Author: travel67

January Photography Workshops

A quick post to let people know that the dates for the two January workshops have been finalized. More information about the courses will be posted in the next few days, but wanted to get this up as soon as possible so people can keep space available in their schedules. To book a place on either course please send an email to chris@travel67.com Photography 101 Weekend Workshop Dates: January 14th and 15th 10AM to 6PM Fee: US$250 Class Size: Max 4 students Instructor: Chris Willson Off Camera Flash Weekend Workshop Dates: January 28th and 29th 2PM to 6PM Fee: US$150 Class Size: Max 10 students Instructors: Pete Leong & Chris Willson

Wagasa Print

There’s a new photograph in the limited edition prints section of the TRAVEL67.com website. Orders placed before December 15th will be shipped and should arrive before Christmas. For those living in Okinawa a selection of smaller prints are currently on sale at both the Kadena Gift Corner and the Dojo karate bar in Naha. Some of my larger prints from recent exhibitions are also on display in the Dojo so please drop by next time you’re in the city.

Okinawa on MTV?

I had MTV’s songs of the decade on in the background while I was cleaning the house and thought I saw the word Okinawa in a country music video. Went on You Tube to check my sanity and at 2 mins 43 seconds there it is. I think it’s a CGI billboard on an empty building. 2 seconds later the glass blows out of the windows as the singer walks past. My thoughts are that the CGI designer may have some kind of Okinawan heritage and decided to give a subtle shout out to the little island.

The Flapper

Back to the 1920’s with these shots. The beautiful Tomoko as the Flapper girl and the talented Summer Johnson on makeup. Pentax 645D Pentax 67 100mm macro with 67 to 645 adapter Model: Tomoko Peters Makeup: Summer Johnson Lighting – Charcoal Grey background. Gridded Beauty Dish right side as the main light. Rectangular soft box on left , both powered by Profoto Pro-7a. Strobes triggered with PocketWizards. And if you prefer your lighting a bit more moody…

On other people’s bookshelves

A couple of weeks ago I went along to the PhotOkinawa coffee morning. The group is made up of photographers with many levels of experience, but all have a desire to expand their knowledge, and share their passion for photography. At the latest meeting everyone was asked to bring along a book that they thought the other members of the group would enjoy. I brought The Americans by Robert Frank. It’s a classic that will be relevant and thought provoking no matter how much the reader or technology evolves. You can check out my thoughts on The Americans in a previous on the bookshelf post. Here’s a list of the other recommended books. Kevin Kubotas Lighting Notebook by Kevin Kubota Pro Digital Portrait Lighting by Peter Hince   Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field Guide by Bryan Peterson Untouched by Johnny Rozsa VisionMongers by David duChemin The Photographer’s Eye by Michael Freeman Vietnam Inc. by Philip Jones Griffiths The A-Z of Creative Photography by Lee Frost The Complete Guide to Professional Wedding Photography by Damien Lovegrove The Creative Digital Darkroom by …

Men in Motion

Recently I was chatting with another photographer about adding motion to images. When shooting with the Pentax 67II camera I had a very deliberate and static style. The camera was often mounted on a tripod, and on the whole my subjects, whether they were landscapes or people, were not moving. Shooting digital has given me the ability to push my boundaries and add some dynamism. The reason for this is more financial than technical. If you want to do shots with motion, you are going to have to shoot a large number of frames. At well over a dollar a shot with the Pentax 67 it would have been an expensive way to work. As I mentioned in the previous blog, at the D / Ryan shoot I took over a 1000 frames. I wouldn’t have been happy if I’d had to pay between one and two grand on just film and processing. Of course not all shots require leaping, punching or pirouetting, but sometimes the ability to add a little movement, might be just …

American Muscle

Recently I began working with male models D and Ryan. They are both exceptionally nice guys, focused on what they want, and willing to put in the hard work to reach their goals. Our first studio shoot began with lighting and clothing designed to show off their physiques. If you want to do sports or fitness modeling you’ve got to have done your crunches. During the shoot I took 1024 images, almost filling the 64GB SDXC cards. These are just a few of the images that have been processed.  Will post more soon.