I have been greatly influenced by two photographers who have visited Hokkaido on numerous occasions over the years and I was fortunate to shoot for 10 days with one as well as work with the long time guide of the other!

Many people will know of the work of Michael Kenna who has, because of his work, made Hokkaido a photographic destination. Visit @michaelkennaphoto to see his black and white imagery. His guide for most of his visits is Tsuyoshi Kato, who has intimate knowledge of all areas worth shooting at on Hokkaido, and without whom we wouldn't have accessed unique locations. He also knows all the best eateries and is an officiado of Sake!

The other photographer I greatly admire is Bruce Percy He shoots in a similar style to Michael Kenna but uses colour. They both shoot with film using Hasselblad cameras. Bruce was a great help with both reading the tonality of the landscape and composition.

Having these people to learn from was truly a great experience