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LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - AUTUMN IN JAPAN

Japan is a landscape photographer's paradise, a tantalising blend of ancient and new, urban and rural. This very popular workshop takes you from Tokyo's futuristic neon-lit bustle and the traditional charm of the old imperial city of Kyoto to tranquil bamboo forests and lakes and - of course - the splendour of Mount Fuji. With the leaves on the ubiquitous maple trees turning autumnal scarlet and gold against clear blue skies, this November workshop is the perfect opportunity to develop your outdoor photo techniques with Tom's expert guidance.
 
 
 
 

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP AT A GLANCE

Capture Japan's autumn splendour on this unmissable 12-day landscape photography workshop, from Mount Fuji to bamboo forests, temples & the maples turning scarlet and gold.

Key photo locations include Tokyo Tower and the graceful Sensoji temple, Lakes Motoso and Tauki in the magnificent Fuji Five Lakes region. You'll also be shooting gardens, pavilions, temples and pagodas in Kyoto and Osaka, plus natural wonders including the Sagano (Arashiyama) Bamboo Forest, Nara Park, the Soni Highlands, Mount Kuroso and a thousand-strong herd of sacred deer. Mount Fuji will be a major star of the itinerary, with ample opportunities to photograph its drama and beauty at both dawn and dusk, amid the burnished leaves of the autumn maples.

This exciting trip is as much about enjoying being with fellow photographers and swapping ideas and anecdotes in a wonderfully photogenic and interesting country as it is about boosting your photography skills. With a maximum of just six people on the workshop, it's a friendly space with time to chill and take in your surroundings, as well as plenty of time for individual tuition from Tom.

With Tom's expert guidance, you'll discover how to make the most of every location, from working with light and varying your composition to selecting the optimal camera and lenses settings. You'll also develop your post-production skills - although Tom will help you to get everything as close to perfect as you can in-camera. After all, who wants to spend hours glued to a screen fiddling around with masks and levels when you could be outside capturing more images!

Your accommodation includes a well-appointed private room and a hearty breakfast - just the thing to set you up for a day in the fresh air on location. Japan is second only to France in Michelin stars, so you can be assured of enjoying some great food. As well as international favourites like sushi, sashimi, tempura, gyoza and ramen, try hitsumabushu (a traditional freshwater eel dish), takoyaki (savoury ball-shaped cakes of minced octopus), okonomiyaki (sweet-savoury pancakes), korokke (deep-fried croquettes), chawanmushi (savoury egg custard) and mochi (sweet rice balls). Please note that tipping is not expected in bars, restaurants or hotels - and it may actually be considered rude!

JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THIS LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO GO?

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

  • Country: Japan
  • Workshop leader: Tom Mackie
  • Exertion level: Moderate

YOUR NAME

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

Tom will use your email address to contact you if spaces for this workshop become available.

AN OPTIONAL MESSAGE TO TOM

Please feel free to include any details you think may help Tom find you a suitable workshop.

Tom will contact you if & when places become available on this workshop.
He may also contact you if he feels there are suitable alternative workshops.

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JAPAN WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS

Our workshop is topped and tailed by a night in the world's largest metropolis, Tokyo, where photo locations will include the Eiffel-like Tokyo Tower and Sensoji, the city's oldest temple, with its ornate gates and graceful five-storey pagoda.

Then it's a short hop on the Shinkansen, or bullet train (an experience in itself), to the Fuji Five Lakes area, where we'll be based for three nights to ensure plenty of time to capture iconic Mount Fuji and its reflection in Lakes Tatuki and Motoso. For truly spectacular light (and to avoid the tourists), we'll be photographing at sunrise and sunset, and focusing on the glorious autumn foliage and other natural details in between.
Japan's cultural capital, the elegant city of Kyoto, is our destination for the next three nights. We'll be shooting a treasure trove of ancient, man-made sites, including the Imperial Palace Gardens, the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and the temples of Rurikoin and Enkoji. By contrast, we'll also take in the natural beauty of the Takano river, framed by maples resplendent in their rich autumnal hues, and the mesmerising Sagano (Arashiyama) Bamboo Forest.

From Kyoto, we're heading south to Nara Park and the Soni Highlands for a two-night stay. Nara Park is famous for its magnificent temples and shrines, and its 1000-strong herd of sacred deer, which are incredibly tame and game for portraits and poses. The Soni Highlands are a great day trip from Nara City, and at their best in November. We'll be focusing on wonderful sunset images of the pampas grass-covered slopes of Mount Kuroso. We'll finish our photo tour by photographing sunrise over Ukimido Pavilion and its beautiful gardens at the heart of Nara Park, before returning to Tokyo on the bullet train for our final night in Japan.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

What's included?
  • One-to-one and group tuition with Tom
  • 11 nights' accommodation
  • Private rooms (no single supplement)
  • Breakfast
  • Transfers to/from Tokyo International Airport
  • Transport during workshop

What's not included?
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunches, evening meals, snacks and drinks
Whether you're a beginner or a semi-pro, you'll find plenty to learn and enjoy on this workshop

You'll require either a digital camera with at least 16GB memory card (minimum 32GB if it's high resolution) or a film camera (SLR, medium, large or wide format) - Tom has many years of experience working with both.

Additional kit - a tripod, shutter release and polarising filter will help you maximise your shooting opportunities, although they aren't essential.

Average fitness levels are required, as there will be quite a lot of walking, although nothing too strenuous (we've got no plans to climb Mount Fuji - it's far more pleasant photographing it from the bottom!).

November weather varies from mild to cool, averaging 17C / 63F by day and 8C / 46F in the evenings, so bring clothes you can layer, and a waterproof jacket for insurance (it's also useful for lying or kneeling on if you're shooting close to ground level).

This popular workshop is strictly limited to six people to allow plenty of time for individual tuition and a relaxed pace, so early booking is essential.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

HAVE QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about Tom's photography workshops, please check the frequently asked questions page. Alternatively, get in touch with Tom directly and he'll be happy to help you.

Workshops FAQs Contact Tom

Tom Mackie has been a photographer all his working life. His degree in commercial photography took him first of all to Los Angeles, where he spent five years as an industrial and architectural photographer. It was during this period that he travelled widely in the Western States, discovering in himself a previously unknown fervour for the beauty of those vast 'cinemascope' panoramas.

Tom Mackie has been a photographer all his working life. His degree in commercial photography took him first of all to Los Angeles, where he spent five years as an industrial and architectural photographer. It was during this period that he travelled widely in the Western States, discovering in himself a previously unknown fervour for the beauty of those vast 'cinemascope' panoramas.

After that, the confines of a Los Angeles commercial studio were never going to hold him. Tom married his art to this new-found passion and embarked on a 'til death-do-us-part' relationship with landscape photography.

READ MORE

After that, the confines of a Los Angeles commercial studio were never going to hold him. Tom married his art to this new-found passion and embarked on a 'til death-do-us-part' relationship with landscape photography.

READ MORE