Today was pretty white. Went searching for pow – found heaps of white. The Meat Hook. The Meat Hooked. Trees.

Today I swore that I was going to sleep in. I was dedicated to it. I woke up to the call ‘…Az. It’s bluebird…’ So I didn’t sleep in – thank god. Heading a little further afield after some nice turns off the peak we scored fresh tracks all day and a good battering of dry snow and sun. Sitting here now in complete satisfaction, dragging my hangover up the peak this morning was nowhere near as bad as it seemed at the time. A day on snowshoes hiking the local backcountry peaks was perfect. Not to mention cold dry face shots of powder. Vapour trail. Super creative. Solitude. Backlit clouds. Tats - sliding into a fresh line. Green Domes. A sign post. Tracks. Cornice.

Here’s a video we made for the Martin Crew on a day of Cat Skiing – extended version to include some GoPro and additional footage.

Anyone keen to get on the cat for a day’s skiing, or interested in a HD Movie of your time in Niseko – get in touch with us http://www.nisekophotography.com

We scored some great conditions out on the cat with the Martin boys. Here is a video we cut together for them of their day. Our cat skiing tours head to some of the best available snow and terrain in the Niseko region. These guys were so stoked on it they booked us twice in a week! Here’s a good idea of what we get to ski from the cat!! Lucky enough to get blue bird sunshine this day as well! http://www.nisekophotography.com Chute pow turn.

driving back from a little snowshoe trip at Moiwa the sunset was spectacular... i pulled over and walked into the woods a little to get his perspective... pity about the powerlines but hey never mind...

One of those epic combos of blue bird and dry pow today. wow. Here’s a few pics from a day hiking around in Niseko’s back country. Standing on the road. Shred Crew. Youtei - always there. Gettin Pow. Beau - first turns of his Niseko trip. Joely-G. Yep - welcome to Niseko Beau. Joely G -snosurfstyle. pow.

Chasing powder turns in the back country and skiing good lines has got to be about the best thing you can do with your life… well, it’s up there for me anyway. That and a bit of AC/DC and you’re ticking a whole lot of boxes!

We’ve had the Martin family twice in the last week on the Cat doing just that. They loved it so much the first time they re-booked immediately for the next available day. They boys shredded it and were lucky enough to score one of the deepest days and then one of the sunniest. Here’s a quick video edit from yesterday and a few shots to show you just how good they got it! Niseko has turned it on this winter in the biggest way and we’re looking forward to plenty more of this delicious goodness in the weeks to come!

Neck deep. Powow. Cam Coppin' it creamy - again. Lovin it. Pow turn, complete with creative foreground. The final drop of a neat little triple mushy set up. Shooting the chute. Rock Pop. Copping a face full.

So yesterday was a pretty deep day, seriously, proper deep. We headed out on the cat for the 8th day in a row and rolled up to no tracks, 40cm of fresh on fresh and then copped another 40cm while we were out there… Yeah I’m kinda giggling while I write this. Here’s a few shots to show the folks at home of Dan, Craig, Marko, George and Josh absolutely coppin’ it in the face all day… We actually had to apologise at one point because the snow was ‘too deep’ – stepped up the gradient to maximum and all was well!! The best part of cat skiing, besides the super deep fresh delicious pow, is being able to choose the terrain to suit the conditions… never thought that depth would be a ‘problem’! Craig - Blessed in the face. Cam - coppin' it creamy! My Camera Bag - gettin' into the action! Misty facial. Layin it down (and pulled it back!) Uh Huh! Dan - in the juicy fresh. Peekin' through. Marko - I'd say medium deep...?

New years day was our first day of adventure on the cat. We went out to the skiing zone, dug a couple of pits to check the avalanche conditions and then snuck a couple of cheeky lines in ourselves before the first day of guests on the 2nd. Conditions were perfect and the boys from Niseko Pizza who booked the first cat of the season were in for a treat!! Her’s a few shots from the week so far. We have been booked out everyday and now looking a week in advance for customers hoping to score some fresh lines in some of Niseko’s most fun terrain! If you’re keen to cat ski be sure to contact us before you arrive and we’ll do our best to find a spot for you! You can book by emailing info@nisekophotography.com Day 1 – The Niskeo Pizza Boys – First lines of the season! About to drop the first line of the season. The very first turn of the year! Delicious Fresh in sunshine - Paddy - stoked! Pow wow. Good visibility - if you're the photographer. Timmy gettin' blessed. Sendin' it - yeah Paddy! Pow turns a plenty - Phil, layin' one down for the camera. Timmy - locked onto a grab.

The view back to Annupuri Ewan - doin' it for the head cam. Because one blessing is never enough... Coffee break Ski Bunny!

It Keeps Coming *14.8cm of fresh snow has fallen since yesterday morning and at 6:35am today the temperature was -3°C. It is still snowing and looks set to do so all morning. Useful information from other places Snow depth at … Continue reading →

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO – frozen moment.  Started with frozen morning of 2012, beautiful frozen trees and light.  Year 2011 was such a difficult year for Japan as we had the Tsunami disaster, especially with Tohoku area and Fukushima. This year 2012 would be challenging for everyone from individual to the world. We wish you all will have a wonderful and happy year 2012! And please enjoy amazing Niseko’s world class powder skiiing and snowboarding!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 IN NISEKO - frozen moment

MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko. Today was opening of the peak gate for Mt. Annupuri. It is very unusual to open in December, and this much snow over 3 – 4 m. We are lucky people to be up there and skied long fresh lines! It was such a nice Christmas gift for everyone in Niseko!! Niseko is famous for powder ski as well as easy access to backcountry field. Of course you have to have BC gears with you when you go through the backcountry gates in Niseko United resort, and have to follow the local Niseko rule.  Please read the Niseko local rule before enjoying backcountry skiing!! http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/rules/index.html MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko MT.ANNUPURI PEAK GATE OPENING -powder snow wonder world in Niseko

Today we fired up The Cat for the first time this season… It’s fair to say THE CAT IS BACK! We’ve been monitoring the area closely and with a ton more snow than last year we are ready to go 2 weeks earlier than last season!! Nick and I spent the day digging, pushing and pulling snow, trees and a few rogue tanuki’s out of the way to get the Cat 90% of the way to the drop off point for the ski zone. With a little more work we’ll have full access and be ready to drop customers into what I can only describe and delicious, tits deep pow. The area is untouched since the first snowfall of the season so today we had a bow wave of powder coming off the front of the cat as we put the track in. Here’s a few shots of the days events starting from finding the cat to copping snow mushrooms on the head as we released trees that had been dragged to the ground with all the snow. Our first tour runs on the 2nd of January and the boys from Niseko Pizza who’ve booked our first trip of the season are in for an treat – I hope you like it deep, really deep… don’t forget your snorkels! Snow fall at the base. First Tracks. What's that? Here kitty kitty kitty...? There you are! ひさしぶり！ Crew Cut Cat. Before and after... Red and Yellow. Giddy up. Bring on winter. Trail Blazin' A bit of art.

Today I took a pre dawn photo tour tour of Niseko with a great group! Thank you to Arthur, Yusing, Steve and Diana for a super fun morning – very happy you got me out of bed so early today! It was freezing (-9 degrees when I got up at 5.30!) but that didn’t stop us heading out to catch sunrise and then venture further afield to discover some of Niseko’s great little secret and very photogenic locations. We waded through waist deep snow and trekked through fields to find some great spots. It seems that the more you look around this region, the more you discover and the more you realise you haven’t scratched the surface! Here are a couple of shots from early this morning… Sun rising over Rusutsu. Loaded with snow. Contrast. Two Trees. Farm Skeletons. Mushrooms. Onsen Anyone? Stoked on a morning of photography!

NISEKO POWDER – First day for Niseko powder shred!!  My first day powder skiing of this winter season2011-12 was amazing! Already deep and light Niseko powder, we skied down Hanazono 3 area and got some bamboo grass powder shots! It was so much fun riding and powder crashing! Niseko Photography on snow photo tour is ready for this winter season2011-12!!!!!! Please give us a call 0136225764 / Find us with facebook: Niseko Photography / web:http://www.nisekophotography.com/ NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!! NISEKO POWDER - First day for Niseko powder shred!!

Today was the first day of lifts turning in Niseko, somehow I got talked into going surfing. For the record – snowboarding is a much more appropriate winter sport. Apparently tons of snow and Siberian temperatures = good waves in the Sea of Japan. Turned out to be true but after paddling out from a river mouth which was basically melted snow, then duck diving a couple, I’d decided that I am a fair weather surfer. Impossible to really describe the cold except for a continuous ice cream headache on steroids. Good times. Good Signs. Icy offshore breeze. Wax job. River mouth (melted snow) paddle out. Chilly change room. Perfectly placed tetra pods. Some bigger ones. Local. Ice cream headache. Blurred vision due to ice cream headaches, surely. The god of cold?

Yesterday we spent 5 hrs searching for some last waves before winter, covered both coasts and saw a lot of fish. Ended up finding some swell as the change in weather hit, it went from about 15 degrees to snowing by the time we got home. But with the snow came offshore winds and a little bit of swell, and then a lot of snow! Yesterday I had bare (kind of chilly) feet on the beach. This morning I walked out the door in Sorels with 10-15cm of dry snow on the ground. Pretty cool 24 hrs. Road maps and mobile phones. The morning's catch. Seagulls lurking. Tetrapods. More Tetrapods. And More Tetrapods. Found Waves. Some Shredder. Pacific Ocean, offshore. Lefts and Rights. East Coast Hokkaido. East Coast Hokkaido 2

Paul Malandain