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.

Honestly sister was a little tired of me after about one minute! But with some suckers and ring around the rosy she cheered up and I was able to get some darling smiles from her. I love to capture parents and children just being cozy and enjoying one another. This session was the ideal time for that. Actually an upset child is a wonderful way to get images of the most important thing a parent can give their child : LOVE.

I always encourage you to take some time to play during your family portrait session. These will be the images you treasure for a lifetime. Everyone looking at the camera is important as well, but having the family interacting…the best. I think most people do not equate fun with family portraits. I try to change this mindset. Family portraits can be a time of fun and bonding and happy memories! I promise!

Okinawa Fall Family Portrait

Do you want to see more delicious golden light? Go check out this family portrait session at Cape Zanpa!

Thank you so much for visiting the blog! If you want a family portrait session contact me today! I would love to get you scheduled to capture your family as they are right now. I am so grateful for the ability to be inspired by and connected to photographers from around the world. Today I am participating in another blog circle. Follow it around and see beautiful photography from other amazing artists. Next up is Stacey Adams, she is an Albuquerque newborn photographer and is talking today about how to prepare for your newborn baby.

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 giggles, snuggles and golden light | okinawa, japan appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

Levi is lucky enough to have three older siblings and there are a lot of extra hands around to help and love him! It was so awesome to see them all around him trying to help change his clothes and love him the whole way home. Capturing all the love this family has for their new addition just made my entire trip. I love these people more than I can say! So grateful for them and for the chance I had to photograph them.

Would you like a lifestyle newborn session? Contact me today! You don’t need a perfect home! All you need is a new little one and a lot of love.

Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Have I told you lately that lifestyle newborn sessions are my absolute favorite? Contact me today if you have a baby on the way! To see more darling babies check out this post of more newborn beauties!

I am participating in a blog circle again today! Please follow the links around until you get back to me to see amazing photography from around the world. Next up you are headed to Florida to see a post by the talented Aubrey Bahr. She is sharing gorgeous images from a Tampa Bay Hospital Birth. I hope you have a wonderful day!

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 coming home lifestyle newborn {las vegas, nevada} appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

Sometimes you need to look no further than your backyard for an awesome family portraits location. No driving needed, everyone can get ready and then walk out their backdoor. This makes for a lot happier kids and husbands. The light on this evening was over the top gorgeous, and perfectly positioned in their yard. Gosh I still get giddy looking at that light!

Once someone asked me if Okinawa is lush! Does this session answer your question? The green and the blues here in Okinawa are what make it my happy place. I always prefer color and I want my colors to be bright and vibrant. Okinawa is the perfect place for me! I am always going to ask you to hug, love on and snuggle with your family members during a session. I sometimes worry that the teenagers I work with are going to hate it, but I think everyone loves a good hug! Even a moody teenager can get behind it.

Thanks for visiting the blog today and I hope you enjoy this session! I am participating in a blog circle, so follow to the end of the post to see photography from around the world.

Okinawa Portrait Photographer

Looking for more gorgeous Okinawa Family Portraits? Check out this beautiful family who I photographed in the Nakagusuku Castle Ruins.

Thank you so much for visiting the blog and don’t forget about the blog circle. Click around until you get back here and enjoy these talented photographers from around the world! Next up is Iana Chtefan she is a wonderful Aberdeen family and children photographer and is sharing some fun facts about herself today.

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 gratitude | backyard family portraits {okinawa, japan} appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

There are a couple of things to consider when you choose Nakagusuku for your family portraits. First of all it is one of the few castle ruins you have to pay to enter. So please keep that small fee in mind. It is also one of the ruin sites that closes and has hours. They generally kick people out around sunset time but to get a ride to the top you have to be there well within their hours of operation.

Now lets talk about this beautiful family! I love their color choices for their clothes. Aqua has always been my favorite color and living in Okinawa has just increased the love for it. It is the color of the water here and makes me so happy!

Best Okinawa Family Portrait Location

Loving this session? Okinawa provides endless opportunities when it comes to location. Check out some more wonderful people with beautiful Okinawa waters!

Thank you for visiting the blog today! I hope you enjoyed this family portrait session. Contact me today if you want to get on my schedule for fall family portraits in Okinawa. My schedule for fall is already starting to fill up! I am participating in a blog circle today, please follow the links until you get back to me and enjoy photography from around the world. Next up is the very talented Michele Quattrin, she is a wonderful friend and a Minneapolis Family Photographer. Today she is talking about posing family portraits.

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 nakagusuku castle ruins| best okinawa family portrait location appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

Are you worried that your home is not beautiful enough? Let this concern go! For a fresh 48 session all I need is one window to make magic happen which is why this session can happen in the hospital or any location you feel comfortable in the days following the birth of your precious little one.

I know women don’t feel their best or prettiest in the days right after birth! Who wants to document that? Scroll down and see just how radiant each of these clients look in those first precious baby days following the delivery of their little miracle. I promise these images will be ones you will want to look at over the coming years as your little one grows and changes.

Something about the island of Okinawa brings out the romance among the military families giving Okinawa the nickname “the two baby tour”. Are you in this boat? Contact me today so we can document this once in a lifetime experience together!

Are you loving these images? Check out this full in home birth story, one of my favorite photographic experiences ever.

Lifestyle Newborn Session

Right now I am offering a special of a short 1-2 minute film in addition to your still photographs if you book a Fresh 48 session with me! This is a great opportunity to capture not just the small details of your newest addition but also the movements and sounds that make up newborn life. Contact me today to get your Fresh 48 session on the books!

Today I am participating in a blog circle. Follow the circle around and see awesome photography from all over the world! Next up is Chelsey Hill, she is an awesome Cleveland, OH Newborn 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 fresh 48 | newborn lifestyle session { okinawa, japan } appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

This wonderful young man is headed off to college in Hawaii! Jealous much?! I want to go get a surfing degree! We took this chance to capture him with his mom and his sweet pup before he leaves. I loved documenting them all together and the obvious connection between him and his dog.

Do you have a senior leaving the island this summer? Or maybe you want to capture the entire family before your next PCS! Living in Okinawa is like no other experience you will ever have. Make sure you take the time and make the investment in beautiful portraits to remember Oki! If you are looking for family portraits or an Okinawa senior portrait session contact me today so we can set up a session like this!

Have you seen my family portrait work? Check out this session to see all the images you get when booking a full family portrait session! I will capture the family all together smiling, but will also capture all the lifestyle and candid moments you want and need.

Have you heard about my mom+me mini sessions coming up soon? Make sure to contact me today if you want to a spot to document your little ones with you for Mother’s Day this year. They will all be shot at this gorgeous beach! To see more awesome photography from around the world follow this blog circle. Next up is Iana Chtefan, she is an Aberdeen Family and Business Photographer and is talking today about personal branding sessions.

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 A senior, his mom and Loki {toguchi beach, okinawa senior portrait} appeared first on Anna Rasmussen Photographs.

The best location for your Okinawa beach portrait session is the beach you love the most. This family can walk to Sunset beach and so it is a special place for their family. When you choose your location you should think about the place you have the most memories!

I loved capturing all the emotion and connection in this families hands. Focusing in on these details creates images that you will treasure for your entire life. The best moment was a dance party at the end of the session! Dancing in the sunset is pretty much perfect happiness. I am involved in another blog circle today, please go to the bottom of the post to find the next talented photographer!

Okinawa Beach Portrait Session

Thank you for visiting the blog today! I am so grateful for amazing clients who trust me to capture these moments. I am participating in a blog circle today. Please follow the links around to see gorgeous photography from around the world. Next up is Iana, a wonderful Aberdeen and Angus Family Photographer. She is sharing a family portrait session today as well!

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 okinawa beach portraits feel the love {sunset beach} 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.