Zao Snow Monsters
iPhone 6s Plus
“Durr! Where have you been the past couple months!”–I can hear some of my followers asking already. First off, despite some more ‘fun’ with my terrible knees, I am in fact not dead. Second, I have been quite alive and busy in February and March, though not just in the usual photographic sense you may expect!
Since this winter is likely the last I will get to experience in Japan for quite some time, I set out to go travel to some more snowy locales within my reach on a couple weekend trips. At the same time, I wanted to get my ski legs back in action after a good 7-year hiatus from carving up the slopes. For a good compromise of both pursuits, I got into a weekend trip to Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Yamagata (filled with famous “snow monsters” at the summit) as well as a day trip to Fujiten, a small ski resort in the foothills of Mt. Fuji.
Both trips were understandably cold, and given my lack of confidence in skiing, I did not want to risk crashing with my a6500 or damaging its battery. So, with iPhone in hand—otherwise known as the camera you always have with you—I indulged in just a couple basic snapshots and experimented with a couple quick time lapses going up lower-elevation ski lifts.
Hot Spring Village
iPhone 6s Plus
Skiing Above the Clouds
iPhone 6s Plus
Thankfully I did not injure myself too bad on either trip, and I still have one last excursion coming up in a week. Who knows, I may attempt a black diamond if the conditions are just right…
In other news, I still enjoyed some more involved photographic pursuits in the off times I wasn’t skiing. These included more day trips to the ever-expansive Tokyo, and will have their own posts in the days to come. But the main attraction I hope to catch yet again is the two-week Sakura season. In fact, Tokyo’s main blooms have just begun to show themselves, so I see myself taking a trip yet again to one of the many gardens in the megacity this weekend!
That’s all for this quick check-in post, guys and gals. Thanks for dropping by! It looks like I have a bit of catching up again for photography posts, but hey, it gives me something to do in my off time! As always, have a great day!
Matthew Durr Photography 