Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom in Okinawa Snap
👋 Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today, I have some snap photos from Okinawa taken last spring. Although the photos would have been even more beautiful on a sunny and lovely day, you can see how they turn out on a cloudy day and get a sense of the winter vibe. Even if you’re not planning a snap photo session in Okinawa, this might be a helpful read.
🏝️ The Journey Begins at Kouri Island
The journey began on Kouri Island.
During the reservation consultation, the planned route was to start at Kouri Island, then proceed to Yaedake Sakura no Mori Park, and finally visit Bisezaki. However, when I visited Sakura no Mori Park the day before, there weren’t many cherry blossoms, so I quickly changed the plan to Nakijin Castle Ruins. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom there.
From the very start, we’re filming a skywalking scene. Since the bride is on a prenatal trip, it’s not a situation where we can ask her to do much. Spring in Okinawa is the coldest time of the year, so getting into the water isn’t an option. As you can see, without aqua shoes or sandals, even stepping into the water on the beach is a bit challenging. With temperatures in the low to mid-teens, getting wet makes it easy to catch a cold. More importantly, the winter and spring on Kouri Island are quite windy, making it difficult to film with water.
Okinawa feels a bit different from the rest of Japan, so I often take light-hearted photos in places where you can see a bit of Japanese text. When I used to do snap photography in Prague, I created a lot of setups for the shoots, but these days I mostly focus on still shots without much staging. It’s much more challenging, but that’s the current trend, so I’m adapting to it.
I’m able to capture every detail, from the sparkle in your eyes to the tips of your fingers. I’m also available for wedding photography, so feel free to get in touch 📸
We also capture a shot from behind with the Kouri Bridge in the background.
For those worried about getting sand on their bottoms, we already placed a plastic bag on the ground for the shoot. Any bits sticking out have been edited out…
We also capture moments of walking together comfortably like this. The groom still feels a bit awkward, but as the shoot progresses, that gradually fades away.
Kouri Island is literally an island, so there are many boats like this. To give you the feeling of being by the sea, I’ve also captured scenes of exploring around the pier.
While exploring Kouri Island, I decided to take a short break and grab a drink from a vending machine.
Snap photography often captures these everyday moments. Perhaps it’s the specialness in the ordinary?
When asked for a recommendation, I suggested the Okinawan traditional tea, Sanpincha. It’s a jasmine tea with no calories and something you can only enjoy in Okinawa. Sanpincha is quite tasty when served chilled 👍
Does a snapshot really need to be something special?
As it was drizzling a bit at the time, we took a moment to enjoy a drink under the roof.
As expected, we capture the time for just the two of you without any staging.
Let’s take a short break and then head up to Kouri Bridge to snap a few photos. It’s a shame the weather was quite overcast. Although it rained a little, fortunately, it wasn’t heavy enough to interfere with the photography.
🌸 Okinawa Snap at the Cherry Blossom Festival
As mentioned at the beginning, we originally planned to shoot at Sakura no Mori Park, but after visiting the day before, I found there weren’t many cherry blossoms, so we quickly changed to Nakijin Castle Ruins. An entrance fee is required here. You can purchase it from a vending machine near the car park.
When I visited, there were already many cherry blossoms in full bloom. The cherry blossoms in Okinawa are of a pink hue. They are slightly different from the white ones in Korea. The variety here doesn’t bloom as abundantly, but the blooming period is much longer compared to the mainland or Korea.
Nakijin Castle Ruins are ⏰ open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM and the entrance fee is 600 yen, which is quite pricey for castle ruins. However, it’s a highly recommended spot for cherry blossom viewing. [Google Map]
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, so I captured them like this. As always, my Okinawa snap style involves minimal staging…
Sometimes, I add a touch of staging to an otherwise candid scene.
We also capture many natural walking scenes like this. By the way, it was the cherry blossom season at the time, so there were quite a few tourists. Everyone was very understanding during the photo shoots, which allowed us to complete our work comfortably.
Since you came for a prenatal trip, we also capture these memorable photos for you. Come to think of it, these photos were taken in early February.
I’ll update you on the expected schedule for Okinawa’s cherry blossom season and related information next year 🌸
It’s nice to leave a photo holding a sign like this. A unique memento for just the two of you!
There are so many cherry blossoms and the trees are quite low, allowing for the creation of a cherry blossom canopy. Additionally, since it’s an old castle site, you can capture beautiful stone paths as well.
Here’s a little staging for you. The Okinawa snapshots feel even more special under the cherry blossoms.
Here is a still photo taken while moving to the next location after finishing the shoot at Nakijin Castle Ruins.
🌳 Okinawa Snap at Bise Fukugi
The next destination was Bise Fukugi and Bisezaki. In winter and spring, you can take photos comfortably like this. In Okinawa, the temperature never drops below 10 degrees, so even if you visit in winter, you can enjoy the lush green forests.
Indeed, the Bise Fukugi Tree Road has this kind of charm. Just walking along it results in beautiful photos.
This is a silhouette photo. I always take photos like this at Bise Fukugi. Whether it’s just capturing the back view or forming a heart shape.
This is quite a common concept for the day. It’s a scene of facing each other together.
Capturing the view of Iejima from Bisezaki once again, focusing on the scenery behind. The weather has been quite disappointing for this filming team.
This is a place that sells zenzai in the summer. It’s open now, so if I were to film today, I would probably capture myself enjoying zenzai. At the time, it wasn’t open, so I took some photos outside like this.
After finishing the shoot, I take a moment to enjoy a cup of coffee at a café.
I initially planned to capture the sunset, but since it wasn’t going to appear, I wrapped up a bit earlier. I’ve left a link below to the Okinawa snaps featuring the winter sunset.
For your information, this café offers decaffeinated coffee, so even expectant mothers can enjoy it comfortably. [Google Map]
We wrapped up the shoot with a cup of coffee. Although we completed the shoot and all the work, the cloudy and slightly rainy weather was a bit disappointing. On the other hand, in summer, the bright sunshine can be a concern as it makes you sweat a lot.
That’s all for today. You can book an Okinawa snap session at the Naver Smart Store below. I’ll be back with more Okinawa snap news. Matayasai 👋
