Off the Beaten Path Along the Sea of Japan & Ocean Stacks

By Blain Harasymiw

Japan is over 3,000 km (1,864mi) long with 6,852 islands, with over 30,000 km of coastline to explore and photograph.  But there is data going around now that Japan may actually have 14,125 islands.  This is said to be due to advancements with surveying technology, which means more coastline.  One of the top coastlines for Ocean Stack photography is along the Sea of Japan, far away from tourist pollution.  Eight years ago, my family and I were so tired of the hustle and bustle and the sweltering summer heat of the Kanto/Tokyo region, we bought a kominka (a traditional Japanese home) 1 km (0.6 mi) from the beach in the Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Park.  Our village in the national park has a thriving population.  It’s one of the only villages in Niigata that is growing in population and not in decline.

Ocean stack photography is a blast, especially during golden hours at spots that are true and tested.  The Sea of Japan is on the west coast of Japan, hence the sunset is the perfect time to photograph sea stacks, but for a few weeks out of the year on the west coast of Japan’s main island sunrises can be seen, but you have to know the locations.  And many of the Japanese would say they have never seen a sunrise along the Sea of Japan. 

In today’s world, it almost seems like everyone is a so-called “pro” photographer because of the ever present smart phone, which is great, and akin to the point and shoot camera.  In my childhood, we had the cube bulb point and shoot cameras.  We were just having fun; we did not know the rules of photography.  And today, most so-called “pro” photographers don’t know the rule of thirds, let alone the Horizon line rule, which states the horizon should be placed a third of the way from the top or bottom of the image, and not in the center.  Personally, when I first studied the rule of thirds in my photography course, I was already an accomplished teenage photographer.   And to be perfectly honest, I don’t pay attention or care about the rule of thirds, unless I am doing a commercial shoot, and my clients require my images to grab the visual attention of the general public. 

As mentioned above, golden hour is the best time of day for sea stack photography, but in truth if it’s completely overcast or rainy, anytime of day is good, but clear skies with some cloud at golden hour are best.  Generally, it is best to arrive on location about 2-3 hours before sunset to give time to get a feel for the scene and setup.  Rushing almost never leads to good results, usually something, mainly gear is misplaced or forgotten in the vehicle such as cable releases, filters, etc. 

On arrival, the first thing I do is set up my tripod and camera.  These days, I am using the Nikon Z9, and my most common lenses for sea stack photography are NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S, NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S and NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S. 

Filters are paramount to use before sunset, and I always have them hanging from my tripod in the Lowepro GearUp Filter Pouch 100.  Filter holders I use are LEE Filters LEE100 Holder for the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S and Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S.

The Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S requires a special filter holder, and I use the Nisi 100mm Filter Holder.  My most used filters midday, pre-sunset by the water’s edge are URTH ND32 (5 Stop) 100 x 100mm, URTH ND1000 (10 Stop) 100 x 100mm, and LEE Filters Soft Graduated  0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 ND Grads – 100 x 150mm.  Using 5 or 10 stop ND filters give some scenes a minimalist aspect, unifying the waves of the sea into one body, a shimmering bed of glass enhancing an already serene seascape. 

Often, I use the Lee Graduated with the URTH ND filters to balance the exposure between the sky and the foreground.

Shooting from a low perspectives often makes all the difference in the world creating dynamic and powerful imagery.   For this reason, I do not use center columns.  Plus, I only use tripods with legs that can be adjusted to an 80 degree angle, getting my camera to ground level.  When viewing images taken from ground level, the foreground features will appear larger then life, and the background features will appear smaller.  Safely photographing seascapes from ground level with smaller choppy waves successfully makes for cool and dramatic imagery.  Especially in the golden hour with a rocky foreground and huge sea stacks in the background, the viewer will have the impression they are in the water riding the waves, giving the image a close to three-dimensional aspect, adding greater depth and drama to the image.  Yes, your camera and tripod risk getting swamped; it often happens to me, but none of my camera gear has been seriously damaged.  Just carry plenty of cleaning clothes, and be ready to pull your camera and tripod up when a wave hits, of course you most likely will get wet, but you could wear rubber boots. 

After your day’s shoot, tripods should be washed with fresh water and left to dry overnight with legs fully extended.  Plus cameras, shutter release cables and lenses should be wiped down with a moist towel to remove residual salt.  You don’t want salt water slowly drying on them because somewhere down the road you will have trouble!  For leisurely days at the beach and swimming, I alway use my GoPro12.

Be Careful

Sure being by the water’s edge is a great experience, but during storms or high surf is it safe?  You have to ask yourself beforehand, should I head to the water’s edge, or should I hang back and use a medium telephoto lens for the shots?  The answer is easy.  If the sea is like glass or has waves less than 1m (3.3 ft), you should be okay by the water’s edge, but if the seas are rough, you should hang back. 

I carry gear for these rough sea days: 35 m (115 ft) of climbing rope and carabiners. if you must be by the water’s edge, please carry lifelines and be sure you know how to tie yourself or someone else off quickly and firmly to a sturdy structure such as a rock or tree that will not fray the lifeline.  Safety is paramount, and Never Turn Your Back to the Sea; rogue waves do happen. 

Steep rocky coastlines make it next to impossible to get to the water’s edge with camera gear, unless you are an experienced climber, foolish, or you use a boat.  You could always use a drone, but I am not an experienced drone pilot yet!  

At times, higher elevations give a great perspective, but one should always be aware of your scene and subject’s positioning in the horizon line. Visually powerful scenes or subjects ‘can’ draw the viewer’s eyes and attention away from a horizon line cutting into your subject or scene.  In my opinion, poorly positioned horizon lines are not high sellers in a gallery setting.  Many are fantastic shots, but they are just really good snapshots, but of course that’s my opinion.  Art is Art.  

Once you load your images into your editing software and start editing, be aware the longer you look at a horizon line cutting into your subject, the more it will appeal to you and the better it will appear.  This is the curse of the digital darkroom, and I strongly advise after editing an image that photographers spend at least half to a full day or more away from an image before publishing.  This is to freshen your perspective.  I was not joking about the curse of the digital darkroom.  “I say it again,” the longer you spend editing an image the more it will appear viewer friendly to you.”

A high demand gallery limited edition print is one insightful way to gauge an image. 

For the past eight years, I have been exploring in depth from Niigata to Aomori along the coastline and inland, searching for hidden histories, and the most photogenic scenery.

Blain Harasymiw (Hair-some-you) and Matthew Diaz have spent six years exploring Japan. This summer, Matthew will join Blain on his first Sea of Japan pilgrimage.

Above Blain mentioned gear he used for ocean stack photography.  Below is a more comprehensive list of what’s in his bag, plus the tripods as he pilgrimages along the Sea of Japan.  

• Nikon Z9
• Nikon Z7II for back up
• NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
• NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
• NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
• LEE Filters LEE100 Holder
• URTH ND1000 (10 Stop) 100×100 Square Filter
• URTH ND32 (5 Stop) 100 x 100mm Filter
• LEE Filters Soft Graduated  0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 ND Grads – 100 x 150mm for LEE100 system
• Lee Filters 4×4″ Circular Polarizer (100x100mm)
• NiSi 112mm Circular NC UV Filter for Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
• Nikon MC-30A Remote Trigger Release
• Gitzo GT5543XLS Systematic Series 5 Carbon Fiber Tripod (Extra Long)
• Leofoto LH-55LR Ball Head with LR-70 Lever-Release Clamp
• UniqBall IQuick3Pod 40.4 Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit (Black-Red)
• UniqBall UBH 45XC-2 Ball Head with X-Cross Clamp
• Plenty of MicroFiber Cleaning Cloths, 
• Head torch for when it gets dark
• A flash
• Sometimes when he’s close to home, he uses studio lighting with battery packs

Thank you to Blain for sharing his intimate knowledge of Japan’s stunning western coastline and seaside technique. While we haven’t personally experienced his workshops, Blain offers photography tours along these hidden coastal gems.

Discover more inspiring photography from Blain:blaininjapan.com

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