Come with me on a photo shoot to Miho Shrine located on the Miho Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Our journey will start from the 500-meter-long boardwalk, adorned with beautiful pine trees planted over 200 to 400 years ago. This boardwalk is raised to safeguard the roots of the trees and is known as Kami-no-Michi (神の道) or Path of the Gods, which is used by deities visiting Miho Shrine (御穂神社) from the shores of the Miho Peninsula.
At the end of the path stands the torii gate (鳥居) that marks the entrance to the sacred grounds of the shrine. Before approaching the shrine, we will purify ourselves by washing our hands at the chōzu-ya or temizu-ya (手水舎).
As we explore the shrine, we’ll witness ema boards (絵馬) with inscriptions where people write out their wish or prayer and hang it on the rack in hopes that the deity will grant their wish. We’ll also come across a small auxiliary shrine called setsumatsusha (摂末社), which can house additional deities associated with the main deity or be set up in honor of war dead.
The shrine grounds have typical stone lanterns (石灯籠), and a dance stage known as a maidono (舞殿).
We’ll also see the offertory box where parishioners throw coins as an offering to the shrine, and a rack of omikuji (おみくじ) tied to hemp straw ropes. The omikuji are fortunes, and if you receive an unlucky one, you can tie it to the rope in hopes that the bad luck will remain with the omikuji and not follow you home.
During our photo shoot, we’ll capture shots of the shrine grounds, including the lucky shot of the groundskeeper wearing traditional Japanese indigo workwear. We’ll also take photos of some large barrels of sake (rice wine) called kazari-taru (飾り樽) that are donated to the shrine, hoping for a healthy rice harvest. Finally, we’ll capture the beauty of yaezakura cherry blossoms, possibly belonging to the fugenzo variety.
Finally, we’ll head back to the Kami-no-Michi boardwalk and take one final shot of an elegant old Japanese matsu pine tree with a limb that has grown out over the path and has received extra structural support to ensure its longevity.
Don’t forget to check out my blog post for this photo shoot where I’ve included Google Maps links to each photo shooting location, interesting historical details, and references for further reading:
https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20230405-miho-shrine
If any of the photos in this video piqued your interest, feel free to check my store for digital downloads, licensing, or to order prints at:
https://www.pix4japan.com/
© 2023 Pix4Japan. All rights reserved.
Below is a list of gear I took with me on this photo shoot.
Camera Gear:
Pentax K-1 Mark II (K1-II)
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Standard zoom lens: Pentax D FA 28-105mm f3.5-5.6ed DC WR HD Lens
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Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
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Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate
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Fujifilm X100V
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Moment Camera Filter 5% CineBloom Diffusion Filter
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Haoge LH-ES3 Square Metal Lens Hood with Hollow Out Design 49mm Adapter Ring with Cap
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Fujifilm PRF-49S
https://amzn.to/3WdApF0
Video Gear:
Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit
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SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)
https://amzn.to/3axkn1w
PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter
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Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal
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RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO
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GoPro Hero 11 Black + Accessories Bundle
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GoPro Chesty (Chest Mount)
https://amzn.to/3FnJNQc
Filters & Filter Systems:
PolarPro QuartzLine ND 64 Filter – 67mm (ND64 6-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/2J9VSOM
PolarPro QuartzLine ND1000 Filter – 67mm (ND1000 10-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/39rwWwW
PolarPro QuartzLine ND100k Filter – 67mm (ND100K 15-stop reduction in light)
https://amzn.to/3q7YHAm
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer – 67mm
https://amzn.to/3fOwgCY
PolarPro Summit | Landscape Filter System Custom Kit (Core, Thread Plate, ND4-GR filter, ND8-GR filter, Circular Polarizer)
https://amzn.to/37hjkBv
Pack:
F-stop Tilopa 50L Adventure and Travel Camera Backpack (Essentials Bundle: backpack, rain cover, internal camera unit)
https://amzn.to/2XfjDIE
F-stop Tripod Bag (large)
https://amzn.to/3pXW57n
*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission, which has no effect on your purchase price whatsoever.
Music tracks licensed via Epidemic Sound. Visit this referral link to sign up for a subscription at Epidemic Sound:
https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/0uag9f/
“By Candlelight” composed and performed by Jon Björk.
“Drifting Among Strangers” composed and performed by Gavin Luke.