The Steller’s Sea Eagle is one of the most fierce diurnal birds on Earth, which is why they are such formidable hunters, having tracked prey through several ice ages. Could you imagine a human-sized or even larger raptor similar to the Steller’s Sea Eagle? Well, they existed, and even today, from time to time, we hear of people sighting a thunderbird. The … [Read more...]
Therapeutic Power Spots Japan – Healing The Adventurer Photographer
No explorer with backpack and camera in hand can escape the consequences of the decisions they have made. Two shining examples are Edmund Hillary or perhaps the Donner party. My team and I know the axiom ‘Fortune favors the bold', as we have all been tested by the elements. My current team and I came together in Japan, and we have spent over 20 years together … [Read more...]
Camping in the Japanese Highlands with Snow Monkeys
During summer every year, I start looking forward to my Autumn Leaves Photo Tours and my Hokkaido Photo Tour that are usually just around the corner, or I start planning my photo adventures locally to picturesque locations like Mt. Fuji, Sado Island or the city of Yahiko in Niigata where the autumn leaves are breathtaking and bring people from all over Niigata, all over … [Read more...]
The Shoguns & Nikko – How three Samurai shaped Japan
Nikko was founded in the 8th century by Shodo Shonin, a Zen Buddhist monk before there was any bakufu or shogun in Japan. The first shogun was Minamoto Yoritomo, appointed by the emperor, Go-Toba, on August 21, 1192. Although the emperor officially remained the head of the nation by title, Minamoto Yoritomo was responsible for overseeing the day to day welfare … [Read more...]
A New Japanese Photographic Landscape – The Covid-19 Effect
Mid-December, life was grand. Bookings were at an all-time high. My team and I were gearing up for our traditional Japanese Year-End celebration, and I was looking forward to leading a record number of photography workshop participants in 2020. However, conditions can change from clear blue skies to whiteout thundersnow in the blink of an eye. The global storm began … [Read more...]