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):
If access by train, I would recommend this route which will bring you to the southeastern shore of the lake:
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:
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
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 Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
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 Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.
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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:
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
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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 
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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

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 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.
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Location: Daiba Park, 1-chōme-10 Daiba, Minato City, Tokyo 135-0091, Japan

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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
Creative Commons License
 Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
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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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
Pentax KP 36 mm ISO 100 for 3.0 sec. at ƒ/10
#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

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



Creative Commons License
 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.
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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 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):
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.
Nightscape Long Exposure of Retired Ocean Liner
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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"
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
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.

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


“A Day Together” composed and performed by Jon Björk.
“Heart of the River of the Sun” composed by Daniel Kadawatha and performed by Lama House.
“Hidden Potential” composed and performed by Airae.
“La Danse Timide” composed and performed by Howard Harper-Barnes.
“May You Have” composed by Daniel Kadawatha and performed by Bonnie Grace.
“Missing Architecture” composed and performed by Cobby Costa.
“You Belong Here” composed by Jakob Ahlbom and performed by Across The Great Valley. 

Creative Commons License
 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.
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2020-09-09

Cape Arasaki

Cape Arasaki (荒崎 lit. Ara Cape) is located in a fishing and farming village called Nagai, which falls under the city of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Cape Arasaki sits the the lower 1/3 of the Miura Peninsula on the west coast facing Sagami Bay. This location in particular is perfect for catching a beautiful seascape with Mt. Fuji rising high above in the west if you are lucky enough to have a day of clear weather and zero haze on the water's horizon.

The cape consists of several attractions both on the coastline and further inland but nearby:
  • Arasaki Park
    • Seaside Hiking Trail: This is less of a hiking trail and more of a walking trail. Parts of the trail use concrete bridges and railings. Other parts, however, require that you crawl over slipper sandstone. Would recommend good fitting shoes or boots. Probably best if you avoid loose sandals or flip flops to avoid slipping and causing injury to yourself.
    • Picnic grounds: There are a few picnic tables spread out over a grassy area under some trees. There is enough space where you can throw down a picnic blanket if the tables are already taken.
    • Parking: I arrived on a weekday so the parking was free. There is a flat fee of 1,000 yen for the whole day (8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.) if you arrive early enough to beat the crowds. I arrived at 5:30 a.m. and already there were people lining up in their cars. 
    • Public transportation: The park is still accessible by train and bus if you want to avoid dealing with traffic. Visit a blog post by redeyebluez for excellent info on how to access the park by bus and train with tips on discounted fares.
  • Nagai Seaside Park Soleil Hill
    • I didn't visit this this family oriented activity park/attraction but it is heavily promoted as a great place for family outings (unless you have teenagers in which case they would probably be bored out of their noggins. If you look at the park from above using Google Maps or Google Earth, you can clearly see the outline of what used to be an air base for the Imperial Japanese Navy. After the war, the base was converted to residential facility for the U.S. military and later a radio facility for use by the Japan Self Defense Forces. In 2005, the land was given to the city for development as a park. The air strip is not a long parking lot and towards the north is a training facility that is still used by the Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). I read posts online of sailors and soldiers who lived on this base back in the 50s. They said that the air strip was converted into "main street" for their little "American" home away from home.
Seascape Photography:

Pine Trees on Outcrop
Cape Arasaki has a small outcrop of rock with just enough soil to keep four trees alive. Despite using a 10-stop ND filter and fast shutter speed, this shot was barely salvaged in post processing. Definitely not a keeper.🤨
Pentax KP 31 mm ISO 100 for 1/640 sec. at ƒ/10

Now that I have become somewhat familiar with this area, I will come back in the future to take much better shots. For example, the above shot of the the outcrop (荒崎弁天島: Arasaki Bentenjima) should be taken when the sun is setting in the west, or very early in the morning during blue hour before the sun rises. 

Concrete Column on Coast
A lone column of concrete sticking up from among the rocky coast of Cape Arasaki. Couldn't get closer to determine purpose of column. This shot was taken at max focal length and then cropped in post processing, which ultimately revealed that the shot was out of focus.🤨
Pentax KP 31 mm ISO 100 for 1/640 sec. at ƒ/10

This shot of the column has some potential if I can come back during high tide when the waves crashing onto the rocks would create more drama. Also a slower shutter speed of maybe half a second might show just the right amount of motion in the water. I would also like to get a shot with a fisherman standing on the rocks nearby for a better sense of scale. The column was the only one there and quite large. My attention was drawn to it over and over again. 

Waves Crashing on Rocks in Bay
Waves started crash over these lone rocks off the coast of Cape Araski in Sagami Bay. A long focal length made it really hard to determine a sharp focus combined with longer than necessary shutter speed made for some bad shots.🤨
Pentax KP 190 mm ISO 100 for 1.0 sec. at ƒ/6.3

The tide was low, some epic splashes of water would occasionally jettison into the air and fall down blanketing these rocks in white foam. I must have shot over 60 photos of this composition hoping to time the waves just right with the shutter. Alas, my battery eventually died and that was when I gave up and headed home. The light was good in this shot and the circular polarizer worked wonders in cutting out glare and deepening the blues. Pixel peeping in post production revealed I was out of focus on the rocks on a long lens. If I had spent the time to adjust the focus in micrometer increments, I may got some nice shots in-camera with little post processing needed.
Lessons learned in this photo shoot:
  1. Plan a head!
    • I chose the site at the last minute and left home about an hour too late.
  2. Plan ahead!
    • I rushed to scout the area and failed to carefully consider how compositions would fit into the story I wanted to tell as the light frantically worsened and become harsher with each ear-pounding second that was ticking away in my mind.
  3. Plan ahead!
    • I failed to confirm the most obvious point--would the location be best suited to a sunrise or sunset. Cape Arasaki is best suited for an evening photo shoot with softer, golden evening light blanketing the rocks bringing out the bits of greenery where the trees are located on the top of the outcrop.
  4. Plan ahead!
    • I didn't check any tide charts and was rushing a bit to make sure that the dog and I would not get stranded out on the rocks with no easy way to make it back to shore without risking dropping my gear into the water or having to swim back to shore.
Read more »
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2020-09-01

Shomyo-ji Temple

Shomyo-ji Temple located in Kanazawa Ward of Yokohama (next to the ancient capital of  Kamakura) was established during the mid-13th century. The current site was originally the personal property of a Shogun who reigned over Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 to 1333).

The temple compound originally included a total of 7 structures including a pagoda. After the Kamakura Shogunate fell to a warlord loyal to the emperor, chaos ensued as the capital in nearby Kamakura moved back to Kyoto. The status and upkeep of Shomyo-ji Temple declined after the defeat of the Shogun who was their main benefactor. In fact, the Shogun's defeat was so bad that about 870 of his samurai warriors  committed ritual suicide.
 
Seven hundred years later, the area of Kanazawa where the temple is located is a quiet residential neighborhood featuring an amusement park, a seaside park, fields for soccer and rugby, dog runs, marinas for private fishing boats and yachts, etc.
 
Parts of the original compound that remain standing include the red gate, the main temple gate, the pond, the arched bridge, the flat bridge, the main hall, the temple bell and belfry, an additional hall with its thatched roof, and the tombstones of the temple clergy who have looked after the temple over the centuries.
 
More than a decade ago, I came across this temple by chance and recently remembered how impressed I was with the arched bridge and the pond of the temple grounds. I remember how the bridge and red gate had a fresh coat of bright vermilion paint that beautifully contrasted with the green surroundings and the pond. Since I was already familiar with the layout of the temple grounds, I had a good idea as to what kind of composition that I would like to shoot. Here are some of the shots I took:
 
Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden
Shot at a focal length of 31 mm
ISO 100 for 1/5 sec. at ƒ/13
#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama
#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden
Shot at a focal length of 53 mm
ISO 100 for 1/5 sec. at ƒ/9
#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama
#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden
Focal length of 98 mm
ISO 100 for 1/15 sec. at ƒ/5
#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama
#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Temple Bell and Belfry
Pentax KP 40 mm ISO 100 for 1/15 sec. at ƒ/4.5
#Japan #templebell #belfry #temple #Buddhism #JapaneseCulture #historical #park #Yokohama
#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #梵鐘 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Access to the temple from Tokyo or nearby areas is quite easy:

Sightseeing and Other Photographic Opportunities

In addition to the temple grounds, there are a few other attractions nearby that offer other opportunities for enjoying outdoor photography and activities with family or friends.

Local Attractions:
  • Marine Park (Umi-no-Koen / 海の公園)
  • Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise (横浜・八景島シーパラダイス)
    • A nice amusement park with firework shows, an aquarium, restaurants, and more. There are no admission charges to the park. You only have to pay for any rides or attractions that you participate in.
    • Google Maps Link here. 
    • There are five different parking lots available for the park. The largest parking garage is here.
    • Park website in English here.
Here is the list of gear I used for this photo shoot:
*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.
Creative Commons License
 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.
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