What is your favorite adventure? This summer we got into waterfall hiking and did three new and different waterfall hikes. Now I am on a quest to find them all on the island. Another one of our favorite adventures is a beach day with snorkeling. Do you love these things too? Spending a day in nature with my family always leaves me with a feeling of MAGIC in the air!

Does your phone capture the magic of your adventure days? I find my phone always leaves me wanting a little bit more. Plan an adventure session and you will not only have a wonderful day, but you will have the images and video to remember it forever. There is no better way to remember your fleeting time on this island than with an adventure session. I will document your family as they really are, doing something you all love in this stunning landscape. Contact me today to book your session!

Okinawa adventure session

Do you want to see more of my family’s Oki Adventures? Check this post out!

Here is a video I made from one of our adventures hiking a waterfall. Check it out and imagine capturing your family this way!

I am participating in a blog circle today! Click around to see amazing photography from around the world. Next up is Kara Chappell and she is a Whidbey Island Family Photographer and her post is about a fall family sunset session at deception pass state park.

Anna Rasmussen is a featured and award-winning family portrait photographer in Okinawa, Japan. She loves documentary-style family vacation photography and beautiful lifestyle portraits. Her two favorite things to photograph are travel logs and birth stories in the hospital, but she also loves everything family – from capturing the joy of expectant parents in maternity photography, the first days of a baby’s life in Newborn Fresh 48 Sessions, the beauty of everyday chaos in Family Day-in-the-Life Sessions, and on-location family portrait sessions. Anna is an on-location photographer, serving the entire island of Okinawa and ready to travel to many major cities in the Asian area. Book a session here with Anna today! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The post adventure sessions | okinawa documentary photography appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

We had a wonderful spring break exploring Okinawa, although we actually started out at home with some crafting and painting. We made fairy houses and gardens, it was the funnest activity and I have loved watching Kate play with hers!

Getting out for adventure

Next we headed up to the peninsula and checked out the Ryugujo butterfly garden. There were so many gorgeous butterflies! Adam and Kate were not fans of the place but Evan loved it so much! The kids loved the rivers outside too! They found so many tadpoles!

Adventure Hiking

The next day we headed out on a hike with some of our friends. We went to the Forest of Residents State Park. We did the Mountain Top Trail. It was gorgeous and so lush throughout the hike. The views from the top were amazing!

Camping adventure

From here I set on my real spring break adventure with my two youngest. We stopped every time I saw something new I wanted to check out. Mostly we saw the ocean. We drove north on the 58 and the views were so stunning! The blues in the sky and water here in Okinawa continue to amaze me. We saw a sign for the Hiji Falls hike and decided to check it out. I loved this bridge part way through the hike! The falls are the tallest on Okinawa and they were a beautiful sight.

We continued our drive north and stopped next at Cape Hedo. This is the most northern part of Okinawa and was a beautiful spot to see the power of the ocean. I actually prefer Cape Zanpa for view though! Along the way we saw some lilies growing along the roadside, of course we had to get some spring pictures.

Our Campsite

We had our tent in the car and found a perfect beach along the pacific coast for a private campsite. The kids and I set up the tent, built our own fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. I really wanted to do some astro photography but it was cloudy and sprinkling all night long. Next time!

In the morning we were awake around five am! The joys of camping. Japan is one of the cleanest places I have ever been but this particular beach had quite a bit of litter on it. Kate was very concerned about it and spent about a hour cleaning up garbage. My little animal loving conservationist. The other good thing about being awake nice and early are the colors of the sunrise!

We spent the morning taking down camp and taking turns paddle boarding on the water! As we started driving down the east side of the island I stopped about 15 times for AMAZING views, and pinned about ten more beaches that I want to camp on before we leave. The clouds that plagued my astrophotography dreams made for amazing skies throughout the day. We drove down the 70 and then the 331.

This spot where the Ie River meets the ocean was one of my absolute favorites!

Okinawa Adventures

When I die, cremate me and make a shrine for me in this spot! It is perfection.

Okinawa has several dams and reservoirs. This one is Aha Dam. I got in on the picture taking using my new Arsenal Remote. Evan recently inherited my original Canon Rebel, my first ever digital camera. Watching him enjoy it is so rewarding, and I need to download some of his images and include them here.

The sun finally came out and therefore the water turned to the really amazing aqua color of Okinawa. This spot is one I want to go back to! The Sedake River emptied into the ocean near here and it was just a tiny fishermans village beside this gorgeous spot. Can you find the little fisherman??

I hope you enjoyed this northern Okinawa adventure trip as much as I did. Road trips are such a huge part of my memories growing up and I hope to instill a love of them in my children as well.

Okinawa Adventure Photographer

Anna Rasmussen is a featured and award-winning family portrait photographer in Okinawa, Japan. She loves documentary-style family vacation photography and beautiful lifestyle portraits. Her two favorite things to photograph are travel logs and birth stories in the hospital, but she also loves everything family – from capturing the joy of expectant parents in maternity photography, the first days of a baby’s life in Newborn Fresh 48 Sessions, the beauty of everyday chaos in Family Day-in-the-Life Sessions, and on-location family portrait sessions. Anna is an on-location photographer, serving the entire island of Okinawa and ready to travel to many major cities in the Asian area. Book a session here with Anna today! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The post spring break adventure {okinawa, japan} appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

Do you want to be able to capture amazing photographs of your family as you travel? It is so important to make those memories last as long as possible. Here are a couple tips on how to make meaningful photographs of your families adventures! I am participating in a blog circle today so make sure to head down to the bottom of the post to follow the circle around.

#1 As you scroll through the images I decided to include here you will see a little bit of everything. Details, people (both my own family members and strangers), architecture, landscapes, streetscapes. You will see candids and posed shots. In order to really capture the essence of your day of adventure shake it up and get a taste of each thing you see! These were all shot in one day in Kyoto, Japan.

#2 Modes of transport : Especially when you are visiting a big city, take a moment to capture the modes of transportation you use. Not only do trains, planes and buses often have awesome light, these in between moments will be some of your strongest and funniest moments. As you try to get from place to place, you could get lost, embrace that adventure and make sure to document it. A huge part of traveling is the transport you use!

Travel Photography Tips

#3 Take time to be silly! When you are traveling with kids, they will need a break from touring from time to time. These breaks are not only important for sanity, but also are a great chance to make amazing memories. My favorite times on all my international trips have been when we stopped and let the kids (or adults) play.

#4 Streetscapes are fun. I know this makes some people uncomfortable, but when you see beauty or interest in the world, on the street, where ever you are : just lift up your camera and take a shot. It is SO fun. My biggest advice when it comes to street photography is if you see something that makes you feel something, shoot it!

#5 Landscapes are important. They are not always my favorite type of photograph, but I love to have them as a background when I put together a book of my travels. Obviously capturing where you were and the big picture will add a lot to your travel photography. I always like to start wide and then focus in on the details of a place.

#6 Don’t forget the details! When it comes to making memories, sometimes the close up and detailed shots will trigger the brain the quickest. My daughter and niece loved these little animals lined up on the side of this shopping street. And I know this image will always remind them of this one wonderful day in Kyoto!

#7 Architectural elements : I love architectural elements and they will help tell the story of your travels so well. They will show you where you are and what it is like. Use windows and doors to frame your shots, bridges and gardens to remember just how big or small a space is. Architectural elements should never be overlooked!

#8 Light. Always light. How can this possibly be the last tip? You know that light is the most important element when it comes to photography. I love to look for the light. When I can get an amazing sun flare like the one below well that’s a huge win. But I love subtle light too. You should look down alleyways, use water reflections, watch how the light enters buildings and buses. Japan is a perfect place for this!

I hope you feel as happy as my son reading this post today and that going forward you will be able to capture your families adventures better! I don’t think I could say enough times how grateful I am for this chance to travel and I know if you take the opportunity to do it in your own life you will see the rewards as well! Want to see more places I have seen? Check out travel photography in Bangkok, Thailand.

Remember to follow the blog circle around until you get back to me! Next up is Shelly Niehaus, and she is talking about finding joy in teen portrait sessions. She is a talented Dallas teen photographer.

Anna Rasmussen is a featured and award-winning family portrait photographer in Okinawa, Japan. She loves documentary-style family vacation photography and beautiful lifestyle portraits. Her two favorite things to photograph are travel logs and birth stories in the hospital, but she also loves everything family – from capturing the joy of expectant parents in maternity photography, the first days of a baby’s life in Newborn Fresh 48 Sessions, the beauty of everyday chaos in Family Day-in-the-Life Sessions, and on-location family portrait sessions. Anna is an on-location photographer, serving the entire island of Okinawa and ready to travel to many major cities in the Asian area. Book a session here with Anna today! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The post travel photography | capture the world around you {kyoto, japan} appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.