Okinawa beach photoshoot

Okinawa’s beaches change with the tide. At low tide the reef shows and the shallows turn pale turquoise; at high tide the water reaches the sand you were standing on. We plan the session around the tide table and the sun: west-facing beaches such as Chatan’s Sunset Beach and the north end of Kouri Island catch the evening light, and summer sunset there is around 19:30.

The calendar matters as much as the clock. The rainy season usually runs from mid-May to late June, and typhoons can arrive from July to October, sometimes closing beaches and ferries for two or three days. April to early May and November are the steadiest months, and in late January and February Okinawa’s kanhizakura cherries bloom while the rest of Japan is cold.

Between June and September, box jellyfish appear near some beaches, which is why many swimming beaches put up nets. For photos you stand in shallow water rather than swim, but reef shoes protect against coral and sea urchins.

Drone shots are possible in open countryside here with the usual paperwork, but not near Naha Airport or the US bases. You receive 15 edited photos in a private online gallery within 3 days.