Pix4Japan

2020-06-16

Mt. Banjirodake on Izu Peninsula

After a nearly 5-hour drive, we finally reached the trailhead to Mt. Banjirodake. One of the best things about this location is that there is a designated parking lot just for hikers--it is free, has clean restrooms, and has basins for washing mud off of your gear and shoes.

Mt. Banjirodake:

https://goo.gl/maps/aadUBByg5uijXbxz8

Designated Parking:

https://goo.gl/maps/75p6D9MXT1vpE5MdA

The trail started out very easy. After about an hour, the trail became steeper but not that challenging. The difficult part was that the trail had been severely eroded by rain. In some locations, you have to walk off the trail and find an alternate path to get back on the trail while climbing over huge boulders. I am sure it will take a long time and significant expense to get the trail back to its original condition.

Ascending the mountain, I didn't stop to take any photos. The climb up was to scout for compositions that I could shoot on the way down the mountain.

After reaching the peak, I was a bit disappointed. The view of the ocean was bleak and hazy. The sky was misty and no nice cloud cover. I might have been able to find some decent shots, but I was soaking wet with sweat which seemed to attract small flying insects (gnats? flies?) that made it impossible to stand still long enough to set up the tripod for some carefully composed shots. I don't recall being swarmed by so many insects at one time. They didn't bite or sting, but were incredibly maddening.

I gave up on spending the time needed to set up the tripod and focus on some carefully planned compositions. Rather, I took a run-and-gun approach with handheld shots while trying to avoid standing still long enough to be engulfed by the flying insects.

On the way down, we were able to finally escape the swarm of insects that were at the top of the mountain and finally had a chance to take out the tripod for some interesting shots while giving the dog and myself some rest. Although coming down the mountain was easier than climbing, I had to be very careful that I did not go too fast and injure my knees as I had to climb down some steep grades and hop off of big boulders blocking the trail.

Here are the few shots that I was able to take with so-so quality. I would like to go again in the fall when the air is dryer and maybe the fall leaves might add to more dramatic shots.

Beech Woods

Beech wood tree on peak of Mt. Banjirodake (at elevation of 1,299 m/4,262 ft). This peak is located on the Amagi Mountain Range, which is located on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture (approx. a 3.5 hour drive southwest of Tokyo).

Pentax KP 31mm ISO 100 for 1/40 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#mountain #hiking #Banjirodake #trees #beechwood #Izu #Shizuoka #Japan

#山 #ハイキング # 万二郎岳 #木 #天城の秘境 #ブナの木 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Tired

We had driven all night and reached the trailhead at about 5:00 in the morning. Four hours later we reached the peak of Mt. Banjirodake. She seemed exhausted and quickly found a huge, cool boulder to rest on while I was taking photos.

Pentax KP 135mm ISO 1600 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/5.6

#dog #pet #bordercollie #MtBanjirodake #Shizuoka #Japan

#犬 #ワンちゃん #愛犬 #ボーダーコリー #万二郎岳 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Moss

This shot was taken at about 1,200 meters (3,937 ft) where you can see many species of moss creating new life from dead trees in an old growth forest that was spared the destruction of cedar tree plantations found at lower elevations.

Pentax KP 68mm ISO 800 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/5.6

#moss #tree #oldgrowth #forest #MtBanjirodake #Izu #Shizuoka #Japan

#苔 #コケ #古い成長の木 #森 #万二郎岳 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Happy to Go Home

お二人（僕とワンちゃん）はとても最高でした！

Halfway down Mt. Banjirodake, she jumped up onto this boulder and waited for me to catch up with her. On the way up the mountain, we both kept about the same pace. But on the way down, I with my backpack full of gear and my careful navigation of muddy rocks on the trail were no match for a spry border collie!

Pentax KP 36 mm ISO 1600 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#dog #pet #bordercollie #MtBanjirodake #Shizuoka #Japan

#犬 #ワンちゃん #愛犬 #ボーダーコリー #万二郎岳 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Stewartia Monadelpha

On the climb down Mt. Banjirodake, came across a few very tall and unusual trees known as tall stewartia (Species: Stewartia monadelpha) that are native to the tropical mountain regions of Japan. The smooth, cinnamon colored trunks reach far above the canopy and stand in stark contrast to the surrounding cedar and beech woods.

Pentax KP 21mm ISO 400 for 1/50 sec. at ƒ/5.6

#stewartia #tree #oldgrowth #forest #MtBanjirodake #Izu #Shizuoka #Japan

#ヒメシャラ #姫沙羅 #古い成長の木 #森 #万二郎岳 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Stewartia Monadelpha

This is the second stewartia tree I discovered on the way down Mt. Banjirodake. Don't know how I missed this tree on the way up! Was probably too focused trying to secure sure footing on the washed out trail. Hope to visit another old growth forest if I can.

Pentax KP 48 mm ISO 1600 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/8.0

#stewartia #tree #oldgrowth #forest #MtBanjirodake #Izu #Shizuoka #Japan

#ヒメシャラ #姫沙羅 #古い成長の木 #森 #万二郎岳 #伊豆半島 #静岡県

Licensing & prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

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 Caubarrere Piché LLC.

2020-06-09

Cape Kurosakinohana

Left home at around 1:30 in the morning in hopes of catching the sunrise at Cape Kurosakinohana (黒崎の鼻), which is located on the west coast of the Miura Peninsula about 2 hours 20 minutes from Nihonbashi, Tokyo (Google Maps link).

After parking the car at the parking lot that was closest to the cape, the dog and I walked about 30 minutes to reach the coastline. Fortunately, we arrived before sunrise and had a few minutes to scout the area for some compositions.

As expected, I had most of the coastline to myself! A few fishermen showed up after sunrise, but for the most part, it was just me and my dog!

This time of year, however, there is a haze that wipes out any hint of clear blue skies in the distant. From what I have read, Mt. Fuji can be seen clearly from here on a clear day. This was not one of those days.

Although the rocky coastline was very interesting from a geological history aspect, I had difficulty finding any clear leading lines I could use in a composition. I spent almost 3 hours taking various test shots and looking for interesting views.

While exploring the length of the coast, there were several Japanese kites (a kind or raptor called "tobi" in Japanese) flying close to the shore. They seemed to be taunting my dog into chasing them--which she promptly obliged! She had a blast running through the ocean waves, across the wet, cool sand, and over jagged rocks.

Although I wasn't able to take any "great" shots on this trip, I thoroughly enjoyed the sunrise and watching my dog get lots of exercise in trying to "herd" some beautiful raptors. I will come back in winter or after a typhoon in hopes of catching some clear skies or at least some dramatic clouds.

Sunrise

Shot taken at Cape Kurosakinohana, Japan, which is a small headland that juts out into the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the Miura Peninsula located about 2 1/2 hours south of Tokyo.

Pentax KP 55mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/18

#sunrise #Miura #scenic #Japan

#日の出 #黒崎の鼻 #景勝地 #三浦半島 #海の風景

License & Prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Sea Dog

She had fun playing in the water and chasing after raptors called "tobi" (Japanese black kites).

Pentax KP 21mm ISO 200 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/7.1

#dog #pet #bordercollie #MiuraPeninsula #coast #Japan

#犬 #愛犬 #ボーダーコリー #三浦半島 #海の風景

License & Prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Water Silk

Sulfur colored marine plant drying on coastal rocks at low tide. Initially thought was seaweed but actually might be a filamentous algae called water silk or mermaid's tresses.

Pentax KP 18mm ISO 100 for 1/20 sec. at ƒ/14

#seaweed #algae #MiuraPeninsula #scenic #Japan

#海藻 #藻 #黒崎の鼻 #景勝地 #三浦半島 #海の風景

License & Prints: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

2020-06-02

Minami-Honmoku Pier

Tonight's photo shoot entailed visiting two different parks that have small hills where you can get high enough for a mostly unobstructed view of the bay. From street level, there are too many buildings and a huge double-decker raised expressway (highway) that blocks most of the view.

The first two shots required that I fix my tripod between a tall fence and thick tree trunk to catch the shot over the fence. Most of the shots were unusable due to slight motion of the tree caused by a light breeze. Only two shots were close to being sharp and in focus.

The third shot was a breeze to take since I planted the tripod on solid ground. Only drawback was that the bridge was so far away that I had to use a telephoto zoom lens maxed out at 300 mm.

My faithful dog was very patient with me as we scouted locations at around 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.

It's great to visit these parks only a couple hours after midnight when there are absolutely no other people around. I can let my dog follow me around off her leash, which also frees up my hands for carrying gear.

Will have to come back to this area during the daytime to catch some shots of the greenery in the future.

Container Pier and Oil Refinery

Two berths with oil refinery tanks and mega-gantry cranes make up the Minami-Honmoku Pier as seen from Honmoku Waterfront Park.

Pentax KP 40mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/11

#cranes #gantrycrane #containercrane #pier #smokestack #coolingtower #refinery #Japan

#クレーン #メガガントリークレーン #石油精製工場煙突 #冷却塔 #横浜港

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Container Pier and Oil Refinery

Two berths with oil refinery tanks and mega-gantry cranes make up the Minami-Honmoku Pier as seen from Honmoku Waterfront Park.

Pentax KP 40mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/13

#cranes #gantrycrane #containercrane #pier #smokestack #coolingtower #refinery #Japan

#クレーン #メガガントリークレーン #石油精製工場煙突 #冷却塔 #横浜港

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridge

Yokohama Bay Bridge--gateway to the Port of Yokohama for ships sailing in from Tokyo Bay.

Pentax KP 300mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/14

#bridge #cablestayed #YokhamaPort #YokohamaBayBridge #Yokohama #Japan

#橋 #湾 #横浜港 #横浜ベイブリッジ #横浜

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

2020-05-25

Train and Sea

Drove to central Yokohama in the evening on an overcast day and searched for a parking space that wasn't too expensive but within walking distance of the waterfront area of Yokohama.

My goal for this photo shoot was to take some shots primarily of the waterfront area, and to give my dog a nice, long walk on a cool summer evening.

Shots of the trains were taken while standing on Hirado-bashi Bridge, which sits between Yokohama Station and Tobe Station on the Keikyu Line.

Thinking of the Keikyu Line brings back some memories. Many years ago when working for Fujitsu at one of their offices in Tokyo, I had to commute on the Keikyu Line for about 40 minutes each way during rush hour. Although it was uncomfortable riding a crowded train bound for Tokyo every day, the express trains on the Keikyu Line were (and are) very fast making the commute more bearable otherwise! Most of the tracks are raised several stories above ground between central Yokohama and Tokyo, which helps the trains run quickly and on time.

Throughout this outing, I wasn't able to find many satisfactory compositions. As for the train shots, I wanted to catch the motion of the trains with a long exposure. I have shot light trails before back in my film camera days, but I haven't tried it during the day with a DSLR. Overall, I like how the red train cars and green foliage and green river contrast with each other.

From the bridge, I walked to Rinko Park in the Minato Mirai district on the waterfront which was about 30 minutes away on foot. By the time we reached the water's edge, it was already dark. I kept scouting for some compositions and got a few shots of the bay and Yokohama Port.

I would like to take nightscapes where there is greater contrast--bright ship lights with a darker sky. The night sky in the city is overwhelmed with so much light that I don't think it is possible to create a shot with a darker sky in camera. I am a novice when it comes to Photoshop, so I would much rather achieve my vision for a shot in camera than in post processing.

This particular photo shoot was not very productive in terms of various compositions. It was nice, however, to get out with my dog and to scout for future sites that might produce some satisfactory results when I come back again.

Red Commuter Train

A commuter train starting to cross a bridge as it departs from Tobe Station on the Keikyu Line in downtown Yokohama, Japan.

Pentax KP 31mm ISO 100 for 2.0 sec. at ƒ/14

#train #bridge #canal #urban #Yokohama #Japan

#電車 #川 #橋 #平戸橋 #帷子川 #京急電鉄 #横浜

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Red Commuter Train

A commuter train starting to cross a bridge as it departs from Tobe Station on the Keikyu Line in downtown Yokohama, Japan.

Pentax KP 31mm ISO 100 for 2.0 sec. at ƒ/14

#train #bridge #canal #urban #Yokohama #Japan

#電車 #川 #橋 #平戸橋 #帷子川 #京急電鉄 #横浜

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Life Ring

Life ring on rails along the Rinko Park waterfront promenade in the Port of Yokohama, Japan.

Pentax KP 21mm ISO 100 for 30 sec. at ƒ/6.3

#lifering #waterfront #port #cityscape #Yokohama #Japan

#救命浮輪 #ウォーターフロントの遊歩道 #海の反射 #横浜港 #横浜

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

Ferry

Reflections of a ferry docked at Shinko Pier Cruise Terminal in the Port of Yokohama, Japan.

Pentax KP 36mm ISO 100 for 30 sec. at ƒ/10

#ferry #waterfront #port #cityscape #nightscape #ShinkoPier #Yokohama #Japan

#客船 #新港ふ頭客船ターミナル #夜景 #横浜港 #横浜

Portfolio: pix4japan.myportfolio.com.

2020-05-20

Shasui Falls

Located near the head of the Tanzawa River, this waterfall is part of Saishō-ji, a Buddhist temple that is located nearby.

The waterfall is only a 5-minute walk from the parking area provided for tourists located shortly downstream.

Location on Google Maps:

https://goo.gl/maps/A1k7F5bJR9eQyDHp8

The falls are used by the clergy and monks of the nearby Saisho-ji Temple, and is also a holy site for Japanese mountain ascetic hermits. Members of both traditions stand directly under the fall and endure the water striking the head and upper body during a purification ceremony.

Unfortunately, super typhoon, Typhoon Hagibis, wreaked havoc on this area (as well as the rest of Japan) back in October 2019. As of this posting, there is still a substantial amount of debris and damage to the trail and bridges leading to the waterfall.

The only way to access it now is to risk injury climbing along the damaged banks, or climb up the middle of the stream if the water current is not too strong or too deep.

Fortunately, when I visited with my dog, the stream was not deep at all and most of the debris seemed securely lodged into their positions creating a kind of staircase to the upper portion of the river where you can stand next to the falls.

I reached this location about an hour before sunset after a 4-hour drive. If the evening sun ever shines through the forest canopy, I was too late to witness it.

Due to the encroaching darkness, all of the shots were taken with long exposures to capture as much light as possible. I feel that the large boulders were a bit overwhelming in my composition. Maybe if there was more water volume, or maybe if I had come before the typhoon there would be less rock visible.

One advantage to visiting a location that has been damaged by a natural disaster is the lack of tourist buses and the crowds that debark from the. Although these shots are not very good and seem more cluttered than I'd like, being alone with my dog at this location was definitely worth the time and effort to get here.

Shasui Falls

Flooding caused by Typhoon Hagibis back in October 2019 caused some damage to the verillon bridge leading up Shasui Falls, which is one of tributaries of Tanzawa River.

Pentax KP 46mm ISO 1600 for 0.6 sec. at ƒ/18

#waterfall #river #bridge #NationalPark #Shasui #Japan

#滝 #川 #橋 #滝沢川 #洒水の滝 #日本の滝百選 #全国名水百選

Fine art prints available at pix4japan.darkroom.tech.

Bridge to Shasui Falls

The bridge to Shasui Falls remains damaged and littered with debris from the super typhoon that came in October 2019.

Pentax KP 40mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/14

#waterfall #river #bridge #NationalPark #Shasui #Japan

#滝 #川 #橋 #滝沢川 #洒水の滝 #日本の滝百選 #全国名水百選

Fine art prints available at pix4japan.darkroom.tech.

Clastic Sedimentary Rock

Erosion has exposed the clasts that helped build these huge boulders that now rest downriver from Shasui Falls.

Pentax KP 18mm ISO 100 for 25.0 sec. at ƒ/16

#river #stone #boulder #NationalPark #ShasuiFalls #Japan

#川 #石 #滝沢川 #洒水の滝 #日本の滝百選 #全国名水百選

Fine art prints available at pix4japan.darkroom.tech.

Purification Falls

Used by monks from the nearby Buddhist temple for a purification ceremony where they stand directly under the fall as the water strikes their head and upper body.

Pentax KP 18mm ISO 100 for 6.0 sec. at ƒ/11

#ShasuiFalls #purification #Buddhism #Japan

#滝沢川 #洒水の滝 #浄化の滝 #日本の滝百選 #全国名水百選

Fine art prints available at pix4japan.darkroom.tech.

Tanzawa River

Japanese-style vermilion bridge crossing the Tanzawa river downstream from Shasui Falls.

Pentax KP 40mm ISO 100 for 30.0 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#river #bridge #NationalPark #ShasuiFalls #Japan

#川 #橋 #滝沢川 #洒水の滝 #日本の滝百選 #全国名水百選

Fine art prints available at pix4japan.darkroom.tech.

2020-05-19

Dog in Grass

I take Dale-chan for a walk every morning for about 30 minutes or longer so that she can have a chance to relieve herself and to burn up some energy before I leave home for work. During summer, I need to be extra careful to take her out earlier in the morning so that she doesn't burn her paws on the hot asphalt.

From what I understand, border collies were originally bred to herd sheep in the the much cooler climate of the border region between England and Scotland. This breed of dog was never expected to be a pet in a the hot, humid, tropical climate of a Japanese summer.

Original shot in camera ↑

Final shot after post-processing ↓

Dog and Ball

Pentax KP 135mm ISO 6400 for 1/320 sec. at ƒ/11

#BorderCollie #dog #pet #companion #dogwalk #Japan

#ボーダーコリー #犬 #ペット #愛犬 #キャッチボール

Original shot in camera ↑

Final shot after post-processing ↓

Dog in Grass

Pentax KP 68mm ISO 3200 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#BorderCollie #dog #pet #companion #dogwalk #Japan

#ボーダーコリー #犬 #ペット #愛犬 #キャッチボール

Daikoku Pier West Park

One of my favorite landmarks in the Port of Yokohama is the the Yokohama Bay Bridge. Although it is not as beautiful as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Yokohama Bay Bridge remains a popular tourist attraction, is a critical part of the local infrastructure, and a proud symbol of Yokohama city.

For this photo shoot, my dog and I left home at about 2:00 a.m. and reached the Daikoku Pier West Park in less than an hour. The park lies on the water's edge where ships sail into the Port of Yokohama from Tokyo Bay.

Daikoku Pier West Park on Google Maps:

https://goo.gl/maps/RpwYUZN9YHtutooJ6

Completed in 1990, the Daikoku Pier West Park is a popular destination during the weekend for folks who enjoy fishing. In the evening, the park becomes a so-called "date spot" as young couples visit the park for its romantic and beautiful views of the Port of Yokohama. The third group of visitors to the park would most likely be photographers.

For this photo shoot, some extra preparation was called for due to the poor weather. I brought rain boots, rain pants, a rain jacket, and a large umbrella (to keep the camera equipment dry). My border collie loves the rain, so she didn't need any preparations other than some water and doggy snacks.

We reached the park around 3:00 a.m. and drove around for an additional 20 or 30 minutes looking for a parking lot that was located within walking distance. We finally found a parking lot and first visited the park to: 1) confirm that the park was accessible in the middle of the night; 2) let the dog have a chance to relieve herself; and 3) scouted around from various vantages in search of compositions.

The park is quite small with most of the surrounding area being private property with huge tall fences to keep out unauthorized entry. My vantages were limited to close-up views of the bridge at only three angles: a) the eastern side of the bridge; b) directly under the bridge; and c) and the western side of the bridge.

With accessibility and vantages confirmed, the dog and I headed back to the car and got the camera gear, and some dog food and water. We returned to the park shortly, set up the gear, and tied the umbrella to the side of the tripod. The pouring rain was got worse and the wind picked up speed. Fortunately, the umbrella did not blow away and was critical in keeping water off of the front of the lens.

While I focused on shooting pictures, the border collie spent her time barking and chasing after crows who were trying to devour a dead fish that was lying on the pier. How the fish got there, I have no idea. Maybe it was caught by a bird of prey and got dropped? The dog got lots of exercise and was able to run freely since we were the only ones at the park in the middle of the night.

My first shots were taken about 30 minutes before sunrise. The weather seemed to worsen and a fog started rolling in. The sky was initially a dark blue, but as we got closer to sunrise, the yellowish lamp posts lining the piers on the other side of the bay created a warm, soft violet color that was ever more visible as the clouds descended and the blue hour got brighter.

Soon after sunrise, the whites and cooler tones of blues and grays become increasingly prominent, which can be seen in the shot of the bridge girders below and the last shot at the end of this post.

Overall, I was satisfied with this photo shoot. I wouldn't say my shots are great as there are limitless photos online of this bridge that were taken during clear weather with beautiful lighting. Personally, I prefer moodier shots, and this particular photo shoot gave me plenty of opportunity to play with the contrast of a soft fog enveloping the hard lines of man-made structures.

I finished up at around 5:00 a.m., loaded up the gear and dog, and headed back home.

It was a productive night and I was able to achieve several of my goals for this photo shoot:

1. Taking shots in a downpour without drenching the equipment even though my gear is weather resistant.

2. Experimenting with a circular polarizer when there is no direct harsh sunlight.

3. Practicing how to focus on the subject under low-light conditions using live-view zoomed in with a high ISO as opposed to the view finder (my preferred method).

4. Experimenting with various methods of stabilizing the tripod under high-wind conditions.

5. Scouting the area for future photo shoot opportunities.