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Japan Autumn Photo Workshops - Akiyamago - A Samurai’s Refuge

Nov 09, 2025

Currently, I am leading my annual Autumn Leaves Essence of Japan photo workshops that go from September to mid-December. The other day, I was leading a group in Akiyamago, Niigata, Japan—a region spanning both Niigata and Nagano prefectures. Japan is more than 70% unpopulated mountain wilderness, with pristine forests, abundant wildlife, and high mountain ridges that are especially beautiful in autumn. Akiyamago boasts some of the most stunning red, gold, and orange foliage I have seen in ...

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Autumn Japan Photo Workshop - The Mystical Sea Of Clouds

Nov 08, 2025

Currently, I am leading multiple Essence of Autumn photography workshops into authentic Japan —way off the beaten path —showing passionate photographers the heart of Japan’s most breathtaking season. Our adventure began in the deep blue stillness before dawn, with the group stirring quietly at our exclusive highlands Niigata resort. There’s a special kind of anticipation in the air when you set out so early—the world hushed, dew shimmering on the grass from the ...

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Autumn Photo Workshop - Sea Stack Photography

Nov 04, 2025

Currently, I am leading my annual Essence of Autumn Japan photo workshop. This year, for the first time, I’ve added a few days of beach and sea stack photography along the stunning Sea of Japan. Our locations include Senami Sasagawanagare Awashima National Park as well as the picturesque coastlines of Yamagata and Akita prefectures.Designated a national park in 1959, Sasagawanagare has long attracted local and international photographers drawn to its breathtaking ocean views and dramatic ...

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Autumn Photo Workshop Pilgrimage across Japan - Sea Stacks at Golden Hour

Nov 03, 2025

Currently, I am leading my annual Autumn in Japan Photography Workshop. Today, our group embarked on a memorable journey, travelling from Japan’s Pacific Ocean side to the Sea of Japan, following one of the nation’s oldest pilgrimage routes, dating back to the Kofun period. We began our adventure early, taking a breathtaking path through the highlands. Vivid autumn hues—from deep red and fiery orange maples to brilliant yellow Ginkgo and other native species—greeted us ...

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Fukushima Highlands - Essence of Autumn Japan Photo Workshop

Nov 01, 2025

I am currently leading my annual Essence of Autumn photography workshop, and I’m thrilled to have a full group of passionate participants. This morning, we ventured to one of Japan’s most enchanting highland lakes—a place celebrated for its ethereal, cotton candy sunrises. As dawn broke, the golden sunlight gently danced on the crystalline surface, interwoven with mesmerizing reflections of the surrounding mountains and small islands. Wisps of mist and drifting fog glided ...

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Nikko Toshogu - Essence of Autumn Photography Workshop

Oct 30, 2025

Currently, I am leading my annual Essence of Autumn Photography Workshop. New for Autumn 2025 is Nikko, and much more. After thirty years of leading photo workshops in Japan, I always like to mix up my routes every few years, into regions I know like the back of my hand.  Once we arrived in Nikko, we quickly dropped our bags at our lodgings and headed for a Shinto Shrine and, next door, a Zen Buddhist sanctuary in the mountain region, way off the beaten path. “Zen” is a ...

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Birding & Wldlife In Japan - Japan Photography Workshops

Oct 12, 2025

Birding in Japan is truly exceptional, and I consider it a unique privilege to live here and lead photography workshops across the country, experiencing every season's distinct beauty.Over 70% of Japan consists of unpopulated mountain wilderness. Stretching latitudinally for more than 3,000 km and comprising 6,852 islands, Japan’s geography leads to remarkable biodiversity. The country's flora and fauna are divided by two important ecological boundaries: the Blakiston’s Line, ...

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Autumn Photo Workshop – Capture the Splendor and Magic of Fall Colors

Oct 02, 2025

Experience the ultimate photography adventure in Japan with Blain Harasymiw’s Photography Workshops. Immerse yourself in Japan's breathtaking landscapes, vibrant traditions, and cultural wonders as you master your craft during autumn, the most picturesque season of the year.There’s no better reason to bring your camera and creativity to life than a Blain Harasymiw Autumn Photography Workshop! During this immersive experience, you’ll travel through Japan’s most iconic ...

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Leading Photography Workshops and Expeditions - Autumn

Sep 25, 2025

Leading photography workshops is genuinely fun. I didn’t choose this profession; it chose me, as I was born into a family of wilderness explorers in Northern Canada. At a young age, my family embarked on epic, two-month canoe expeditions deep into the uncharted wilderness of the Canadian North. We navigated fierce rapids, camped under the shimmering auroras, and tracked wildlife with the skill and quiet patience only time in the wild can teach. Each journey brought unexpected ...

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National Treasures - Japan Photography Workshop Tour

Sep 18, 2025

The majority of visitors to Japan will view national treasures, such as ancient sacred Buddhist statues, scrolls, sculptures, paintings, maps, vases, prayer bells, singing bowls, lanterns, main shrines, Kantanas, and Samurai armour, among other treasures, but these are often displayed behind glass or in museums or in heavily monitored shrines and temples.  Photographing or getting close to them can be nearly impossible and sometimes illegal. Due to my ties with historical societies, ...

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