are underway for a 2028 trip with 4 days of northern Hokkaido landscape areas added. This trip will be different t than our usual offering and we will not be visiting the snow monkeys. We are trying to change things up a bit as we have so many repeat customer for this trip and we want to offer them something original. If you are interested I can add you to the list. Our 2027 trip is full with a long waitlist.
Our guide Makoto
From the “high point” bridge shot.
Red-crowned cranes flying past an active volcano.
This shot was inspired by Paul McKenzie
Super high-key of a male and female.
This last image is an in-camera blur that I added a snow effect to in post processing using Dave Serum’s Snowscape action. Just google it-it is a free action, or at least it use to be free-not sure.
