Reflections Essence Of Japan Autumn Photography Workshop Tour 2022

I just completed my 2022 Essence of Autumn Highlands Photography Workshop; it was a 12 day cross country photography workshop adventure.  Also, it was my first group photo workshop in 2 years 10 months, due to the pandemic.  This year my team and I had to be extra diligent.  This autumn’s photo workshop was more demanding than my annual Hokkaido Mt. Fuji Snow Monkey photo workshop or my cross country Cherry Blossom photo workshop that has a similar route.  Plus, our pro drivers had about 40% more time being the wheel, due to the harsh hot sunny summer, with little precipitation, autumn leaves in direct sunlight were mostly scorched (dry leaves with no color). And this phenomenon was not isolated to my route, it is nation wide.  So, we had to traverse several mountain ridges to find gorges and trees that mainly remain year round in the shade, where we found the perfect autumn leaves.  All in all, we got some great shots, days were long; also, travel can be stressful, especially on a photographer’s schedule that goes from 1 - 2 hours before sunrise and ends after sunset, but it was a fantastic time, great to be back in the field, and especially important everyone on this adventure left my SUV’s COVID SAFE, including my Team and Me!  And believe me that was no easy task, especially with participants coming from mostly maskless nations, and me having to enforce medical mask wearing protocols.  In Japan, the majority still wear medical masks, but most still don’t know how to properly wear them. “It just floors me that someone would actually pull down or touch a medical mask that could be contaminated with a virus!” WoW!  As I understand how viruses are transmitted and have taught proper PPE usage.  On all my upcoming photo workshops I will provide PPE kits  with N95 medical masks with fresh air vents, plus ones without vents, as well as other life saving PPEs, and I cannot wait for the day when I finally throw away these medical masks because I’m so tired of wearing them, but remember to be kind to your neighbors and those around you.  Be safe, and I hope you are having a beautiful November!