Having led Hokkaido Photography Tours for over 25 years, I understand the huge responsibility associated with leading visiting photographers of different levels and readinesses for my annual Hokkaido photography expedition. Safety is paramount, and my team and I take every precaution, such as knowing our route like the back of our hands, it usually takes 3 to 5 years for us to scout out a route. I’m floored when I hear some photographers boasting that they just went on a week long scouting trip. WOW! A whole week, WOW!
Everyone thinks they’re prepared for whatever weather or environments that a Japan photo tour in Hokkaido may bring, but I can tell you from experience to expect the unexpected. Bomb cyclones, whiteouts, squalls, blizzards, and flurries are also common occurrences during Winter Photo Tours, and I make a point of checking weather charts before going out in the blue hour, and at least once an hour during the day. Smart phone apps are 90% usualness in Hokkaido. Why are weather apps useless in Hokkaido? Hokkaido is over 70% unpopulated mountain wilderness, and Japans most northern island surrounded by Ocean has several micro climates and the weather changes on a dime.
I know when to call off a day, or whether to hunker down and endure a 30 minute whiteout then head back out to chase the light in search of once in a lifetime photos. Once during a Hokkaido photo tour, I held back my participants and informed them that it wasn’t safe to go out from morning, but all they could see were clear blue skies, so they complained rather loudly about why they were trapped in our 4/5 star accommodations. I could think of worse places to spend the day, but I understood their frustration. I told participants “it is what it is sorry,” and lo and behold, less than an hour later, it was whiteout conditions and absolutely unsafe to be outdoors, not even the hotel staff that live in the region could get into work that day. When I met everyone at lunchtime, suddenly they were singing a different tune and all smiles.
The second half of the responsibility is being respectful of the natural environment and trying to reduce the impact that humans bring to Hokkaido’s winter wonderland of photography. Several of the species that make up a Hokkaido Birding Photography Workshop are on the IUCN Endangered List to varying degrees. At present, The Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) is fighting against changes in climate and impact on its preferred prey, which is referred to as ‘habitat alteration’, but seeing as how the Steller’s Sea Eagle has survived not one but three ice ages, I am pretty sure they will adapt. As a Hokkaido Photo workshop leader, I make sure to minimize my group’s impact on the environment while also taking clients to the best locations to capture photo treasures. The Blakiston’s Owl (Bubo blakistoni) is another endangered species fighting a battle of preservation against persistent deforestation and human development. I have witnessed other groups make careless mistakes while guiding clients and creating unacceptable risk for clients and wildlife, and I have pointed it out. While with me during any of my Japan photo workshops, your safety and the conservation of the natural world around you is the primary concern for me and my team. You will seamlessly mesh with nature, take once in a lifetime photos, and return home extremely relaxed after experiencing authentic Japan and Shrinrin-Yoku.