For this video shoot, we left home at around 1:00 a.m. and reached the shores of Okutama Lake about an hour before sunrise during the blue hour.
Upon reaching the parking lot, Dale-chan and I headed out to explore for compositions. Since this was my first time visiting Okutama Lake, which is located within the prefectural boundary of Tokyo, I didn't know what to expect. Using the dark, lush foliage and the ghostly mist, I wanted to create a photo wit an ethereal feeling to it.
This first composition caught my attention right away. There was enough light during blue hour to allow for some beautiful reflections on the lake, but just dark enough to make the water appear a dark green instead of a bright blue.
Using a standard 18 to 135 standard kit lens, I kept the focal length as short as possible at 18 mm to capture as much of the scene as I could. I kept ISO at 100 to minimize noise, and set the aperture to f8 to limit my depth a field to where reflections on the water start in the foreground up to about midway into the scene. Since there was no wind or breeze, I was able to select a slower shutter speed to allow enough light to reach the sensor without worrying too much about blurry water motion or blurry tree branch movement. It was a very still, quiet, and tranquil scene.
Freshwater Lake behind Dam in Japanese Mountains
The Okutama Lake is a freshwater reservoir created by a dam near the head of the Tama River. This reservoir provides approximately 20% of Tokyo's drinking water.
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Pentax KP 18 mm ISO 100 for 1.0 sec. at ƒ/8.0
smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #cloudy #longexposure
#Tokyo #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真
While scouting for other compositions, I came across some well maintained foot trails that appeared to lead to the top of a nearby hill overlooking the lake. It seemed that I might be able to have a bird's eye view of the whole lake and mountains along the shoreline.
The trail lead us to the top of the hill where I had a lovely view of the whole valley below me. And as I had hoped, the warm mist slowly rising from the forest floor was being sucked up from the forest canopy by cooler air and carried up and over the ridges.
The cooler air caused the warmer vapor to condense thus creating beautiful clouds of mist that where soon lifted and gently carried over the ridges like slow moving ocean waves breaking on a beach. Although the formation of the mist and its flow over the tree tops appears to be moving in slow motion, it is in fact a rather quick process. Mist can be as elusive as light--by they time you look up from your camera to check the scene, your whole composition can change drastically or disappear altogether. If there is any sort of breeze, you need to move quick and decisively before the composition fades away.
This photo was captured as a focal length of 31 mm. I wanted a wider shot, but there were objects in the foreground that would have would have creeped into the frame from the sides and from below. Rather than cropping the shot in post processing, I wanted to do as much of the framing as possible in-camera so that I can avoid data loss when cropping. With this scene, I want the viewer's eyes to focus on the mist as it gently flows over each ridge like a a gust of sea spray or powder snow on a mountain ridge.
This picture was shot in raw at ISO 100 (to minimize noise) with an aperture of f22 for a greater depth of field extending from the mountains near the edge of the lake to the mountains far in the background. Shutter speed was set for 120 seconds, which gave me enough time to capture the motion of the mist as it rose up from the forest, gathered above the forest canopy, and the gently carried over the nearby ridges by the wind. With overcast skies and still being very early in the morning, a 6-stop ND filter was sufficient for this particular shot.
Mist over Forest near Dam in Japanese Mountains
As cooler winds blow across the forest canopy, the warmer humid air rises, cools, and forms a mist that gets gently pushed up and over the steep mountainside.
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Pentax KP 31 mm ISO 100 for 120 sec. at ƒ/22
smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #longexposure #Tokyo
#霧 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真
On the climb down from the top of the hillside, I noticed small patches of spider lilies growing on the hillside. Unfortunately, most were already starting to wither and dry out. Fortunately, I found a few blossoms that were still fresh and vibrant.
I wanted a composition with the lake in the background of the flowers, which meant having to go off the trail and climb a short distance up a very steep, slippery slope of loose foliage and soil. For this shot, the terrain prevented me from getting low enough to view the scene through the viewfinder. The live view monitor on the back of the camera was of some help. Having to hold the camera at the end of my outstretched arms, it was not possible to shoot in manual mode. I switch the camera to full auto mode and after about 20 shots, only one shot was worth keeping and posting in the video.
Red Spider Lily
Before the autumn leaves turn color, the first sign that fall has arrived is the blossoms of red spider lilies that can be seen along the roadside, local parks, hillsides, and in the mountains at lower elevations. Lycoris radiata, also known as the hell flower, red magic lily, or equinox flower, is called higanbana (彼岸花: higan + flower) in Japanese. Higan (彼岸) refers to an equinoctial week in Buddhism, which traditionally aligns with the time the flower blooms.
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Pentax KP 60 mm ISO 100 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/4.5
smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
#flower #blossom #autumn #fall #redspiderlily #higanbana #OkutamaLake #Japan
#花 #彼岸花 #秋 #ヒガンバナ #秋の花 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真
At the far end of the scene, dark storm clouds were approaching. This clash of warm sunlight and a dark looming storm was perfect. For this shot, I kept the standard lens on the camera and went as wide as could taking care to keep nearby buildings and man-made structures out of the frame. This gave me focal length of 28 mm. I closed down the aperture to f14 to increase my depth of field in hopes of catching most of the mid-ground in focus with a soft foreground and soft background. Shooting at ISO 100, and a small aperture, gave me a shutter speed of 1/60 of a sec.
Storm Approaching Mountain Ridges
Sunlight breaks through the clouds highlighting heavily forested mountains as a storm approaches from the east.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
Pentax KP 28 mm ISO 100 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/14
smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #longexposure #Tokyo
#霧 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真
While atop Ogouchi Dam, I switched my focus to the northern side of the dam. Due to the number of small houses and cabins dotting the side of the mountain I tried to focus on the distant mountains as the clouds slowly creeped over the ridges and made a slow ascent into the valley. However, the longer focal length wouldn't let me capture the whole scene. I decided to go with a short focal distance, and then eliminate the unwanted structures in post processing. Although not intentional, I think the buoys make a nice leading line to the V formation near the shore and lead the eye up into the foreboding clouds that originally attracted my attention. Focal length was at 18 mm with an aperture of f18 to increase by depth of field so that most of the foliage from the water's edge to the the back of the scene would be in focus.
View of Lake from Top of Dam
Low-lying clouds slowly creep over the mountain peaks as the enter the village below. View of Okutama Lake looking northwest form atop Ogouchi Dam. The hillside (mid-left section of frame) has 7 or 8 species of cherry trees planted on it making this a very popular tourist destination in spring.
Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com
Pentax KP 18 mm ISO 100 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/14
#lake #freshwater #mountain #forest #Japan #OkutamaLake #reservoir #mist #clouds #Tokyo
#雲 #湖 #貯水池 #小河内ダム #東京都 #西多摩郡 #奥多摩湖 #山の風景 #風景写真
Okutama Lake is a reservoir west of central Tokyo near the prefectural border of Tokyo. Although a mountainous with wildlife refuges, the lake is technically in Tokyo.
Okutama Lake offers several nice opportunities for landscape and woodland photography. One of the hillsides overlooking the lake includes well maintained walking trails that zigzag up the mountainside at a grade small enough for an easy "climb" for elderly, young children, etc., without the need for any hiking shoes or gear. From the top of this hillside, you have a panoramic view of the lake and on a clear day, views of mountain ridges far off in the distance.
The hillside with with trails overlooking the lake has also been planted with 7 or 8 different species of cherry trees. During spring, the varying colors of blossoms and different timing of the blossoms creates opportunities for some beautiful landscapes. Just be sure to arrive early enough to avoid the busloads of tourists.
Access Details:
If visiting by car, be sure to take extra care when driving on the winding mountain roads. There are two main parking lots. Both are free:
1. 奥多摩湖ダムサイトパーキング | Okutama Lake Dam Site Parking
2. 大麦代園地駐車場 | Ōmugishiro Parking Area
Traveling by train and bus is actually a little quicker than driving, but you will need to watch your schedule so that you don't get left on the mountain after the last bus:
1. From Nakano Station, take the JR Chuo Line to Ome Station.
2. From Ome Station, take the local Ome Line to Oku-Tama Station.
3. From Oku-Tama Station, take bus No. 9, 10, 12, or 14 to the Okutamako Bus Stop.
The following sites offer more photos and more details for access and listings of what is available in the whole area:
1. Tokyo City Guides: Okutama Lake, Okutama Town, Tokyo
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