Japan in Bloom

March 28 to April 6, 2028

Traveling to Japan in spring to photograph the cherry blossoms feels like stepping into a living watercolor. Entire streets, riverbanks, and temple grounds transform into scenes that seem almost too beautiful to be real. Wandering through places like Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Path or the Meguro River in Tokyo, you can capture fleeting moments of petals drifting on the breeze, reflections shimmering on quiet ponds, and the most glorious colors of nature everywhere you look. It’s a season that rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to chase the perfect light as nature briefly reveals one of its most breathtaking displays.

What you will learn on this photo tour:

-- Focus stacking for complete depth of field

-- Landscape photography techniques

-- Advantages of using HDR at twilight and night

-- Using the wind to create painting-like images

-- Using long exposures plus ND filters to eliminate people

-- Doing wide angle portraits

-- Post-processing images taken in midday sunlight

-- Effectiveness of window light for portraits

ITINERARY

Day 1, April 1, Saturday

Arrive this day in Tokyo and take a taxi or Uber to our hotel. Jim recommends arriving one day early, at your expense, to recover from jet lag and to rest from the long journey. We meeting in the lobby of the hotel at 5pm for twilight and night photography of cherry blossom trees artfully lining the Meguro River. The mixture of lights with the flowers is exquisite. This is followed by a welcome dinner. Overnight Tokyo.

Day 2, April 2, Sunday