As dawn broke on an early February morning, the Pilatus Tateshina Snow Resort in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, offered a view unlike any other. Beneath the expanse of a clear, azure sky, I captured a scene where the urban sprawl of Chino City and the Suwa Basin stretched out before me, leading the eye towards the majestic Central Alps. Dominating the landscape was the snow-capped peak of Mt. Kiso Komagatake, the highest point of the Central Alps, standing tall at 2,956 meters. This composition, from the resort’s slopes to the alpine heights, encapsulated the essence of Japan’s winter beauty.
Photo Description – A Contrast of Nature and Civilization
From the vantage point on the slopes of Pilatus Tateshina Snow Resort, the photograph presents a striking dichotomy. In the foreground, the Suwa Basin lays out as a testament to human settlement and industrial ingenuity, renowned for its precision machinery industry. Beyond this basin, the Central Alps rise dramatically, forming a natural barrier that defines the landscape. The contrast between the cultivated land and the untamed alpine splendor, especially with Mt. Kiso Komagatake at the center, offers a narrative of harmony between man and nature.
Story Behind the Photo – A Leap from the Basin to the Peaks
The challenge and allure of capturing this image lay in conveying the dramatic elevation shift from the Suwa Basin to the Central Alps. The basin itself, positioned at a high altitude of 750m to 900m, sits over a thousand meters below my vantage point, while the towering peaks of the Central Alps, including Mt. Kiso Komagatake, rise to nearly 3,000 meters. This photo visualizes a dynamic leap across these varied elevations, from the detailed expanse of the basin up to the rugged, snow-covered peaks of the Alps, highlighting the profound verticality and the diverse topography of the region.
From an Amateur Photographer’s Perspective – Capturing Depth and Scale
Shooting with my OM Digital Solutions TG-7, my aim was to capture the immense scale and the stark contrasts within the landscape. The technical challenge was in balancing the exposure to highlight both the basin’s detailed landscape and the imposing height of the Central Alps under the vivid winter sky. By adjusting the shutter speed to 1/125s and the aperture to ƒ18, I sought to preserve the depth of the scene, from the detailed foreground of the Suwa Basin to the majestic Central Alps in the distance.
Equipment and EXIF Information
- Camera: OM Digital Solutions TG-7
- Shutter Speed: 1/125s
- Aperture: ƒ18
- ISO: ISO 400
Location