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Today, I started leading a private Japan photo tour for autumn leaves and sea stacks.  Just a few days ago, I concluded my 2023 Essence of Autumn Japan photo workshop tour, and I could not have asked for a better group of participants.  Between workshops, my team and I took a few days break in an onsen highlands resort in Fukushima.  Our clients met us at a resort in Fukushima, and as soon as I heard that a storm was hitting the Sea of Japan, my clients and I quickly drove from the Pacific Ocean side of Japan to the Sea of Japan to photograph sea stacks amid a light autumn Ocean storm.  Normally, people drive away from storms, but not ocean stack photographers like me.  Plus, when we host Japan photography tours along the coastline, we Japan local expedition photo workshop leaders always carry lifelines-climbing rope in case of heavy waves so we can tie everyone up with lifelines for safety just in case of big waves, but to date, we have never had any need to test their efficacy.

Sea of Japan Sea Stack Photography, we were photographing in an inlet that protects against big waves. In this shot my tripod was set at sea level and after I took the shot I quickly lifted my tripod and camera so it would not get wet.

For this image I choose a longer exposure then the previous image, and my camera did get sprayed a little, as well as my gore tex boots. Camera and filters I gave a good wiping. Tripod I hosed down at lodgings and will let it dry overnight fully extended.

The ebb and flow of the Sea of Japan has created photogenic sea stacks along the coastline.  When we arrived in the early afternoon, we quickly set up our gear.  I used the Nikon Z9 with the Nikon Nikkor z24-120mm f/4 S Lens with the Lee Filter Big Stopper giving me shutter speeds of 30sec and longer, smoothing the contours of the sea while preserving the perpendicular majesty of both short and towering sea stacks.  My tripod IQuick3Pod 40.4L Tripod with leveling base powered by Uniqball with their UBH 45XC ball head with X-CROSS CLAMP, is an amazingly great combination that rivals Gitzo.  It just so happens that I have not used Gitzo tripods going on over three years since receiving Uniqball’s.  The UBH 45 XC ball head takes some getting used to, but once you have it dialed in, you’ll be more than satisfied.  At sunset, just as weather charts predicted we had a 30 min window to photography a lovely sunset.

Happy Autumn 2023, Namaste, Blain in Japan🇯🇵

In the summer my family and I swim at this spot, today we could not even see the beach due to high waves. This shot is a one min exposure using the Lee Big Stopper.

A beach my family and I swim at during summer, this afternoon with high waves you cannot even see the beach sand. For this image I used Lee Filter Big Stopper, my Nikon Z9 settings 90sec, ISO 32, f/22.

Photograph the Towering Sea Stacks with me in 2024 or 2025!
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