Author: travel67

GubGub’s Vegan Kitchen

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GubGub’s Vegan Kitchen makes some of the tastiest food on Okinawa. Great food, that just happens to not have any animals in it. My favorite is the cheeseburger, but the pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and the famous teriyaki burger are all excellent. The restaurant is also home to many rescue cats, so it is pretty much a vegan cat cafe.  If you don’t like cats, or have allergies then check out one of the other great vegan / vegetarian options on the island including Niceness (Nago), Niffera (Naha), Ukishima Garden (Naha), Green Leaf (Yomitan), Esparza’s (Chatan), and Bollywood (American Village). The rescue cats at GubGub’s are also looking for homes so if you need a kitten you know where to go!

Solutions for Beach Trash in Okinawa

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Ocean trash is a global problem. A massive amount of marine debris floats in the sea, and some of it washes up on Okinawa’s beaches.  Other trash is left by beachgoers, and some items are dumped to avoid recycling fees. Okinawa is not unique in having trash on some of its beaches, but Okinawa’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Beach trash doesn’t just affect the beauty of the islands and the quality of life for residents, it can also damage the foundations of Okinawa’s tourism industry. Okinawa is a fantastic place to visit. Discover local culture at World Heritage sites, pottery  workshops, and karate dojos. Learn about the wartime “Typhoon of Steel” and Okinawa’s ongoing mission for peace. Experience culinary delights such as goya champuru and umibudo sea grapes, and wash them down with shikuwasa juice or Orion Beer. This is all combined with excellent levels of service, organization, and personal safety. Above all, Okinawa is promoted as a subtropical paradise in which to relax.  Escape the Tokyo metropolis or the neon glare of …

Captain’s Log 16/06/2018 – Studio Workshop

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Another fun workshop. Spent the morning introducing the different types of lights and modifiers used in a professional photography studio. In the afternoon we photographed our model Brianda after makeup up artist Jessica Coupar worked her magic. Little Jasmine even joined in at the end of the shoot wearing her own baby uniform. Thank you to workshop participants Tyson and Angie for managing to join us during the heaviest rain in recent history! Thank you to Jessica Coupar for makeup, and Brianda for being our model. Finally thank you to Jasmine for bravely wearing a red shirt and surviving the mission.

LASIK Update

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This is a compilation of blog posts about my experience getting laser eye surgery in Japan. Short Version: I used glasses and contact lenses for 20 years. In 2013, I decided to get Laser Eye Surgery. I had iDesign iLASIK at the Kobe Kanagawa Clinic in Shinjuku, Tokyo.  Procedure went great. I now have excellent vision, better than 20/20. Hoorah. In 2020 the Kobe Kanagawa Clinic changed ownership and the clinic is now focused on other procedures. Richard, who helped me now works at the Shinagawa LASIK center which is a great option for English speakers in Japan. Shinagawa LASIK Center Richard set me up with a referral system for the Shinkawa LASIK Center  so readers of my blog can get up to 50,000 yen off.  Just message me and I’ll send you a referral discount coupon. Long Version: I got my first pair of glasses when I was about 13. At age 16, I started wearing contact lenses, and glasses became a last resort. For the next 20 years I used contact lenses pretty much …

Anthony Bourdain

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In March 2015, Anthony Bourdain visited Okinawa to film an episode of his travel series Parts Unknown for CNN.  Yuki and I played a small part in the production. I helped set things up for a couple of weeks before shooting, and Yuki worked with Tony and the crew for several days during filming. It was a happy and exciting time in our lives, as on March 25th 2015, during preparations and filming, we also bought our home in Motobu and got married.   Yesterday, June 8th 2018, at age 61, Anthony Bourdain took his own life. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html The tragic news has made us look back on the impressive work of Anthony Bourdain. To be honest, as a vegetarian I had never watched his shows to pick up tips on cooking. I saw him as a travel writer and filmmaker, rather than a celebrity chef.  One of the first episodes I ever watched was “Bourdain in Beirut” from the series No Reservations. I had never seen anything like it. Bourdain came across as a man interested in …

Location Shoot with Brylee – Skylum Video

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  The second video with model Brylee Williamson for Skylum Software is now on YouTube.   Things have been exceptionally busy recently so haven’t had much chance to put up blog posts even when the photos, and in this case video, are already shot and edited! Another team effort to produce the video. Thank you to model Brylee Williamson, makeup artist Jessica Ochoa, Gary Hughes for the BTS video clips, Keith Gordon for the intro music, Kaley Kinjo for the song, Yuki for Japanese subtitles, and Hiroshi Tsuji for proofreading. All images shot with the Pentax 645Z with the 90mm macro lens. Images shot with natural light and a reflector, and later with the Profoto B1 strobe with the OCF beauty dish. Images edited in Luminar by Skylum Software. If you like the video please give it a thumbs up, comment, subscribe, or even share. This helps spread the video and will encourage us (and our sponsors) to create more videos in the series!

USO Okinawa 47th Annual Service Salute

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It was a pleasure to be asked to take some photographs at the USO Okinawa  47th Annual Service Salute. The event celebrates the work done by the USO and the exemplary conduct by 7 junior enlisted service members from the United States and Japan. If you attended the event and I snapped your photo you can download the digital file for free from the following link. USO Okinawa 47th Annual Service Salute Images by Chris Willson Photography Thank you to the staff of the USO for welcoming us to your event, and congratulations to all the honorees.      

Summer Workshops

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June 2nd & 3rd  Photography Fundamentals with Chris Willson June 9th & 10th  North & South Intermediate Workshop with Chris Willson June 16th  Star Trek themed Studio Photography Fundamentals with Chris Willson July 7th & 8th  Photography Fundamentals with Chris Willson August 4th & 5th Photography Fundamentals with Chris Willson For more details please click on the course above to reach the Facebook page or visit this blog’s Workshop page. To book a spot on any of the course please email or Facebook message me and I’ll send you a PayPal request for the course fee. Payment then secures your spot.

Studio shoot with Brylee – Skylum Video

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My next video in collaboration with Skylum Software is now online. Loving the process of making videos, it is a real team effort. Huge thanks to everyone, this includes the model Brylee Williamson, the makeup artists Jessica Ochoa and CJ Palomo, Gary Hughes for video, Keith Gordon for the intro music, Kaley Kinjo for the song, Yuki for Japanese subtitles, and Hiroshi Tsuji for proofreading. Thanks also to Skylum Software for working with me and striving to create better and better products.  

Humpback Whale Watching on Okinawa

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Here’s my latest collaboration video with Skylum Software. I take to the waters off the coast of Motobu, Okinawa to try and photograph humpback whales. Please like, share and comment on the video as it will help others find it and allow us to keep on making videos! Skylum Software just released a new update to Luminar this week so it is now faster with a few new editing options also. A big thank you to Okinawa Island Crew for letting me shoot photos and video on the boat. I much prefer whale watching from Motobu rather than Naha as the whales are located much closer to the port. The gear used in the video was the Pentax 645Z camera with the 300mm f4 lens. The tripod was a carbon fibre LEO by 3 Legged Thing, and the bag is the Whistler by Lowepro.