Japan

Red-crowned cranes in mating dance with snow falling, lots of great stuff to be had.

Japan Photo Tour With Jeremy Woodhouse and Jeff Rich

COST: $5950 Includes ground transportation (boats, trains, airfare) and lodging and most food from Tokyo to Tokyo (see itinerary days below), guide service where needed and Jeff and Jeremy. Price based on double occupancy. You will need to get to Tokyo but once the trip begins we will take good care of you!

OBJECTIVES: We will work on making great images working all day. It is winter and will be cold, we will nail the snow monkeys, cranes, swans and the eagles if the weather lets us get out on the boat for eagles. Starting before sunrise and working until after sunset makes for long days in the field but we get many more photo opportunities that way. Usually take a break in the middle of the day to relax depending on where we are. Jeff and Jeremy will be shooting hard and there to answer any questions and helping with making your photos even better. Jeremy is the digital guru and shoots for stock, I shoot for editorial and will probably be shooting mostly film. Jeremy shoots Canon and I shoot Nikon, so we are covering all the bases for learning opportunities. Jeremy is an expert with Photoshop and I am a wildlife biologist, expert on the animals.

WORSHOP: Will meet you on arrival and take you under our wing. On location we will shoot and shoot and work very hard. Be prepared to photograph and make some incredible shots. If you are interested in this trip let us know soon as we are taking a very small group size and will need to book the lodgings ahead of time.

LODGING: Typical lodges that are on site where we will be shooting. Japanese style of course, immerse yourself in the culture while you are there.

Feb 2006!

Jeremy returned March 2005 with this wonderful itinerary
This is an awesome trip, and you cannot fail to return home without some stunning wildlife images.

Japan Itinerary Feb 13-23, 2006

The trip begins and ends in Tokyo. Feb 13-23, 2006 You would be advised to fly into Tokyo a day or two earlier so as to get over the Jet lag. Tokyo is 15 hours ahead of US CST. Make sure your passport is up to date.
        The weather will range from 45˚F to -10˚F, so you will have to bring appropriate clothing. We will experience many different weather conditions from heavy snow to bright sunshine. (Sunny weather, great photos – bad weather, better photos) The light is always great! You will need long lenses for the Swans, Cranes & Eagles. A 300 with a converter will work, but a 500 will be better.
        Feb 13-16^th Snow Monkeys--You should pack very smartly, as there is a 30 minute walk to the hot spring at Kanbayashi Onsen, and you will have to carry your luggage in. This is the snow monkey hot spot. We are including the train ride from Tokyo to Kanbayashi and breakfast/dinner. You will need to purchase your drinks and lunch, they offer sandwiches there. You should bring about $400 extra cash for your drinks, lunches and tips and whatever else in curios. We will leave Tokyo in am and arrive for an afternoon shoot with the monkeys. 7am-5:30pm is the daylight times so there will be plenty of down time to work on images, relax, read or whatever.
        Monkey photography here can be at very close range and you may be shooting lots of wide angles. Bring something longer too but remember you’ll have to carry it in and out.

The food at most places we will stay is traditional Japanese fare, so if you have any special needs we need to know in advance. During our days out in the field we will stop at stores to buy food for the day (lunch and snacks your cost). You will be able to buy Western-type food if you wish. You are in for a real adventure in Japan with the Japanese food and futon to sleep on. These will just add to our blending into the surroundings and immersion of Japan. So like all my trips bring your open mind and willingness to shoot great photos and you will be rewarded. Dress warm and plan on spending the day outside photographing in the wilds of Japan!!!

Leave Tokyo on the Bullet Train to Nagano and then by another train and a bus onto our final destination of Kanbayashi Onsen, a hot spring where we will spend time with the Snow Monkeys at Jigogudani Onsen (Hell Valley). We will spend two full days here to take advantage of different weather conditions.

Day 4-Feb 16
Return early to Tokyo. Fly to Kushiro on the island of Hokkaido. Sunset shoot Red Crowned Cranes, bring the big guns here, telephotos will be important. Similar lodging here with the breakfast and dinner included, and stores for lunch stuff and snacks. We are getting more remote here definitely out of the big cities and near the arctic circle. Think winter!!

Day 5-Feb 17
Sunrise at a roosting site at Otawa. All day and evening shoot. International Crane Center. Species will include Red-Crowned Cranes and White-tailed Sea Eagles, and possibly a Stellar Sea Eagle. We will be out for the whole day taking advantage of the different weather conditions.

Day 6-Feb 18
Red-Crowned Cranes. New Location. All day shoot. We will be driving around in a 10 passenger van with a Japanese driver/guide to all the hotspots and staying in the same lodge in Kushiro for the cranes and swans.

Day 7-Feb 19
Lake Kussharo where we will photograph the Whooper Swans, same lodge with driver. We will visit a Hot Spring at Kotan Village where you can take a dip in –20˚F temperatures. Good spot for the swans to gather. Lots of flight shots. We will also visit a volcano site for possible Raptor sightings.

Day 9-Feb 21
We will head up to the North East tip of Hokkaido to Rausu (about a 4 hour drive) where we will take a morning cruise out into the pack ice to look for Stellar Sea Eagles. We have the morning cruise booked and are looking into a possible afternoon add on if they will take us. If we don’t get an afternoon cruise we will do landscapes and stuff.

Day 11-Feb 23
Rausu. Morning Cruise. We will then return to Kushiro and take a flight back to Tokyo. Arrival in Tokyo will end our trip together, we will reserve you a room at our Tokyo hotel (your cost) if you need one. Let me know if you have any questions.

Japan Photo Tour With Jeremy Woodhouse and Jeff Rich

Feb 2006!

Jeremy returned March 2005 with this wonderful itinerary This is an awesome trip, and you cannot fail to return home without some stunning wildlife images.

Japan Itinerary Feb 13-23, 2006

Jeremy returned March 2005 with this wonderful itinerary
This is an awesome trip, and you cannot fail to return home without some stunning wildlife images.