Explore Authentic Japan and Unearth Untold Stories with Blain & His Team in Japan!

The Essence of Cherry Blossoms Photo Workshop/Tour

Jan 17, 2020

Chasing the Essence of Cherry Blossoms, you first have to understand that Cherry Blossom Photo Tours are different every year. You have to watch the weather charts closely the Japanese sakura or cherry blossoms flourish at different times depending on which region of Japan you are visiting because Japan is latitudinally long at over 3,000 kilometers and has 6,852 islands, and each island and specific location has individual characteristics that occur only in that region, so photo tours become a ...

The True Untold Stories of Japan - The Bliss of an Authentic Cherry Blossom Tour!

Jan 13, 2020

The True Untold Stories of Japan - The Bliss of an Authentic Cherry Blossom Tour!Before I tell you what bliss and the Authentic Cherry Blossom Photo Tours of Japan is, allow me to tell you what the majority of visitors will experience when they descend on the cherry blossoms every year in spring. Millions of tourists flock to Japan in anticipation of discovering the perfect cherry blossom and the untold hidden stories of Authentic Japan. However, the information that 95% of the people ...

The Essence of Japans Sakura Blossom

Jan 06, 2020

Cherry Blossom Photo Tours are sometimes overlooked due to the sheer amount of activities to take part in while visiting Tokyo. Take, for example, photographing Shinjuku’s Gyoen Park, which I believe is woefully undervalued. The park’s samurai history alone should bring it to the top of any visitors list while traveling in Japan’s capital city. Too often, visitors frequent Tokyo photo tour spots such as Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Tower, or Tokyo’s main station. All of these ...

Hokkaido Photography Tour - Japan Birding and The Steller's Sea Eagle

Jan 03, 2020

On a bird watching photography workshop tour in Hokkaido, priority should be given to tracking The Steller's Sea Eagles, which can be seen from Rausu to Nemuro and even in the Kushiro region when the pack-ice is thin, and food is scarce. But in recent years, wildlife agencies have erected feeding stations in case of a lean year. Also, from Nemuro to Rausu, approximately 160km or 100miles, there are about a dozen natural feeding points for the eagles and two more spots where you can pay to see ...

Happy New Year

Jan 01, 2020

My Family, my team and I wish you Happy New Year, wherever you are on our beautiful planet. This time of year is always one of reflection and my mainland Japan Photo Tour Leaders, my Hokkaido Photo Tour staff, our Kyushu tour leaders take stock of what kind of year we’ve had with our commercial photography projects, our in the field shoots, and working with clients, so they have best possible experience photographing on our many upcoming photography workshop tours. This holiday season, I ...

Hokkaido Photo Tour and The Red-Crowned Cranes - Snow Ballerinas

Dec 28, 2019

Red-crowned cranes appeal to me for so many reasons. When I gear up for my annual pilgrimage to Hokkaido’s winter wonderland, I count myself fortunate to visit and photograph the Red-crowned cranes and other wildlife in Hokkaido. For over 20 years, I have been photographing Ezo Red Foxes, The Steller’s Sea Eagle, Ezo Sika Deer, Whooper Swans, and the White-tailed Eagle, among others. The land, sea, and air of Hokkaido is abundant with wildlife, and the natural landscapes that the ...

The Right Mindset for Photography

Dec 17, 2019

Sometimes following the itinerary on a Japan Photo Tour feels like following a rainbow to a hidden cache of treasure, but a seasoned adventurer already knows that not every rainbow ends with a pot of gold when chasing the light on unknown pathways. The beginner’s mindset means that you approach every adventure into the field as an opportunity to discover something new about a photographic subject that you have experienced before, perhaps 1000s of times before.As an educated of the visual ...

Tunnel Art Photography - Japan Photo Tour

Dec 12, 2019

While leading Japan Photo Tours, I often remark on how the journey to the itinerary’s specified locations can yield as many, if not more, unforgettable photos as the destination itself. Chasing the light means being open to discovering photographic opportunities wherever they are. And I have been chasing the light in Japan and around the world for decades.Tunnels in particular capture my interest Some people view tunnels in a strictly utilitarian manner, only a means of transportation, a ...

Mt. Fuji Photo Tour Workshops - Expect The Unexpected

Dec 11, 2019

While leading Mt. Fuji Photo Tours or any photo tour for that matter, I commonly check in with the rest of staff to give some feedback about how my or my colleagues’ tour is shaping up or anything worth mentioning in terms of going off the itinerary due to weather conditions.I have spent more than two decades exploring Japan, even more years all over the globe exploring and finding adventure and unforgettable photography wherever I go. I am able to spend more time in the field ...

Perspectives of Mt. Fuji Photo Tours

Dec 05, 2019

My annual autumn in the Mt. Fuji photo tour just concluded, and it was a huge photogenic success. My visits to Mt. Fuji number's well over 1,000, if I had to guess a more concrete number, I would say about 3,000 times; I have ventured around the base of Fujisan and summited 3 times. The most important tool I bring on all my adventures is "The Beginners Mindset" because this allows me to see everything fresh and new, and I am ready to chase the light around Japan's most holy mountain, Mt. Fuji, ...