Happy Holidays and Year of the Dragon from Blain Harasymiw Photography!  2023 was a year for me being completely back in the field, as I continue exploring and introducing international photographers and friends to authentic Japan.  Although, this year did have its share of challenges.  2023 was the warmest summer on record for the last 120,000 years, so I had to be more resourceful than I have ever been leading my annual cross country cherry blossom and Essence of Autumn Japan photo tours, as cherry blossoms and autumn leaves foliage peak viewing time shifted ahead by three to four weeks.  Thankfully, I come from a family of explorers, visual artists, historians, and storytellers, and from a young age I learned staying clear of tourist pollution pays dividends, especially for photographers.
Annually, over 60 million people travel to and within Japan to enjoy Hanami, viewing the cherry trees bloom, and a similar phenomenon happens every autumn.  This year there was mass confusion among domestic and international travelers as over 99% used seasonal averages to book their Japan dream vacations of a lifetime, paying top dollar.  In spring, the majority did not view the perfect cherry blossoms, and in autumn those who were expecting to view the perfect Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) trees in bright reds, oranges and yellows, only viewed maple trees in green.  During the low season, visitors who booked cheaper flights and used the same hotels as the high season ended up having the cherry blossom and autumn leaves experience of a lifetime. For over 25 years, I have been learning the in-depth routes of Japan’s ancient cross country pilgrimage routes, and this autumn and spring my Japan photo tour itinerary routes worked flawlessly, as I kept with regular scheduling, which is generally a week or two before the peak season spring and autumn season tourist rush.   Spring and autumn 2023 were a highlands extravaganza.  In a single day, we were photographing either at sea level, 2,000 meters (6561+ feet), or somewhere in-between; it all depending on the altitude where the cherry blossoms were in perfect bloom, and same held true for bright autumn foliage. This year I was especially  proud of my and my teams years of hard work and diligence scouting and learning extremely complex Japan cross country pilgrimage routes.  Our years of hard work paid off, as this year we used our built in contingency plans for our contingency plans and back ups for our back ups in case the contingency plans were not enough.  In short, the pilgrimage route never fails, and everyone enjoyed perfectly blooming cherry blossoms and magnificently vibrant autumn colors.
Blain Harasymiw photography group support team, office staff, and I are busier than ever looking after our clients’ every desire.  We don’t go just one extra mile (km); we go at least two or three because at the end of the day, without your patronage, I’d be alone in the field and the staff would be in the office twiddling their thumbs.  Our annual Hokkaido photo workshop for 2024 has been fully booked for months, with 2025 workshops being mostly full as well as having bookings all the way to 2026.  This week, I launched my annual Essence of Autumn 2024 on my website, which has been fully booked since it’s launch years ago, and the cross country cherry blossom workshop is already half full, so if you want to experience the cherry blossom photo tour of a lifetime, BOOK NOW!, as spaces are going fast.  As I mentioned, our motto has always been to take the extra step, more like quite a few extra steps, and that’s why our photo tours are mainly business class with plenty of elbow room and extra comfort when traveling.  I was so happy to be back on the road this year, that I put all alcoholic beverages on my tab, and I’m giving serious consideration to continuing doing so until someone orders a $500-$1,000 dollar bottle of wine or whisky, then I may return to strictly obeying my Terms & Conditions.
My annual group Hokkaido photography tour is always sold out a year or two in advance, so in 2025 I am offering an only Hokkaido photography tour from February 1 - 9, 2025. This Hokkaido winter wonderland wildlife experience will include the most unforgettable Japan birding and wildlife experiences of a lifetime, spotting and photographing Steller’s Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus pelagicus), White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Shima Enaga (Aegithalos caudatus), Red-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis), Ezo Sika Deer (Cervus nippon), and Ezo Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) plus Hokkaido minimalist landscapes among others.  The team and I will soon be off preparing for the 2024 Hokkaido wildlife photography workshop tour, and I can’t say it enough that being a Hokkaido local pays amazing dividends, and touring and scouting on Japan’s north island ahead of upcoming workshops is definitely one of the many perks.