A breathtaking view you can only encounter on a misty morning. A morning spent photographing shrines and moss [Bungo-ono, Oita]
When I stepped out into the garden this morning, everything was pure white.
A deep morning mist enveloped the area, hiding the mountains and trees I usually see.
The moment I saw that scenery, I instinctively reached for my camera.
"I'm going to the shrine today."
Because on a misty morning, the familiar landscape transforms into something like another world.
Morning mist turns landscape photography into something special
I usually take photos of flowers or macro shots, but on mornings when there is mist, I want to take landscape photos.
Morning mist has a mysterious power.
It gently hides the distant scenery and brings only what you truly want to show to the surface.
The shrine I visited this time also had its tranquility highlighted by the mist, showing me a completely different expression than usual.
The misty morning scenery you can only find in Bungo-ono
Bungo-ono City, Oita Prefecture, is a place rich in nature with sprawling rural landscapes.
On this day, the morning mist also hung over the rice fields, and the pale color of the sky was reflected on the water's surface.
The sight of the shrine forest floating in the mist was like a piece of ink wash painting.
It is a landscape you could never see on a sunny day, even in the same location.
That is why, whenever I check the weather forecast, I look forward to it, wondering, "Will there be mist today?"
The small beauty of nature that moss teaches us
I left the shrine and headed to a nearby temple.
There, moss that has grown over many years covers the entire stone wall.
The moss, filled with rain and morning mist, was shining in a vivid green color.
When I crouched down to set up my camera, the small world of moss and the large tree standing beyond it connected in a single photograph.
Every time I see scenery like this, I think to myself.
Beautiful things are not only found in famous tourist spots.
The moss spreading at your feet and the trees you look up at are treasures in our daily lives.
So
I left the shrine and headed to a nearby temple.
There, moss that has grown over many years covers the entire stone wall.
The moss, filled with rain and morning mist, was shining in a vivid green color.
When I crouched down to set up my camera, the small world of moss and the large tree standing beyond it connected in a single photograph.
Every time I see scenery like this, I think to myself.
Beautiful things are not only found in famous tourist spots.
The moss spreading at your feet and the trees you look up at are treasures in our daily lives.
What changed after I started photography
Since I started photography, my perspective on the weather has changed.
Instead of waiting only for sunny days,
I have come to look forward to rainy days,
cloudy days,
and even misty mornings.
The scenery that nature shows us on any given day is never the same twice.
That is exactly why I want to visit the same place again and again.
Cherish the scenery you can only encounter today
Morning mist quietly disappears as the sun rises higher.
Therefore, this scenery belongs only to today.
When I lived in the city, I didn't even have time to watch the morning mist.
Now that I have returned to Kyushu and am living in this nature, there are landscapes I can only encounter because of it.
The night sky where you can see the Milky Way and the rural landscape wrapped in morning mist are gifts unique to this land.
I want to continue capturing such fleeting beauty in my photographs.
📷 My favorites from this shoot
* The shrine wrapped in morning mist
* The scenery of the shrine forest and rice fields
* The moss-covered stone wall and the large tree
Which one was your favorite?
I would love for you to let me know in the comments.
Thank you for reading until the end.