On a cold winter morning I had left my ryokan long before sunrise to see the whooper swans wake up, and watch their fascinating morning rituals. I had to walk through a strip of trees and dense vegetation, which would normally create a lot of noise that could wake up the swans. The snow was about three feet high though, and the perfect natural sound proofing. When I reached the shore, a few swans looked up and then went back to sleep again. I set up my tripod, took this shot, and then just sat there for a while - amazed.
