Japan Photography Workshop in Autumn

It is the second day of your photography adventure in Japan, and so we will be returning to Lake Kawaguchiko to capture its glistening water and autumnal leaves under different lighting conditions. Once again, the domineering Mount Fuji will be our major subject of the day. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, standing tall at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). It is designated one of Japan's holy mountains alongside Mount Tate and Mount Haku. Thanks to its impressive, cone-like shape, Mount Fuji has inspired artists and poets for centuries, as well as been a centre for pilgrimage. Standing by the lakeside with your camera in hand, you will quickly realise that you are the latest generation of people to attempt to capture the mountain's majesty.  When your time at the lake is over, you will once again return to your accommodation for the evening. 

It is your final day to capture the exquisite beauty of Japan's Fuji Five Lakes area with a sunrise session to remember. Your group will find new areas and angles from which to capture the mountain, and with luck, the lighting conditions will create new effects and compositions. Thereafter, you'll continue the journey onwards, towards the valley of Kiso. This mountainous region is filled with photographic opportunities. We'll spend the day wandering through enchanting traditional towns, capturing the extraordinary architecture that harkens back several centuries. We'll spend two nights in the Kiso Valley as we explore all that it has to offer.

On day four, we'll continue strolling through the atmospheric Kiso Valley, unearthing beautiful compositions at every turn. The evening streets of these villages make for wonderful photographic opportunities, lit by the warm glow of street lights.

On the fifth day of your Japanese photo adventure, you will be moving west to Japan's second city, Kyoto. Kyoto is a magical blend of old and new, and we'll spend the next four days exploring the city's most famous cultural sites, including gardens, palaces, shrines and temples.  Many sites in Kyoto have become popular attractions, hence why we will organise morning shoots. This not only allows us to skip the crowds, but also to maximise the morning's lighting conditions.  Though there is no set schedule for the attractions we will visit, each day will be filled with incredible sights and experiences. Depending on the autumn foliage, we may visit a number of different Buddhist temples surrounded by stunning maple trees and spectacular Japanese architecture made all the more beautiful by the burning red hues of fall. We will be spending the night in accommodation in Kyoto. Our accommodation is in the centre of the city and offers easy walking distance to many of Kyoto’s most photogenic sights.

On day six, you will continue to explore Kyoto, capturing the very best of the city's cultural landmarks. You will continue your visits to Kyoto's most fascinating temples, surrounded by the flowering greens, yellows, oranges and red colours of fall. There are over 1600 shrines and temples throughout Kyoto, as well as intriguing rock gardens and pagodas steeped in ancient history and rich culture. Each has its own characteristic, so we will take our time capturing these tranquil zen0like areas, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Again, you will retire to accommodation in Kyoto for the evening. 

The attractions covered over the last few days in Kyoto are by no means a definitive list of where we will be spending our time and organising our photo shoots, but it gives you a good idea of the sites we hope to visit, depending on the autumn colours and how photogenic they will be. There are plenty of other places well worth visiting and capturing with our cameras, from the Arashiyama Bamboo forest to the ancient blocs of Gion Higashiyama. What's for sure, however, is that time your time in Kyoto will be invaluable, not just as a traveller, but as a photographer too. Your portfolio will be bursting at the seams with new contributions!  You will spend your final night at the inn in Kyoto. 

On your eighth day, you will move on to the sacred Koyasan Mountain. Asides from being immensely beautiful, Mount Kōya, is the centre for Shingon Buddhism and thus is an incredibly special location to many Japanese people. You will also pay a visit to the beautiful, yet haunting Ancient Okunoin cemetery—the largest cemetery in Japan—as well as the vast temple complex and old shrines that can be found nearby.  By the end of the day, you will not just have bagged yourself some new contributions to your portfolio, but also a deeper insight into the mysticism and spiritual practice that is still so prevalent in Japan today.   You will have accommodation for one night at Ryokan Ekoin traditional temple.

Today will be your morning and afternoon in the Koyasan Mountain area, a region of cedar trees and over two-thousand ancient tombstones. Mount Kōya has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. After visiting morning fire ceremony, there are a variety of different areas you can photograph today. These include the Kobo Daishi Mausoleum, Torodo Hall: The Hall of Lamps, The Daimon Gate and the Daito Bell at the Garan temple complex. You can also spend some time during the day sampling traditional Japanese cuisine and learning more about the area's fascinating history and culture. We depart from Koyasan at 11:00 a.m. by our private bus. Once we arrive at the Shin-Osaka train station (likely around 3-4pm with quick lunch stop on the way), we will say our goodbyes and you are free to arrange your flight home or onwards to your next destination. Please keep your tour guides abreast of your travel plans so that they may help to organise your transfers to the airport. You can depart from international Kansai airport in Osaka or from Tokyo (sinkansen 2:30 h ride + 1 hour of Narita express, 150 USD approx. ticket price). Until next time, we hope you've had a fantastic time photographing the nature and cultural treats of Japan.