Day 1 — Tokyo
The trip commences in Tokyo. We take in the bustling street life of Japan's very own megalopolis.
Days 2-4 — Kushiro and Rausu
We fly from Tokyo to Kushiro on the northern island to spend time photographing the rare and sacred red crowned cranes and the Steller's Sea Eagle of Hokkaido. Capturing the cranes dancing in the snowfall is something you will want to witness with a camera in your hand. We will venture out on a boat cruise of the in search of the Steller's Sea Eagles on drift ice.
Day 5 — Biei
We then head out into the winter wilderness of the Biei area and its picture perfect snow covered landscapes. Like something out of a fairy tale, the terrain appears perfectly manicured in a frozen setting.
Day 6 — Sapporo
The largest snow festival in Japan lights up in Sapporo at night with impressive snow and ice sculptures across the city. Street photography in one of the most snowy cities in the world offers exceptional images.
Day 7 — Otaru
The Otaru Snow Path festival is held in a small fishing village that lights the canal and adorns the village with ice installations. This is a beautiful time to be in Japan with a camera!
Days 8-9 — Jigokudani
We fly from Sapporo to Niigata and head to the land of the snow monkeys. A day with the snow monkeys up in the hills of Jigokudani is something you won’t experience anywhere else in the world. Photographing them during their winter routine of keeping warm while sitting in hot springs in the snow is something remarkable you wont easily forget.
Day 10 — Mt Fuji
We then head to Matsomoto where the “Black Castle” resides in the center of town. With its surroundings covered in snow, it's a great opportunity to see one of the finest preserved castles in all of Japan.
A drive to the vicinity of Mount Fuji offers a variety of stunning lakes and landscapes against the background of the majestic Fuji-san.
Day 11 — Tokyo
We return to Tokyo with a final day to explore. At this time of year, its possible to capture “Diamond Fuji” with the Tokyo skyline that shows the incredible expanse of this modern city. We also visit some of the picturesque traditional areas and temples at times with less crowds. Our tour will conclude at the end of this day and participants can arrange to depart the following day.
The 11 day tour covers a wide spectrum of photography and will be an unforgettable cultural experience. The trip will allow ample opportunities to capture key moments. In addition, it will also cover editing techniques and processes to enable you to get the most value out of the trip.
This tour will be guided by professional photographers Andy Yee and Meghan Maloney.
Andy Yee is a professional photographer who specializes in travel/tourism, architecture and commercial projects. He is the winner of the Sony Alpha Landscape Award. Andy has travelled extensively through Japan in all seasons of the year and worked on projects with Japan Tourism.
Meghan is a full-time landscape photographer and educator, and a Sony Ambassador. She hosts photography workshops both in New Zealand and overseas, and is passionate about helping others improve their photography skills whilst experiencing unique and amazing locations and wildlife. Meghan loves to break down photography concepts making them simple and easy to understand for her clients.
Meghan has a degree in Japanese language & culture, and lived in Kyoto as well as working on a Nagano ski field in her university days. She is very familiar with shooting wintry landscapes and wildlife after spending the last 3 summers in Antarctica hosting photography programmes.
We understand getting the photo into the card is only half of the battle. During the workshop, there will be time to go over post-processing to help you create images that pack a punch. Our photographers will sit down with you to assist your selection process, Lightroom and Photoshop workflows and techniques, and develop your best images, so you can showcase the finest Japan has to offer.
The trip is suitable for the photographer with basic knowledge through to expert level.
Group size will be maximum 6 people. Cost will cover 11 nights accommodation, domestic flights from Tokyo to Kushiro (Hokkiado) and return from Sapporo to Matsumoto, ground transport, park entrances fees and all breakfasts.
Japan is a gastronomic destination in and of itself. With such a wide and varied selection to choose from, you will learn that Japanese food is more than just Sushi. From succulent seafood to giant bowls of Raman, crispy tempura, or Kansai Okonomiyaki, you will come to appreciate all of what Japan has to offer your palate. When we aren't leaving in the dark to shoot sunrise, breakfasts will be provided. We will be staying in three-star or greater hotels during our trip. We will spend one night in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese Inn, which will be quite the experience. Each hotel has been selected for their value and offers a comfortable stay in petite but modern and well-equipped rooms.
All rooms on the workshop will be provided as dual occupancy. Single Occupancy is offered on a limited first come, first reserved basis for $850 USD for this tour. Please nominate Single Occupancy when booking or as early as possible to ensure reservation. If Single Occupancy cannot be reserved, we will communicate this as soon as possible.
For Terms and Conditions click here
Included
* Two professional photography guides
* 11 nights accommodation
* Dual Occupancy (where possible)
* Domestic flights to Sapporo and return to Matsumoto
* All breakfasts
* Transportation in private cars and ferries
* All entrance fees to photography locations (snow monkeys and cranes)
* Post-Processing sessions during the tour
Excluded
* Airfare to/from Japan
* Lunch and Dinners
* Train transport
* Alcoholic beverages
* Travel insurance
* Equipment and baggage insurance
* Visas (if applicable)
* Gratuities
"Meghan is a great photography tutor. She explains things clearly and precisely and takes the time to make sure you understand. She knows a wide variety of techniques and styles for learners to try."
Meghan's workshop is a great mix of useful skills and fundamental concepts as well as lots of fun. Meghan is such a lovely person that would like to share anything that you will be happy to spend two full days with her. The workshop helped me a lot.
Having followed Meghan and her captivating portrayal of New Zealand’s landscape on instagram for over 5 years, I’ve finally had the opportunity to join her 5-week online live photography course. Meghan has a gift to explain the “how to” of landscape photography in a very clear, easy to understand and enjoyable manner. Her depth of knowledge in every aspect will prove a more than worthwhile investment for anyone who enjoys this form of photography, whether novice or experienced.
Real, honest, down to earth and very talented photographer. Very helpful with all the little things, takes time to explain information and makes sure it is understood. Just completed an online Zoom photography course which was well run and incredibly informative..
Meghan is an amazing tutor. Her effective communication and course outline was exactly what I was looking for. I bought my first camera a few weeks before this course and lucky enough this course covered camera settings and composition which every beginner looks forward to. From looking after your gear, settings, pro tips, composition and editing, this course was every beginners dream come true. I look forward to the next stage of this course and mind you this was quite affordable and full of knowledge. I have become a better photographer. Thank you and I look forward to more content from you.
Meghan is not only an awesome photographer but a wonderful teacher. I love her delivery style and this course is a great introduction to landscape photography. Meghan is also very encouraging and is very open and detailed with sharing her knowledge during her classes. The course structure was well thought out and presented in easy to digest modules. I look forward to learning more from Meghan as she grows her class schedule. Highly recommend!
Meghan has been the most helpful and caring photographer I have had the pleasure to meet, she has that special quality (and patience) that very few are blessed with to be the perfect teacher and along with her amazing photography is a mentor to us all... I have been so privileged to have her assistance on my learning journey, something I will be forever grateful for...
Totally amazing time with Meghan. Her knowledge is amazing and the willingness to teach is fantastic. I never thought i could learn so much in such a short time but I did. I highly recommend Meghan to anyone wanting to learn and develop their skills. I cant wait to work with Meghan again soon.
Perfect. I have learnt more in one weekend than I ever imagined I could.
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