mark prior photography

Chasing colour. During a trip from Hokkaido to Kyushu I was looking to photograph autumn leaves. This mainly occured at the start of the trip, mid October to early November, in Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures but whenever I got the opportunity I took it. Highlights included the Biei region of Hokkaido and the Oirase Gorge in Aomori.

Looking down a gravel path at the shrine. On both sides of the path are trees with autumn leaves.
A light snowfall softens the scene of trees along the edge of the Blue Pond. The pond itself is a light teal and along its edge are some shrubs and behind them trees. The snow has muted the autumnal colours of the leaves.
Standing on a bridge looking at the Biei River flowing below it. In the banks of the river are a variety of trees competing to display their finest autumnal colour.
Not a massive waterfall, more like water oozing out of the rock. Still there was some nice golden foliage around it.
A snowy scene but through the falling snow you can see a tree with red leaves.
The Mild Seven Tree might be famous but this view was nicer. A small forest of trees in a depression surrounded by agricultural fields.
Autumn is not just about red maple leaves, there are bright yellow gingko leaves too and Hokkaido University has an avenue of them arching over the roadway,
A small pond of water lilies with a treet with bronze foliage reflected in the water.
Hokkaido University also has red maples
Wind and rain had ripped a lot of leaves from the trees but that meant there was a lot of colourful leaf litter on the ground.
A beautil tree with orange leaves is partially hidden behind some rushes.
A convex traffic mirror is heavily pockmarked and reflects the surrounding golden foliage in a swirling pattern.
Japanese maples are nice in yellow too.
A rogue green leaf among the bronzed autumn leaves.
A stone memorial stands at the end of a lawn surrounded by trees displaying autumnal foliage.
Another prefecture and another Blue Pond. A bit of rain rather than snow.
No bears so a nice walk through the Lake Jūniko forest.
Are red leaves nicer than yellow ones?
Trees crammed onto a hill and extending all the way down to the water line provides an opportunity to see a reflection of the trees in the still lake.
A view of Mount Iwaki from Hirosaki Castle Park
A beautiful five story pagoda stands in the grounds of Saishōin Temple.
The Oirase River is obscured by foliage.
Using a fisheye lens to capture some of the colours of the forest.
A green fern tries not to get swamped by leaf litter.
Using a slow shutter speed to turn the river into a milky path.
Moss has found a home on a fallen tree among some ferns and slender trees.
The Oirase River slowly passes through a forest of trees.
A small set of rapids interupts the gentle progress of the river through the forest.
The walking path comes close to the river in many places along the trail and here it is separated by a fence covered in bright green moss.
The river catches the light as it passes through trees with autumnal foliage.
The river navigates around rocks as it passes through the forest.
Just off the main trail is the Kudan Falls. Not a lot of water cascading over the falls but potentially a nice sized waterfall when it does.
One of the most popular places on the trail is the Choshi Falls. It's not very high but it is wide and close to the road so coaches dropped off plenty of people to view it.
The mouth of the river at Lake Towada.
There were a number of spectacular trees around the hotel and this one greeted me each morning at breakfast with a display of orange foliage and leaf litter.
Around the back of the Oirase Keiryu Hotel were more paths that judging from the leaf litter on them were raely visited. Here the path is edges with green moss.
The trees surrounding the Matsumoto Castle are trying their best to overshadow it by putting on a spectacular display of autumnal foliage.
Bands of colour on the sides of the Kurobe Gorge. Green in the lower left corner, then a bright band of yellow and orange foliage and at the top of the hills a darker band of trees.
Tochinoyu is an onsen on one of the banks of the gorge next to a cascade of waterfalls.
The hills around the Nekomata station are full of colour.
The last train of the day crosses the vermillion Shin-Yamabiko bridge on its return to Unazuki Station.
Kotoji Stone Lantern is a popular attraction on the edge of Kasumiga-ike.
The teahouse Kikugetsu-tei sits on the edge of Nan-ko (Southern Lake).
Some backlit Japanese maple leaves in Ritsurin.
More people gravitated to the southern circuit of the garden leaving Sai-ko as a quiet place to relax with the trees reflected in its still water.
Koraku-en seemed like a loose collection of small plots each focusing on a different plant or tree. This thicket of bamboo being just one of the plots.
The long wait queuing for the ropeway to Mount Misen provided plenty of opportunity to observe the colours, while being careful not too step out of the queue.
Passed these trees while on the Tokotoko Train somewhere between Nishikichō and Sotsukyo Onsen stations. Perhaps it was trying to signal me?
Shooting up through the canopy of yellow gingko leaves.
The lotus plants might have seen better days but their orange colour contrasted with the greenery in the foreground and the mixed coloured trees in the background.
A tranquil japanese style garden within the Imperial Palace East Gardens.