Yumigahama Cove
Honzei Port and Yumigahama Cove in the town of Minami-Izu are located on the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula (Shizuoka Prefecture) about 185 km (115 mi) southwest of Tokyo.
Yumigahama Cove is accessible by taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Atami, and then taking the Ito Line to Izukyu-Shimoda Station from where you can take a commuter bus to the Kyukamura bus stop. From there you have a 13-minute walk to the beach.
Traveling with a border collie means that public transportation is not an option for me. Driving to Yumigahama Cove takes about 4 hours using both the Tomei Expressway and local highways depending on traffic and time of day.
Since I typically leave home after midnight, I am able to shave about 30 minutes off of travel time and am able to arrive at my destination, find a vacant parking space, and take a short nap until sunrise.
Honzei Port (本瀬港):
https://goo.gl/maps/1DUBC7ANdPxPk6AU9
Ouji Shrine (王子神社):
https://goo.gl/maps/isHRMgDpF9Qm7Lgp7
Yumigahama Cove (弓ヶ浜):
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/16
Acros film simulation
Sand Patterns
Patterns formed by bubbles of air erupting in sand as water recedes on a beach.
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 500 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/16
Acros film simulation
Broken Shell
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 800 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/6.3
Velvia/Vivid film simulation
Fun Time at Beach
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
She couldn’t wait to jump out of the car and dive after the waves lapping the beach in this quaint little cove!
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 1/100 sec. at ƒ/11
Forested Cape Protecting Cove
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
The Benzaiten Cape (弁財天岬) forms a natural barrier to large waves coming into the cove during a storm surge or typhoon, which has resulted in a cove that has a lovely beige-sand beach.
Access to this cove is easiest if you can drive, which is approximately a 3-hour 30-minute drive from Tokyo.
The cove is also accessible from Izukyo-Shimoda Station from where you can take a 45-minute bus ride and then take a 26-minute walk from the nearest bus stop.
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/11
Ocean Organic Debris
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
I came across this organic debris which might be a clump of bamboo grass or some other aquatic plant that apparently wasn’t able to withstand a storm surge or typhoon.
Personally, I love the symmetry of the sticks/branches and how the colors are in perfect harmony with the beach tone and greenish ocean waves in the distance.
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
80 mm ISO 100 for 20 sec. at ƒ/11
Long-Exposure of Lapping Waves
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
What looks like an island in this shot is actually the very end of Benzaiten Cape, which wraps around to form Yumigahama Cove.
Although this particular beach seems to be popular among surfers, the waves were not that big during this visit.
I used a neutral density filter (ND64) providing a 6-stop reduction in light to capture this 20-second shot. To be honest, a much shorter exposure might have turned out better—maybe 3 to 8 seconds. Lesson learned!!
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
45 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Canine Beach Bum
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
She got tired after barking, chasing, and snapping at the white foam of incoming waves.
Fortunately, there were no other beachgoers this early in the morning, so she was able to run up and down the beach off leash!
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Near Perfect Alignment
(Yumigahama Cove, Izu Peninsula, Japan)
This was one of my final shots taken at Yumigahama Cove on the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.
My intention was to catch the surfer riding a wave, but after waiting for sooo long I almost gave up until I noticed that the fishing boat might line up perfectly with the surfer and the small break between the two cliffs!
Despite the fishing industry working offshore of this beach, the beach itself and the waters are quite clean and free of any debris from the fishermen (or most any non-organic debris).
Not all Japanese beaches are as nice, but I was impressed with how this particular community seems to have been able to strike a balance with the needs of industry, recreation, and tourism.
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Below is a list of the equipment I took with me on this photo shoot.
Pentax K-1 Mark II (K1-II)
Standard zoom lens: Pentax D FA 28-105mm f3.5-5.6ed DC WR HD Lens
Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
Hejnar Photo Manfrotto Adapters (MHXPRO to Arca-Swiss) 2.375 Inch Clamp
Fujifilm X100V
Moment Camera Filter 5% CineBloom Diffusion Filter
Haoge LH-ES3 Square Metal Lens Hood with Hollow Out Design 49mm Adapter Ring with Cap
GoPro Hero11 Black
GoPro Genuine Accessories GCHM30 Chest Mount Harness
Filters:
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer - 67mm
Pack:
F-stop Tilopa 50L Adventure and Travel Camera Backpack (Essentials Bundle: backpack, rain cover, internal camera unit)
Check out my Gear Page for links and details.
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