Pix4Japan

Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)

Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate

Video Gear:

Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit

SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)

PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter

Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal

RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission that has no bearing on your purchase price whatsoever.

Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:

"Malin's Song" composed by Niclas Gustavsson and performed by Sum Wave.

“Beach Memories” composed by Niclas Gustavsson and performed by Sum Wave.

“Bermuda” composed by Henrik Olsson and performed by “Ooyy”.

Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.

2020-10-20

Shirahama Beach

The first two shots in today's series were taken before and after sunrise at the following location:

Miharashi Hiroba (見晴広場) in the district of Shirahama in the city of Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Google Maps:

https://goo.gl/maps/d56PohXMcspgs3in8)
〒415-0012 静岡県下田市白浜の見晴広場

Ocean View Before Sunrise

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

31 mm ISO 100 for 25 sec. at ƒ/29

#trees #shore #coast #longexposure #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#木 #岸 #沿岸 #長時間露光写真 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景

Outcrop as Sun Rises over Pacific Ocean

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

31 mm ISO 200 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#trees #shore #coast #sunrise #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#木 #岸 #沿岸 #日の出 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景

The last three shots were taken at Shirahama Beach:

English Address:

Shirahama Beach, Shirahama, Shimoda, Shizuoka 415-0012

Japanese Address:

〒415-0012 静岡県下田市白浜の白浜大浜海水浴場

Google Maps:

https://goo.gl/maps/bdAVfcCKmheCFKp67

Waves Crashing on Shore

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

53 mm ISO 1600 for 1/640 sec. at ƒ/16

#crashingwaves #power #waves #shore #coast #beach #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#波の力 #波 #岸 #沿岸 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景

Gate and Rope on Shoreline Rocks

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

48 mm ISO 200 for 1/640 sec. at ƒ/16

#longexposure #torii #toriigate #coast #rock #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#岸 #沿岸 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景 #石 #鳥居

Torii Gate to Shinto Shrine on Shore’s Edge

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

68 mm ISO 100 for 8.0 sec. at ƒ/20

#crashingwaves #power #waves #shore #coast #rocks #rope #shimenawarope #torii #toriigate #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#波の力 #波 #岸 #沿岸 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景 #石 #鳥居 #注連縄

Torii Gate & Ocean

Pentax KP + Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

36 mm ISO 100 for 6.0 sec. at ƒ/20

#longexposure #shore #coast #rocks #torii #toriigate #PacificOcean #Izu #Shizuoka #Shimoda #ShirahamaBeach #Japan #seascape

#岸 #沿岸 #太平洋 #伊豆半島 #静岡県 #下田市 #白浜海岸 #海の風景 #石 #鳥居

Access details and links via car and train:

Access by bullet train, local train, and bus:

Approx. a 2-hour and 50-minute commute
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/WUe8zbR7Eooz82gz6

Access by car on highway:

Approx. a 3-hour or a 4-hour drive depending on traffic.
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/W6BzShZCuA8mWt9j6

Access by expressway:

Approx. a 3-hour or 3-hour 40-minute drive
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/EFuaEXJBkL6scs2x5

Thanks to the popularity of this destination, there are several useful sites with detailed information specifically for tourists:

“Shirahama Beach: White Sand Beach just outside Shimoda”

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6304.html

“Shirahama Beach: Head to the white sand beach closest to Tokyo pronto!”

https://travel.gaijinpot.com/shirahama-beach/

“Nature: Shirahama Beach”

https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1273

Gear used for this photo shoot:

Camera Gear:

Pentax KP

Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)

Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate

Video Gear:

Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit

SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)

PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter

Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal

Synco Wireless Microphone

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission that has no bearing on your purchase price whatsoever.

Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:

"Morning Traffic" composed and performed by Raymond Grouse.

"Solemn Nights" composed and performed by Placidic.

"You Can See Us From the Moon" composed and performed by Christian Andersen.

"Noble Heart" composed and performed by Placidic.

"True Self" composed and performed by Jon Björk.

"Vivid Memories" composed and performed by August Wilhelmsson.

2020-10-14

Ashinoko Lake - Hakone

This weeks photo shoot brings us to the shores of Ashinoko Lake in the Hakone mountains located about 100 km (approx. 62 miles) south of Tokyo.

Access by car to a parking lot that is free (as of this blog post):

Torii No. 2 Parking Lot A (P2A第2鳥居駐車A)

If access by train, I would recommend this route which will bring you to the southeastern shore of the lake:

Shinjuku Station → Hakone-Jinja-Iriguchi Bus Stop

The lake was formed after the eruption of a volcano over 3,000 years ago. The lake is popular for fishing, sightseeing, and is home to many historical sites:

Hakone-Jinja Shrine
Former Summer Palace for Imperial Family
Hakone Tokaido Checkpoint & Old Tokaido Highway

There are many more attractions in the area around the lake including hot spring resorts, famous restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, western hotels, Japanese style inns, museums, ropeways, and much more.

The cedar trees lining the route to the shrine are about 350 to 400 years old. A wide angle lens in a portrait orientation is needed to capture the full height of these trees. This was the widest I could get without including distractions on the sides using a standard kit lens. I chose an aperture of ƒ/25 to maximize depth of field while trying to maintain a minimum amount of sharpness. The smaller aperture combined with a cloudy sky right after sunrise necessitated a 30-second exposure.

Staircase to Shinto Shrine

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

28 mm ISO 100 for 30 sec. at ƒ/25

#trees #moss #anzansugi #JapaneseCedar #cedartree #Hakone #HakoneShrine #Japan #landscapephotography

#風景写真 #箱根神社 #箱根 #木 #コケ #安産杉 #箱根神社

This shot did not turn out as I had expected. I chose a larger aperture to soften the tree in the background which introduced too much light from the sky behind the tree. In hindsight, I should have used an ND filter or at least an 8-stop ND grad.

Stone Lantern at Mountain Shrine

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

53 mm ISO 100 for 1.3 sec. at ƒ/9.0

#stonelantern #kasugastyle #moss #HakoneShrine #Hakone #Japan #stilllifephotography

#石灯篭 #春日型 #コケ #箱根神社 #箱根 #静物写真

This was another shot that proved disappointing as well. I think the original concept was good, but there were too many objects along the edges of the frame that were blurred by the breeze, the autumn colors were dull, and water surface reflected too much light in spite of using a circular polarizer. This photo was heavily edited in Lightroom. Pixel peeking will review the the awful results. Photo is OK I guess if viewed on a tiny mobile screen.

Volcanic Crater Lake and Early Autumn Foliage

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

100 mm ISO 400 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/5.6

#trees #autumn #foliage #lake #Ashinoko #Hakone #Japan #landscapephotography

#風景写真 #紅葉 #箱根 #木 #芦ノ湖

This shot was taken at a different angle in relation to the sun, so the circular polarizer was much more effective at cutting reflected light. Unfortunately, if you zoom in on the shot, you'll notice that the foliage is not sharp since this is a 30-second exposure, which softened the water and clouds, but there was a light breeze that shook the foliage on the right.

Early Autumn Foliage

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

48 mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/18

#trees #autumn #foliage #lake #Ashinoko #Hakone #Japan #landscapephotography

#風景写真 #紅葉 #箱根 #木 #芦ノ湖

I struggled with this composition. I wanted to convey the age of this historical building and felt that the mist in the mountaintop added to the mystery or mood of the building. Unfortunately, I don't think this emotion is conveyed to the viewer. This photo just might appear to be some random old building to the viewer. Maybe if I should have zoomed in on a particular architectural element, such as one of the lamps hanging from the corners of the roof eaves.

Historical Hot Spring Resort

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

100 mm ISO 100 for 5.0 sec. at ƒ/11

#resort #historicalbuilding #Ryuguden #lake #Ashinoko #Hakone #Japan #landscapephotography #TakogawaOnsen

#風景写真 #蛸川温泉 #箱根 #芦ノ湖 #龍宮殿

Finally, this is probably the only photo I feel good about from this photo shoot. The sun had risen to a height and angle that allowed the polarizer to do its job at cutting out reflections of light from the water surface. Although there is a lot of noise in the top of the frame, photo most closely expresses the ethereal emotion that this scene invoked in me.

Lake Ashinoko Shoreline

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

18 mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/22

#stone #lake #longexposure #moss #Ashinoko #Hakone #Japan #landscapephotography

#石 #湖 #長時間露光写真 #コケ #芦ノ湖 #箱根 #風景写真

Gear used for this photo shoot:

Camera: Pentax KP

Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)

Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate

Video camera: Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit

SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)

PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter

Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal

Synco Wireless Microphone

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission that has no bearing on your purchase price whatsoever.

Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:

"Morning Traffic" composed and performed by Raymond Grouse.

"Solemn Nights" composed and performed by Placidic.

"You Can See Us From the Moon" composed and performed by Christian Andersen.

"Noble Heart" composed and performed by Placidic.

"True Self" composed and performed by Jon Björk.

"Vivid Memories" composed and performed by August Wilhelmsson.

2020-10-06

Odaiba Tokyo

We arrived at Odaiba Park around 3:30 a.m. Although a couple of hours before sunrise, the sky was actually quite bright due to a a waxing gibbous moon, and the ambient city lights reflecting off of the scattered cloud cover.

Access by car (from Nihonbashi) is a 22-minute drive via normal streets or a 14-minute drive via the expressway to the Municipal Parking Lot closest to Daiba Park.

Access by train from Shinbashi Station on the Yurikamome Line: a 24-minute train ride + a 11-minute walk from Odaiba-Kaihinkoen Station.

Sightseeing information for the Odaiba district is available here:

Odaiba Travel Guide - 15 Must Do Things In Tokyo's Best Entertainment Spot!
Recommended Courses for shopping, sightseeing, strolls, etc.
Tokyo's entertainment isle—high-tech, modern and colorful
Futuristic Architecture on a man made island
Haven of Shopping and Entertainment on Tokyo Bay

For this photo shoot, I wanted to capture nightscape/cityscape compositions without the fuss of worrying about blocking tourists and local families living on the island with my camera gear (cameras and tripods).

Fortunately, I did not see any other people at the parks, beach, or tourist spots until about an hour after sunrise.

First shot was taken on the edge of Daiba Park almost directly under the Rainbow Bridge. Tokyo Tower, a lattice tower whose design was inspired by the Eiffel Tower, is the 2nd largest tallest structure at 332.9 meters (1,092 ft). A beautiful symbol of Tokyo that has been around since 1958. Buildings surrounding the tower were softened in post processing to help the tower stand out from among the glare of so many lights and reflections.

Communications and Observation Tower in Tokyo

Pentax KP 210 mm ISO 100 for 40.0 sec. at ƒ/13

#tower #structure #nightscape #cityscape #TokyoTower #Tokyo #Japan #symbol #landmark

#タワー #東京タワー #東京 #港区 #シンボル #ランドマーク #夜景写真 #都市景観 #都市景観

The second shot was taken from the beach looking towards the shoreline. Tokyo Rainbow Bridge connects Minato Ward, Tokyo with the Odaiba waterfront development district—a man-made island sitting in the middle of Tokyo Bay. The bridge uses solar panels during the day to “paint” the bridge in red, white, and green every night. The sun had just risen at the time this shot was taken. Streaks of light were able to break through the clouds and shine on the high-rise apartment building in the distance. A grad filter was used for the upper portion of the shot (to increase contrast) and a reverse grad filter was applied to the bottom portion of the shot to decrease contrast and increase exposure.

Suspension Bridge Crossing Northern Tokyo Bay

Pentax KP 88 mm ISO 100 for 10.0 sec. at ƒ/14

#landmark #cablestayed #TokyoBay #RainbowBridge #Tokyo #Odaiba #Japan #cityscape

#橋 #湾 #東京港 #レインボーブリッジ #東京 #港区 #大台場 #都市景観 #都市景観

The original 14-ton 22-meter tall statue titled “Liberty Enlightening the World” (aka Statue of Liberty) was donated to France by American expats in 1889 to commemorate the French Revolution. In 1998, the statue was shipped from France an put on display in Tokyo to commemorate 100 years of French-Japanese relations. After the statue returned to France a year later, a replica was built and placed at Odaiba Island in Tokyo Bay. This shot was taken at a distance of only 44.43 ft. (13.54 m) from the pedestal of the statue with the shortest focal length possible with the lens I was using.

Replica Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World

Pentax KP 18 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/3.5

#landmark #StatueofLiberty #LadyLiberty #TokyoBay #Odaiba #Tokyo #Japan #cityscape

#自由の女神像 #橋 #湾 #東京港 #レインボーブリッジ #東京 #港区 #大台場 #都市景観 #都市景観

Blue hour view of Tokyo Tower as viewed from Daiba Park, part of the waterfront development district—a man-made island sitting in the middle of Tokyo Bay. Positioning of the camera for this shot was almost the same as the shot above. Post processing of this image aims to subdue the tones of all other structures to help the tower stand out without too much difference with the surrounding structures.

Communications and Observation Tower in Tokyo

Pentax KP 135 mm ISO 100 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/5.6

#tower #structure #nightscape #cityscape #TokyoTower #Tokyo #Japan #symbol #landmark

#タワー #東京タワー #東京 #港区 #シンボル #ランドマーク #夜景写真 #都市景観 #都市景観

View of Rainbow Bridge from Daiba Park. The park is actually an island that was built in 1854 as one of several batteries built for coastal defenses after the arrival of USN Commodore Perry in 1853. Remnants of stone cannon pedestals, ammunition storehouses, and barracks can still be seen at the park. The shot aims to focus on symmetry. Post processing was minimal, so this image is close to the RAW file that came out of camera.

Suspension Bridge Connecting Island in Tokyo Bay

Pentax KP 260 mm ISO 100 for 1/25 sec. at ƒ/18

#landmark #cablestayed #TokyoBay #RainbowBridge #Tokyo #Odaiba #Japan #cityscape

#橋 #湾 #東京港 #レインボーブリッジ #東京 #港区 #大台場 #都市景観 #都市景観

2020-09-29

Okutama Lake

For this video shoot, we left home at around 1:00 a.m. and reached the shores of Okutama Lake about an hour before sunrise during the blue hour.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Dale-chan and I headed out to explore for compositions. Since this was my first time visiting Okutama Lake, which is located within the prefectural boundary of Tokyo, I didn't know what to expect. Using the dark, lush foliage and the ghostly mist, I wanted to create a photo wit an ethereal feeling to it.

This first composition caught my attention right away. There was enough light during blue hour to allow for some beautiful reflections on the lake, but just dark enough to make the water appear a dark green instead of a bright blue.

Using a standard 18 to 135 standard kit lens, I kept the focal length as short as possible at 18 mm to capture as much of the scene as I could. I kept ISO at 100 to minimize noise, and set the aperture to f8 to limit my depth a field to where reflections on the water start in the foreground up to about midway into the scene. Since there was no wind or breeze, I was able to select a slower shutter speed to allow enough light to reach the sensor without worrying too much about blurry water motion or blurry tree branch movement. It was a very still, quiet, and tranquil scene.

Freshwater Lake behind Dam in Japanese Mountains

The Okutama Lake is a freshwater reservoir created by a dam near the head of the Tama River. This reservoir provides approximately 20% of Tokyo's drinking water.

Pentax KP 18 mm ISO 100 for 1.0 sec. at ƒ/8.0

smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #cloudy #longexposure

#Tokyo #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真

While scouting for other compositions, I came across some well maintained foot trails that appeared to lead to the top of a nearby hill overlooking the lake. It seemed that I might be able to have a bird's eye view of the whole lake and mountains along the shoreline.

The trail lead us to the top of the hill where I had a lovely view of the whole valley below me. And as I had hoped, the warm mist slowly rising from the forest floor was being sucked up from the forest canopy by cooler air and carried up and over the ridges.

The cooler air caused the warmer vapor to condense thus creating beautiful clouds of mist that where soon lifted and gently carried over the ridges like slow moving ocean waves breaking on a beach. Although the formation of the mist and its flow over the tree tops appears to be moving in slow motion, it is in fact a rather quick process. Mist can be as elusive as light--by they time you look up from your camera to check the scene, your whole composition can change drastically or disappear altogether. If there is any sort of breeze, you need to move quick and decisively before the composition fades away.

This photo was captured as a focal length of 31 mm. I wanted a wider shot, but there were objects in the foreground that would have would have creeped into the frame from the sides and from below. Rather than cropping the shot in post processing, I wanted to do as much of the framing as possible in-camera so that I can avoid data loss when cropping. With this scene, I want the viewer's eyes to focus on the mist as it gently flows over each ridge like a a gust of sea spray or powder snow on a mountain ridge.

This picture was shot in raw at ISO 100 (to minimize noise) with an aperture of f22 for a greater depth of field extending from the mountains near the edge of the lake to the mountains far in the background. Shutter speed was set for 120 seconds, which gave me enough time to capture the motion of the mist as it rose up from the forest, gathered above the forest canopy, and the gently carried over the nearby ridges by the wind. With overcast skies and still being very early in the morning, a 6-stop ND filter was sufficient for this particular shot.

Mist over Forest near Dam in Japanese Mountains

As cooler winds blow across the forest canopy, the warmer humid air rises, cools, and forms a mist that gets gently pushed up and over the steep mountainside.

Pentax KP 31 mm ISO 100 for 120 sec. at ƒ/22

smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #longexposure #Tokyo

#霧 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真

On the climb down from the top of the hillside, I noticed small patches of spider lilies growing on the hillside. Unfortunately, most were already starting to wither and dry out. Fortunately, I found a few blossoms that were still fresh and vibrant.

I wanted a composition with the lake in the background of the flowers, which meant having to go off the trail and climb a short distance up a very steep, slippery slope of loose foliage and soil. For this shot, the terrain prevented me from getting low enough to view the scene through the viewfinder. The live view monitor on the back of the camera was of some help. Having to hold the camera at the end of my outstretched arms, it was not possible to shoot in manual mode. I switch the camera to full auto mode and after about 20 shots, only one shot was worth keeping and posting in the video.

Red Spider Lily

Before the autumn leaves turn color, the first sign that fall has arrived is the blossoms of red spider lilies that can be seen along the roadside, local parks, hillsides, and in the mountains at lower elevations. Lycoris radiata, also known as the hell flower, red magic lily, or equinox flower, is called higanbana (彼岸花: higan + flower) in Japanese. Higan (彼岸) refers to an equinoctial week in Buddhism, which traditionally aligns with the time the flower blooms.

Pentax KP 60 mm ISO 100 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/4.5

smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

#flower #blossom #autumn #fall #redspiderlily #higanbana #OkutamaLake #Japan

#花 #彼岸花 #秋 #ヒガンバナ #秋の花 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真

Dale-chan and I left the steep slops on the eastern side of the lake and headed down to the dam. I wasn't sure what if any composition I could find as the mist had all but disappeared. Down at the water's level, I was enamored with how the early morning light had broke through the cloud cover and graced the sides of the distant mountain ridges that were lined up like ripples of a large wave slowly disappearing into the distance.

At the far end of the scene, dark storm clouds were approaching. This clash of warm sunlight and a dark looming storm was perfect. For this shot, I kept the standard lens on the camera and went as wide as could taking care to keep nearby buildings and man-made structures out of the frame. This gave me focal length of 28 mm. I closed down the aperture to f14 to increase my depth of field in hopes of catching most of the mid-ground in focus with a soft foreground and soft background. Shooting at ISO 100, and a small aperture, gave me a shutter speed of 1/60 of a sec.

Storm Approaching Mountain Ridges

Sunlight breaks through the clouds highlighting heavily forested mountains as a storm approaches from the east.

Pentax KP 28 mm ISO 100 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/14

smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #longexposure #Tokyo

#霧 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真

While atop Ogouchi Dam, I switched my focus to the northern side of the dam. Due to the number of small houses and cabins dotting the side of the mountain I tried to focus on the distant mountains as the clouds slowly creeped over the ridges and made a slow ascent into the valley. However, the longer focal length wouldn't let me capture the whole scene. I decided to go with a short focal distance, and then eliminate the unwanted structures in post processing. Although not intentional, I think the buoys make a nice leading line to the V formation near the shore and lead the eye up into the foreboding clouds that originally attracted my attention. Focal length was at 18 mm with an aperture of f18 to increase by depth of field so that most of the foliage from the water's edge to the the back of the scene would be in focus.

View of Lake from Top of Dam

Low-lying clouds slowly creep over the mountain peaks as the enter the village below. View of Okutama Lake looking northwest form atop Ogouchi Dam. The hillside (mid-left section of frame) has 7 or 8 species of cherry trees planted on it making this a very popular tourist destination in spring.

https://www.japanvisitor.com/tokyo/okutama-lake

Pentax KP 18 mm ISO 100 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/14

#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #clouds #Tokyo

#雲 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真

Okutama Lake is a reservoir west of central Tokyo near the prefectural border of Tokyo. Although a mountainous with wildlife refuges, the lake is technically in Tokyo.

Okutama Lake offers several nice opportunities for landscape and woodland photography. One of the hillsides overlooking the lake includes well maintained walking trails that zigzag up the mountainside at a grade small enough for an easy "climb" for elderly, young children, etc., without the need for any hiking shoes or gear. From the top of this hillside, you have a panoramic view of the lake and on a clear day, views of mountain ridges far off in the distance.

The hillside with with trails overlooking the lake has also been planted with 7 or 8 different species of cherry trees. During spring, the varying colors of blossoms and different timing of the blossoms creates opportunities for some beautiful landscapes. Just be sure to arrive early enough to avoid the busloads of tourists.

Access Details:

If visiting by car, be sure to take extra care when driving on the winding mountain roads. There are two main parking lots. Both are free:

1. 奥多摩湖ダムサイトパーキング | Okutama Lake Dam Site Parking

2. 大麦代園地駐車場 | Ōmugishiro Parking Area

Traveling by train and bus is actually a little quicker than driving, but you will need to watch your schedule so that you don't get left on the mountain after the last bus:

1. From Nakano Station, take the JR Chuo Line to Ome Station.

2. From Ome Station, take the local Ome Line to Oku-Tama Station.

3. From Oku-Tama Station, take bus No. 9, 10, 12, or 14 to the Okutamako Bus Stop.

The following sites offer more photos and more details for access and listings of what is available in the whole area:

1. Tokyo City Guides: Okutama Lake, Okutama Town, Tokyo

2020-09-22

Mt. Mitake

This week's photo shoot brings us Mt. Mitake, located at the westernmost end of Tokyo's prefectural boundary. Access to the mountain by car or public transportation is relatively easy.

The mountain offers many opportunities for woodland photography with beautiful, tall, ancient-looking cedar trees lining the path/road to the peak. There is a small village near the peak with some shops that haven't changed much over many years, which might make for some quaint shots that may appear to have been taken decades ago.

Musashi-Mitake-Jinja Shrine (Japanese only), and the structures associated with the shrine include grand gates, old statues, beautiful torii gates, carved stone lanterns, stone staircases that have uniquely carved steps not often seen at a shrine, and more unique features that are specific to this shrine. There is an abundance of photo opportunities, especially for tourists. One of the best sources of information in English can be found here: Donny Kimball: https://donnykimball.com/mitake-52da177ddaa2. Donny's blog post provides useful details on how to access this location by train and bus.

The goal of this photo shoot was to capture some woodland photography shots. To avoid traffic and to ensure I can find a parking space, I left home at around 1:30 in the morning and arrived at the base of the mountain around 3:30 a.m. If you drive to the mountain and try to find parking before the start of the cable car around 7:30 a.m., you will likely face a backup of traffic as I saw when I came back down the mountain around 11:00 a.m.

Climbing at night requires that you have a headlight or flashlight. Even with a bright moon out, the canopy of the trees makes it impossible to safely navigate the road to the top. I used the flashlight on my iPhone, which was more than sufficient.

I took a lot of B-roll once the blue hour approached and was able to watch the sunrise from the peak. Most of my video was focused on the beautiful shrine, shrine gates, stone lanterns, ema boards, etc., my photography focused on more on the woodland aspect of this location.

From the peak, I used a my long kit lens (HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE) to capture mist covered ridge lines of mountains that can be seen from the peak.

Mist and Mountain Ridgelines after Sunrise in Japan

View of the mountain ridges bathed in morning mist after sunrise. Shot taken from peak of Mt. Mitake in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park west of central Tokyo.

Pentax KP 210 mm ISO 100 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/13

#Mitakesan #MountMitake #MtMitake #Tokyo #Japan #LandscapePhotography #morningmist #御岳山 #秩父多摩甲斐国立公園 #東京都 #山の風景 #風景写真 #朝の霧

After leaving the peak, I headed down to a ravine about 30 minutes from the peak where there is a popular destination called the Rock Garden. The clear water flowing stones and boulders heavily coated in beautiful green moss. For shots taken in the ravine, I switched back to a standard kit lens with a shorter focal length (smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR). To capture as much of this scene in the frame, I put the camera in vertical position with an attempt to get most fo the scene in focus from front to back.

Flowing Stream in Deep Mountain Ravine

Long exposure of small stream flowing through popular hiking destination called the Rock Garden, located in a ravine about 30 minutes below the peak of Mt. Mitake.

Pentax KP 24 mm ISO 100 for 4.0 sec. at ƒ/18

#Mitakesan #MountMitake #MtMitake #Tokyo #Japan #LandscapePhotography #stream #creek #longexposure #御岳山 #秩父多摩甲斐国立公園 #東京都 #山の風景 #風景写真 #ロックガーデン

We then walked upstream and came across this scene where I was able to capture a shot in a horizontal position. Same as the above shot, I used a circular polarizer to reduce reflections shining off of the wet leaves, wet rocks, etc.

Moss and Fallen Leaf

Close-up shot of a leaf on a moss covered boulder located in a ravine about 30 minutes below the peak of Mt. Mitake.

Pentax KP 31 mm ISO 100 for 0.3 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#Mitakesan #MountMitake #MtMitake #Tokyo #Japan #LandscapePhotography #stream #leaf #moss #御岳山 #秩父多摩甲斐国立公園 #東京都 #山の風景 #風景写真 #ロックガーデン #葉 #コケ #苔 #コケに覆われた岩

The final shot was located right below the hiking trail that takes you through the Rock Garden.

Water Flowing of Huge Boulders and Rocks

Long-exposure shot a stream flowing of moss-covered boulders and rocks located in a ravine about 30 minutes below the peak of Mt. Mitake.

https://mitaketozan.co.jp/eng2014/

Pentax KP 36 mm ISO 100 for 3.0 sec. at ƒ/10

Useful general one-stop information for visiting Mt. Mitake:

Times 24-Hour Parking Lot--Useful if you arrive early in the morning:
https://goo.gl/maps/LheRq62fzwwqgewa8

Trail information for hikers visiting Mt. Mitake:
https://hikesinjapan.yamakei-online.com/course/4.php

Sample itinerary for sightseeing, hiking, dining, and shopping for a day at Mt. Mitake:
https://matcha-jp.com/en/greatertokyo/5438

Detailed access information and sample itinerary for visitng with a dog (Japanese):
http://www.mitaketozan.co.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/f63766465f8155e84ddbd55bda075cf61.pdf

Sample itinerary for visitng with a dog (Japanese):
https://yamap.com/activities/2817602

Large parking lot near cable car station (7:10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m):
https://goo.gl/maps/EFkJS8LnkWGU2QKT8

2020-09-16

Yokohama Waterfront

Today's photo shoot brings us to one of my favorite places to visit regardless of the time of day or the time of year--the Yokohama waterfront district in the Port of Yokohama.

The three locations for this photo shoot were as follows:

Yamashita Park: 279 Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023
Zou-no-Hana Breakwater: 1-1 Kaigandori, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0002
Osanbashi Pier: 1 Kaigandori, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0002

Yamashita Park offers many attractions including the Hikawa Maru ocean liner, Yokohama Marine Tower, a rose garden, a large green lawn, many benches facing the waterfront, and the pier for bay cruises.

Zou-no-Hana Breakwater gives you fantastic views of the Red Brick Warehouse district, the Yokohama Bay Bridge, and Osanbashi Pier.

From atop Osanbashi Pier, you have an elevated, sweeping view of the Port of Yokohama from Yamashita Park to the south, Yokohama Bay Bridge to the east, and the Minato Mirai district to the north.

If you plan on driving to the Yokohama waterfront, the cheapest and most convenient parking lot is located right next to the park (be sure to arrive early if you are visiting on a weekend or national holiday):

Yamashita Koen Parking Lot (山下公園駐車場): 279 Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023

If you are traveling by train, I would recommend that you take the Minatomirai Line from Yokohama Station to Motomachi-Chukagai Station and then head for exit No. 4. If you are visiting from Tokyo, the Tokyu-Toyoko Line from Shibuya will continue onto the Minatomirai Line from Yokohama with no need to make a transfer.

Motomachi-Chukagai Train Station: Yamashitacho, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0023

Nightscape Long Exposure of Retired Ocean Liner

Pentax KP + smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

Focal length of 18 mm with ISO 100 for 140.0 sec. at ƒ/10

#HikawaMaru #OceanLiner #LuxuryLiner #FloatingMuseum #YamashitaPark #Yokohama #NYKHikawaMaru #氷川丸 #大洋航路定期船 #豪華客船 #山下公園 #横浜 #横浜港

Long Exposure at Night of Historical Customs Building aka "The Queen"

Pentax KP + HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Focal length of 150 mm with ISO 100 for 1/120.0 sec. at ƒ/10

#nightscape #ClassicalArchitecture #HistoricalBuilding #YokohamaCustoms #QueenTower #Yokohama #PortofYokohama #Japan

#横浜税関 #古典主義建築 #クイーンの塔 #横浜 #横浜港

Long Exposure Nightscape of Long-Span Suspension Bridge

Pentax KP + HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Focal length of 98 mm with ISO 100 for 8.0 sec. at ƒ/6.3

#cablestayed #YokohamaPort #YokohamaBayBridge #Yokohama #Japan #nightscape #Yokohama #PortofYokohama #Japan #橋 #湾 #横浜港 #横浜ベイブリッジ #横浜 #長時間露光写真 #夜景写真 #斜張橋

Gear used for this photo shoot:

Camera: Pentax KP

Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR

Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE

Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)

Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate

Video camera: Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit

SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)

PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter

Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal

Synco Wireless Microphone

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission that has no bearing on your purchase price whatsoever.

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