Zao Onsen Ski Photography 2023-24
Nozawa Onsen | Myoko Kogen | Hakuba | Zao Onsen
Hire a Professional Photographer to capture those epic 'Powder shots'
Explore Japan's Powder Snow at some of the best Ski Resorts in the area. Our Ski Photography team can accompany you for unforgettable moments around Myoko Kogen, Nozawa Onsen, Hakuba, Yuzawa, Zao Onsen and many more…
At Mountain Swell Photography, we're all about capturing the awesome vibes of winter sports in Japan and creating a unique experience for you.
Every winter, our crew hits the road across Japan, offering top-notch SNOW PHOTOGRAPHY services for everyone, no matter your skill level.
While we call Nagano home base for the winter, we're totally up for an adventure and can travel to other Ski Resorts if it fits our schedule to meet your needs.
Whether you want a simple hourly shoot or a full-blown day in the mountains with our experienced photographer, we're here to capture your epic moments. And yeah, we're not just about sports – we can do family pics and special occasions too!
Price Plan*
1-2 hours | ¥25,000
3-4 hours | ¥35,000
Full day | ¥50,000
* Prices are not limited to group sizes but for larger groups, longer time slots may be required.
* Cost of Lift Pass for Photographer to be covered by Client
Available Ski Resorts
Nozawa Onsen Myoko Kogen Hakuba Zao Onsen
We are based out of the Nagano region and are available to shoot at some of the lesser known ski resorts in Japan. Why not get away from the crowds and experience one of the smaller but powder packed local hills. Get in touch using the form below..
Packages include
Original RAW files and High Quality JPEG files
Fully Processed Photos ready to be printed or shared online
Private Online Access to all Photos available to be downloaded
Does not include
Ski Insurance
Equipment rental (We can arrange if needed)
Lift pass
Meet Our Photographer
Ryan Butterfield is an accomplished Action Sports Photographer, specializing in capturing the excitement of Winter Sports Photography. Born and raised in Scotland, he spent most of his winters growing up in the Austrian Alps. Ryan started Ski Guiding in 2007, adding Photography services to enhance his customers' experiences. With a passion for the mountains and an insatiable wanderlust, Ryan has built a successful career within the ski industry, working in many different countries around the world.
In 2014, Ryan moved to Japan, where he has gained extensive knowledge and experience of the local mountains. His skills and experience ensure that no matter what the weather brings, you will be in capable hands. At Mountain Swell, we are committed to providing our customers with the best possible service, ensuring your experience is unforgettable.
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What our Customers say
““
29/01/18
Nick Cooper
Ryan perservered through bitterly cold temperatures for a full day and was a pleasure to ride around the mountain with. The perfection of his craft and his drive to capture memories is reflected in how he went above and beyond for us in such wild conditions. Working with Ryan is an absolute must for an experience in Nozawa Onsen, we highly recommend!”
““
14/01/18
Zach Munro
Just finished up a photo shoot at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort with Ryan from Mountain Swell. Incredibly excited with the content to come out from it! Really tough shooting conditions, ie: heavy snow, strong winds, and low visibility. But all that was no match for Ryan. He knew the mountain like the back of his hand and scoped out all of the best spots, finding untracked powder and beautiful terrain on a socked-in day.”
Please get in touch using form below
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Experience the magic of Japan's trail running tour with Vacation Races, beautifully captured by MTN Swell Media. Our team expertly documented every moment, from serene forest trails to cultural experiences, with stunning photography and captivating videography.
This season, we traveled up and explored Japan's ski resorts, testing out Powster Goggles and Snow wear. Powster was our main supporter for our 2024 season YouTube series, 'Chasing the Frozen Wave 2.'
We shot in all snow conditions and really put this gear to the test.
Awesome shoot with Father and Son. Had such a small weather window to get some POW shots before record breaking temperatures hit. Safe to say we had some success…
Sticking to the groomers on this shoot with Myoko Snowsports Senior Instructor from Belgium. 3-4 hour shoot was just enough to get these shots..
Product Shoot for Jalapeno Snowboards on one of our favorite mountains in Japan. New upcoming Australian Snowboard brand..
We took a group of 3 up and around Madarao Kogen for a day. Their first time in the trees and we managed to find some fresh tracks in such a low snow season. Beautiful sunny day..
We shot a Pre Wedding celebration with a group of 15 from Singapore. Full day of Photo and Video. We chose this location as it is generally a bit quieter on weekends compared to other resorts in the Hakuba Valley. As well as having the huge Hotel complex as a unique backdrop to create some drama to our images as we were battling with the weather this day. Ice cold winds and foggy, not ideal for shooting but we all had a great time…
We shot a Surprise Proposal in Nozawa Onsen. Our first time shooting this kind of photo session and what a memory it has made. We are very happy and grateful to have been hired by our customers form Hong Kong and Taiwan and wish you guys all the best....
Akari Swiss Bakery Photo and Video Shoot
A little gem in Nozawa Onsen where you can have a true taste of a Swiss bakeryWe spent a day shooting both Photo and Video to be used for promotion.
I followed as a photographer on La Colina Resort's backcountry skiing journey in Madarao and Kurohime. This brief recounting sheds light on the distinctive perspective I brought to the Spanish group's winter expedition. From capturing the exhilaration on the slopes to freezing moments of camaraderie, my lens transformed the experience into a captivating visual tale, documenting the beauty and excitement of the Japanese winter landscape.
#SEEBETTER
I had a blast teaming up with SunGod on a snowboard trip! They hooked our team up with their awesome goggles, and we hit the slopes to snap some epic shots for their brand. These goggles not only kept my vision sharp but also looked cool and matched my style.
I was invited to capture their exciting new business through photos. They wanted something different, so even though I usually focus on action shots, I was thrilled to take on the challenge. It was a fun collaboration, and I got to showcase their daily-changing menu in a unique way. Check out the results!
2 hour Birthday Powder Shoot in Nozawa Onsen.
Not the greatest snow conditions for January but we scored gold with a nice little weather window and some fresh tracks..
Meeting our mate and fellow vanlifer/youtuber/rider Tomo in Yuzawa area.
We headed to Nakasato after waking up in a road side station close to kogura ski resort. We had to change plans due to strong winds and most of the nearby resorts suspending their lifts. We got lucky with Nakasato as lower mountain was open and had somewhat a slight protection from the crazy storm.
We took a long trip up north to meet our mate and Backcountry Guide Hiroto. We originally connected through Youtube and Instagram as both sharing a love for Van and Snowboard life in Japan.
Hiroto took us up to the backside of Zao Onsen where we could hike to a crater lake and look for some fresh lines to drop in on. Although the snow was a but wind affected we scored with perfect bluebird skies…
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. What a great start to an unforgettable season. No crowds due to COVID 19 and some record breaking snowfall.
Our Japanese Client from Shiga prefecture came to experience the famous Nozawa powder. 1 day side country powder session. Fresh lines all day….
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. A fun day up the Mountain with our couple from Australia on their Pre-wedding photo shoot. We didn’t get lucky with the snow or weather conditions but made the most out of a foggy day…
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. The Norman family from Australia second day on the mountain. After going for a 1 hour lesson the day before they thought it would be a good idea to get some action shots. We managed to squeeze a lot in this 1 hour booking and got them trying to do some jumps. It wad a 1 hour filled of laughter…..
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Patiently waiting for the big powder snow to arrive. Getting itchy feet so had to go explore the side country and see what is available at the moment, Still really dense bush everywhere but can still find some open powder sections,
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Our guest from Australia on a full day side country shoot. Wasnt too much snow coverage and trees still wasn’t quite filled in but that was a huge part of the adventure. Trying to find powder stashes, we definitely put in the work to earn our turns..
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Jono and his family from New Zealand on a 3 hour photo/video combo package. Stoke levels was very high this day and was such a pleasure to capture their experience.
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Our customers from Singapore got real lucky with a bluebird day in December. Wasnt much powder snow around but had some fun on the jumps.
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Shiga Kogen. We had a big group from Malaysia enjoying their first snow experience.
Local Surf photo sessions. If you have seen our photographer floating around this surf spot then please check our photos below. ローカルサーフフォトセッション!私たちのカメラマンをサーフスポットで見かけたら声をかけてください♪写真も良かったらチェックしてみてくださいね。
Mountain Swell Ski Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Day after one of the biggest snowfalls of the season. Julia from Spain booked a 1 hour Ski Guiding/Photo session…
Mountain Swell Adventure Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Finding fresh lines in the middle of March. We had a shoot today with the owner of Akari Swiss bakery in Nozawa.
Mountain Swell Adventure Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Hard to believe these shots were taken in the middle of Spring. Our return client James flew straight from Hong Kong to get waist deep in some late season ‘Japow’
Mountain Swell Adventure Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Backcountry Tour to Maguse Onsen from Nozawa Onsen. Guided by Austrian Guide Daniel.
Mountain Swell Adventure Guiding and Photography services in Nozawa Onsen. Akari Swiss Bakery product photo shoot..….
Experience the magic of Japan's trail running tour with Vacation Races, beautifully captured by MTN Swell Media. Our team expertly documented every moment, from serene forest trails to cultural experiences, with stunning photography and captivating videography.