Wrapped in Vermilion ~Tokachi Plain~

6:00 AM on the Tokachi Plain, where my exhaled breath freezes into pure white.
On a snowy hill that no one had yet stepped upon,
I waited patiently for that moment to arrive.

Introduction

Perhaps taking landscape photographs is the act of being allowed to share, just a little, in the 'miraculous behavior' that nature occasionally reveals.

This is a story about a mysterious sunrise I encountered one winter morning, one that words cannot fully express.

Triangular-topped Windbreak Forests

The triangular tops of the windbreak forests are lined up in orderly fashion within the pale darkness.
When I looked up at the sky, thick clouds were spread out like a lid.

'A sunrise might not be possible...'

Such a thought crossed my mind.

However, in landscape photography, there is nothing as boring as things going 'exactly as expected'.
In the crisp, tense air, I mounted my camera on the tripod and simply listened to the sound of the wind.

A Prank of Light

Just as it was almost time for sunrise, an anomaly began from beyond the horizon.

From the gaps in the clouds, a deep vermilion, the likes of which I had never seen, began to seep out, and in an instant, it spread into a horizontal band.

A warm light that seemed to gently wrap around the freezing windbreak forests.
It was like a 'delightful prank' set up by nature.

The contrast between the blue shadows on the snowfield and the vermilion burning in the sky.
My fingertips, pressing the camera shutter, were so cold they had lost all sensation, but the scene I saw through the viewfinder made my heart burn deep inside.

Even after waiting for a while, the sun did not show its face.
Even though it was already past the time for the sun to have risen.

Yet, as I waited, the sky was dyed in a non-uniform, heterogeneous golden gradation.
The clouds blocked the light, or caused it to reflect diffusely.
The second prank of the day.

I realize that I am more moved by this 'change in color' than by fiddling with camera settings (exposure or white balance).

That is perhaps the greatest thrill of photographing landscapes.

Conclusion

Picking up a camera is like equipping yourself with a high-sensitivity antenna to notice the beauty of the world.

Even if the forecast is cloudy, or your fingertips feel like they are freezing, there is light that you can only encounter by standing in that very spot.

If you have a camera in the corner of your room, why not try waking up a little earlier tomorrow morning?

You don't have to try to take the perfect shot.
Try chasing the colors of the sky as they change moment by moment, with both your heart and your lens.
A story that is yours alone is surely waiting for you there.