By early afternoon, we reached pristine alpine regions with unparalleled opportunities to photograph the brilliant autumn highland landscape with the mountain peaks covered in snow, and autumn colours in the foreground. We arrived along the Sea of We arrived at the coast of Japan just in time for golden hour, which provided spectacular light for capturing the iconic sea stacks sculpted by the ocean’s ebb and flow. Upon arrival, our group got our gear ready. I used the Nikon Z9 paired with the Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens and a Lee Filter Big Stopper, allowing for 30-second exposures that smoothed out the sea while preserving the striking forms of both the short and tall sea stacks. My IQuick3Pod 40.4L tripod, equipped with a Uniqball UBH 45XC ball head and X-CROSS CLAMP, proved to be an impressive combination, rivalling Gitzo. I positioned my tripod low, just inches above the beach, but occasionally had to raise it to prevent the camera from being submerged by the incoming tide. Inevitably, my shoes got wet—just part of the experience. About ten minutes before sunset, I packed away my ND filters since the dimming light allowed for 1-5 second exposures without them. There’s nothing quite like waves crashing on the beach at sunset. It was another beautiful autumn evening along Japan’s coastline, with the sun setting in the west, casting golden rays over the dramatic rock formations and giving everyone the opportunity to capture the magic of Japan’s autumn sky from sunrise to sunset.