An Iconic Mountain And A Passing Cloud

A photography instructor once taught me, "If you see something that you like, take its picture immediately if you have a camera. 'Cos the subject or object may not be exactly what you saw if you were to go back to it later."

That useful advice I have etched in my mind ever since I bought my first analog SLR camera, a Minolta X-300, eons ago. These days, I use the compact digital Leica V-Lux 3 for all my travels and special events. In the age of nifty mobile camera phones however, my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge does the business just as well. In fact, thanks to the latter, I was able to capture this very possibly one-in-a-lifetime shot of Japan's majestic Mt Fuji mushroomed by a passing cloud as pictured above.

Mt Fuji or Bust

Last November, I finally embarked on my dream of having a Mt Fuji holiday during the Japanese autumn season. So fascinated I am by Japan's highest peak - which is also an active volcano - that I specifically wanted to stay in a hotel that has an onsen (Japanese hot spring bath) and a room with a good view of the iconic mountain (with or without lake).

Thanks to a good friend who's also a customized travel planner, I was recommended Fuji View Hotel in Kawaguchiko, a resort town in Yamanshi Prefecture which is about a two-hour drive via coach from Tokyo.

The 3776m-high Mount Fuji loomed larger as we approached Kawaguchiko but I have since learnt that you hardly get good shots from a moving vehicle. My first quick shot of the famous mountain was at Kawaguchiko Station, a railway and bus hub as my travel mate and I awaited for the hotel transport, even though its grandeur was blocked by parked trains and cable lines. Drilled by my photographer teacher, it has become a lifelong habit for me to "take the shot first, in case you don't get to see it later..."

The scenery around the mountain was pleasantly more rustic as we neared the hotel, which is located at the edge of Lake Kawaguchi and surrounded by well-landscaped gardens. Upon disembarking at the driveway, we quickly understood just why the hotel is called Fuji View as the 3-star establishment splendidly faces directly the northern side of Mount Fuji. Here's where I took my second quick shot, noticing that though the mountain can be seen, it was significantly blocked by the tall albeit colorful trees in the foreground. Quietly I prayed that we will have a better unobstructed view from the room.

Located on the second floor of the 6-storey building, our room's view was thankfully better than better. In fact, it was utterly brilliant. We had stepped into the room and without skipping a beat, simply rushed to the balcony to check out the view. And below is what we saw:

A One-in-a-Lifetime Shot

We may only be on the second floor but the sight in front of us offered an absolutely unblocked view of the majestic snow-covered Mt Fuji and what's more, a passing cloud had descended on its peak, gently caressing the mountain's photogenic summit against a clear blue sky.

Knowing it was a rare sight, I didn't want to waste time lugging out my Leica, so I simply whipped out my mobile phone and took a few shots in quick succession. The "mushroom" cloud was there but for a mere two minutes. And then it was gone. In fact, we never got to see such a sight again in the next few days, though there were various lingering cloud formations and still some great Mt Fuji views to enjoy.

In total, I took less than a dozen pictures of this passing cloud shot. I eventually chose the main picture to feature on my social media platforms, cropping it square in Instagram and using the filter Lo-Fi just to enhance the blues a bit. It was easily my most well-liked travel picture in recent times both on Facebook and on Instagram. What was most gratifying was that most of my well-travelled friends deemed it a great picture, with one professional photographer pal declaring it "beautiful" and feeling gutted that it is something he has never seen before despite making multiple trips to Japan every year!

So, yes, thanks to my Samsung Galaxy 7s edge camera phone, I have been able to take great travel shots and other #mobilemoments whenever I go. Camera phones are getting more and more sophisticated - with some brands even using Leica camera technology, for instance - so much so I may consider forgoing my SLR soon.

In the meantime however, I will continue to be snap-happy and enjoy the best of both worlds!

(ends)