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.

Today was perfect weather for another little backcountry adventure. Still found some dry fresh and plenty of sun. These shots are from a photo shoot with the Martin family – cheers for an epic day guys!

Sneaky lines off the back. Nuclear Domes. Lines. Trekkers. Standing on the knoll. Trees and Light - for Yas. Fresh pow. Pow turn. Ocean Views.

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.

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 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!

Paul Malandain

Route 5 in K-town at twighlight.

The weather couldn’t have been better over the past few weeks and Autumn has certainly made some claims towards favourite season. Watching the entire landscape change completely over the course of a few weeks is fascinating, every day is completely different… Niseko farms with Youtei and Annupuri in the background. Tonka Trucks. The end of Autumn farm fires... Gettin' the last little bits of farming in... Loved the lines and the light... A cloud capped Youtei lit by the full moon. Autumn moon over Youtei.. Annupuri range running back towards the ocean...

From 4am I watched the sky turn purple as the sun rose over Youtei, every 2 minutes seemed to bring a completely different hue of purple, blue and orange.  The day slowly turned from a morning of mist and sun into a warm day of Autumn colours. I went for a 20min drive to take a couple of photos and came home 5 hours later…

Sunrise from Hirafu. First Rays. Twin peaks. First light hitting Hirafu. Sekka and autumn valleys. Autumn in Hirafu. Mist droplets. Niseko farm. Annupuri autumn.

Yesterday was another spectacular day of weather… well maybe in our little bubble at Toya! It seems with the snow and ominous weather, somehow Lake Toya was immune and, as I guided a Groove Cycles group around Toya we had everything from blue sky to rainbows! Lake Toya is such an incredibly beautiful place and unique with it’s landscape of smoking volcanoes, lake islands and almost circular lake (10m x 9km). The tour took most of the afternoon as we cruised along, stopping all too regularly for photo opportunities… While I’m excited for winter I’m certainly going to miss summer… and spring…. and autumn! Ducks are so cool. Seagull landing. Grass. Edamame stacked up pre winter... Surely the last of the sunflowers...? A couple of sunny boats and ominous looking Youtei! A boat crossing Youtei's path. Toya's volcano that (correct me if I'm wrong) erupted as recently as 2001. Toya. Rainbow on the lake... Can anyone tell me if fish can see rainbow's so I can answer the questions of 6 year old's? Lake Toya's island. End of an amazing day... The perfect day for a bike ride!

First Snow 羊蹄山初雪　２０１１

This week yielded 24 hrs that were undoubtedly some of the most memorable of my time in Niseko so far. Setting out around lunchtime to hike a  mountain that seemed to be shrouded in mist seemed like an idea that ‘might’ be fun, luckily we trusted the weather report and were blessed with a day that cleared up into a star filled night sky with sunsets and sunrises that made you feel as though you were sitting on top of the world. Youtei isn’t huge by world standards but it towers above everything else close by… Here’s 20 shots from our 24 hours on Youtei. View to lake Toya on the way up. Konbu Dake poking up above a light cloud covering Niseko. The last corner - view to Annupuri. Arriving at the hut. Somewhat epic sunset behind the Annupuri Range. The view from the hut. Getting cosy inside the hut - It was FREEZING outside! Star trails over Youtei's peak. Getting creative and painting the hut in with my head torch on a long exposure Hirafu at night, running back to the sea of Japan with the squid boats on the horizon The crater just before sunrise Making a cuppa for sunrise View across to lake Toya from the peak of Youtei Lone hiker This way and that way Rock-hopping Crazy cool icicles that form under the top layer of dirt then grow!!! More crazy cool icicles that form under the top layer of dirt then grow!!! What was the old hut... Youtei's immense shadow pointing to Hirafu Michael and Jules – Cheers fellas! How good were the beers at the top!?

The last few weeks has seen Japan hit with some crazy weather including a couple of typhoons. Nothing overly exciting to report from Hokkaido but Honshu received a battering. We were lucky in that the typhoons delivered rain with just a spattering of wind. Then there was some more rain, a bit more rain and it’s still raining!! The rain hasn’t been without some breaks and blips of sunshine to show us some awesome cloud formations and the Shiribetsu in full force! Shiribetsu River washing over the spillway. Cool Clouds! Youtei - doing it's thing. The swollen Shiribetsu river. Spillway copping it.

Yas and I just received a little package from our friends at Powderhound. It had a surprise in the middle with two of our shots running in the 2011 Slide Show section!! Both are shots of Watkin McLennan (red jacket – 2 middle shots) shredding Youtei’s crater (cliff shot) and another dropping down a face at Chise. Stoked seeing our shots making it back to mags in Aus. Thanks Powderhound!

As summer draws to a close so too does the summer festival scene (only to be replaced by the Autumn festival scene!). Having attended my fair share of festivals over the summer I’m stoked to say that the Hirafu matsuri was certainly a mini highlight. With food and fireworks to rival the bigger festivals, the locals turned up in big numbers for an afternoon of perfect weather! Picturesque The Daiko Drummers! Team Taiko.

Lanterns - a sure sign of food and festivity! Awesome fireworks!

Yesterday was one of those mornings you wake up and just get that ‘wow’ feeling, it’s the feeling that makes you love to live here and makes you appreciate Hokkaido’s summer. Having spent 3 weeks in Honshu recently it was great coming back to Hokkaido and realising that summer really does get perfect weather (sometimes!).

Saluting Youtei

Yesterday was shorts and t-shirt weather right from sunrise, I went for a drive around the farms and checked out the farmers all squeezing out their last crops before Autumn, everything is still lush and green and bursting with life and soaking up the sun while it’s here! I love the quaint little farm houses, the perfectly manicured crops and just the whole feeling of Niseko in bloom over summer. Hirafu Matsuri today and after a torrential downpour it looks like another perfect sunny afternoon! Yeah Summer! Sunflower Ocean Sunflower Perfectly manicured... I love straight lines! Farm houses and Annupuri

In the last few months I’ve covered some serious k’s on trains, planes, boats and buses… here’s a collection of shots that taken whiling away the time and staying sane while sitting down! I love traveling and the chance to get plenty of images from all sorts of weird and wonderful angles is a refreshing feeling, not to mention seeing great places. The busyness of airports and the emptiness of overnight ferries is an amazing contrast am I’m always thankful for having a camera on a 10 hour flight or overnight ferry. Tokyo Take-off. Wing Man. Air and Sea. Tokyo. Timber in Tokyo harbour. 12 hour ferry ride... 12 hour ferry ride... 12 hour ferry ride... 12 hour ferry ride... 12 hour ferry ride... 12 hour ferry ride... Highways on the river. Bris-Vegas. Better than public transport!