There is a reception of photos for the 35AWARDS 2026! #35AWARDS

How to shoot it

📍 Where to shoot

The shoot takes place outdoors near Lake Kawaguchiko (Yamanashi Prefecture). The subject is the five-story Chureito Pagoda, located on a hill overlooking Mount Fuji.

🧭 How to get there

You can reach the location by car or public transport to Lake Kawaguchiko. The pagoda is in a park accessible to visitors without special equipment.

🕐 Time of day

Most shot between 3:00 and 6:00 (24% of frames)

Based on 17 frames with camera data. Camera clock time; the time zone is unknown.

Shooting usually occurs early morning (4–5 AM) or evening (5 PM, 11 PM). These times provide soft light for sunset or night illumination of the pagoda.

🗓️ Season

Most shot in: April, November, December

Based on 17 frames with camera data

Peak popularity is April (cherry blossom season) and winter (November–February, snow on the pagoda). These seasons offer the most recognizable shots with nature and architecture contrast.

🎫 Access and rules

The pagoda is in Akaba Park; entry is paid. Tripods are generally allowed, but follow park rules and do not obstruct other visitors in narrow areas.

🎒 Gear

Use a wide-angle lens (10–24 mm) to capture both the pagoda and Mount Fuji in one frame. A tripod is essential for long exposures during night or sunset shooting.

Cameras and lenses the authors used (10)

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 3 Sony ILCE-7RM3 2 Canon EOS R6 2 Canon EOS 6D 1 Fujifilm X-H1 1Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM 2Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 ZE 1Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM 1XF10-24mm F4 R OIS 1Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS (SEL24105G) 1

🧳 What to bring

Warm clothing and shoes (winter/spring), flashlight, spare batteries, rain cover for camera. Park entry is paid; tickets can be purchased in advance or on-site.

⚙️ Settings

Shutter 0.5 s (1/640 – 15 s)Aperture f/9 (f/7.1 – f/13)ISO 100 (64 – 800)Focal length 17 mm (10 – 24)

Based on 16 frames with camera data. Median and 10-90% range across the idea frames.

Key parameter: aperture f/9 (range f/7.1–f/13) for maximum landscape sharpness. Shutter speed varies from 0.5 s to 15 s depending on lighting, ISO 100.

⚠️ Good to know

Mount Fuji is often obscured by clouds, so arriving for several days increases chances of a guaranteed shot. Night shooting requires patience due to long exposures and possible park time restrictions.

📈 How the idea developed

works uploadedshare of all site uploads, per 100k

The date is when the file was uploaded to the site. The chart counts works assigned to the idea.

✅ How to repeat it

Use continuous shooting mode or bracketing to capture the moment when clouds part and reveal the mountain peak.
For night shots, set ISO to minimum (100) and use a tripod to avoid blur with shutter speeds over 1 second.

✨ Interesting facts

🏆 How the best frame was shot: Sony ILCE-7RM5, Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN | A, 25 s, f/7.1, ISO 640, 27 mm
🔇 81% of frames were shot at ISO 400 or lower: almost no noise, any modern camera will do
📐 88% of frames are landscape orientation
🥇 2 works reached the finals. Best contest: Landscape: Colors of Autumn 2025
👤 Most frequent authors: Liu Shuchuan 2 Julio Castro Pardo 2 Марина Маликова 2
🌍 Authors by country: 🇷🇺 RU 6 🇯🇵 JP 5 🇪🇸 ES 4 🇨🇭 CH 2 🇻🇳 VN 2

🔗 Related ideas

Some tips are prepared by AI from the idea description, photos and their EXIF. Check the rules and access to places before you travel.

These lists are generated automatically and may contain inaccuracies. Photos are shown in random order, and selections are refreshed twice a day. This section is made for exploring photos and does not claim 100% accuracy. The lists include photos that previously participated in contests that are already completed.