Looking for spring in Akita

March 25-26, 2021 / Akita

Photographer / Hitomi Komatsu

When I received news of cherry blossoms from the south, I couldn't wait any longer and drove south, then headed north to start my cherry blossom journey. This spring, my usual photo trips will not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has been ongoing since last year. I had no choice but to wait patiently for the cherry blossoms to move north. It was also a good opportunity to reunite with the spring scenery of my hometown, Akita, which I have missed for the past decade or so due to my cherry blossom journeys.

This year, Akita was hit by heavy snow, and the damage from the snow was greater than the damage from COVID-19, so I felt more eager to wait for spring than usual. Feeling the signs of spring in the sunshine and the wind, I immediately went out to look for a little spring.

First, I went to see the winter cherry blossoms at the National Garden in Ikawa Town. Normally, the buds swell, but this year there are still no signs of opening. Is it the effect of this year's heavy snowfall? I gave up on the cherry blossoms and went to Lake Tazawa in my hometown, Senboku City. The weather was forecast to worsen, but when I went to the lakeside, I found the waterside to be unusually calm and windless. The tranquility of the mountains, where the snow has melted, reflected in the water tells us that spring is near. I took this photo with the words "When the water warms up" in mind. Although it wasn't flashy, it was a scene that made us who live in a snowy country feel the signs of spring.

After that, I headed to Sashimaki Marsh. Skunk cabbage began to bloom in places where the snow melted early, and there were also small zazen grasses by the water. The flowers were a little painful to look at, damaged by the late frost, but I was able to check how they were blooming. Rain was forecast for the evening of that day, but it looked like it would clear up the next day, so I headed home, aiming to catch the morning light.

Unfortunately, the next morning, I was unable to see the sunrise as expected. After the rain, mist was drifting over the alder marsh, and I shot in a light cloud. I decided on my position so as not to miss the occasional sliver of light that shone through. In order to capture that fleeting light, I wanted my companions, the tripod and head, to move as I felt. My familiar Markins head, which allows for smooth fine adjustments when it matters, helped me like a hand or a foot.

As the sun was getting a little higher, I shifted my focus to waterside flowers. With the recent advances in image stabilization in cameras and lenses, it is becoming common to see people taking pictures of flowers handheld. However, the smaller the subject, the more important it is to set up a tripod firmly and fix the head. This allows you to carefully consider the placement of the main flower, supporting subjects, and background, and also to properly determine the most important point of focus. If you neglect to fix the tripod and cut corners on the placement (composition) and focus, the message of the flowers will not be conveyed.

With that in mind, I aimed my camera at the flowers I had my eye on yesterday. The moment I press the shutter while feeling the spring in the sparkling water flowing is truly a blissful moment for me.

Leaving Sashimaki Marsh behind, I headed to where the Adonis flowers bloom. Spring flowers only bloom when the sun shines through. I drove along thinking that they should bloom around 9am, and they were in full bloom just as I expected. I aimed for the Adonis flowers blooming near the remaining snow and decided on the angle. It was difficult to compose a photo of the flowers facing upwards, so I was engrossed in trying this and that to find the right composition. It was a comfortable experience, as if I was searching for spring, and it was a fulfilling time, soothed by the spring flowers.

So, where should we go looking for spring tomorrow?

Hitomi Komatsu

Born in 1956 in Senboku City (formerly Kakunodate Town), Akita Prefecture. After graduating from Kakunodate Minami High School, joined the basketball club at Unitika Co., Ltd., working as a player, coach, and manager. Began studying under Katsusuke Chiba in 1983.
In 1999, went independent and established the Hitomi Komatsu Photography Studio. Work has been published in various magazines and calendars, primarily landscape photographs. Main focus is on the seasons and flowers of northern Tohoku, as well as the people, artisans, hot springs, and local cuisine of the region. From 2008 to 2013, works were on permanent exhibition at the Pukapukan.