Author: travel67

Master Higa and the Minotaur

Published by

Last week I was chatting with Mark Thorpe about his upcoming time-lapse workshop.  He mentioned that Sunday 5th of June was a new moon and possibly the best day of the year for photographing the Milky Way. Mark would be heading out to Mount Fuji, but I thought I’d head over to Zakimi Castle in Yomitan. I doodled the castle and stars on a piece of paper. Then continued to doodle adding  a minotaur into the doorway. I actually have two animal masks sitting in my office. One is a hippo and the other a bull. They hippo has been used for a few rather bizarre photo shoots. I realized that to create a minotaur all I’d need is the bull mask and a suitable torso. Luckily my mate Adam has both the right physique and was free on the Sunday night. Still doodling on my piece of paper, the image was lacking a foreground subject and could use a hero. I’d previously photographed 8th-dan karate master Masaharu Higa at Zakimi Castle and knew he …

In the Studio – Sam

Published by

  Studio shoot with model Samantha Armistead. 3 different looks: business, beauty and street. Makeup and hair by Audra Pesicka. Shot using the Pentax 645Z and K-1. Lighting: Beauty dish camera right, Softbox camera left for fill. Two rectangular softboxes behind the model for edge lighting. Really pleased with the images, Sam has a fantastic look and was a pleasure to work with. Audra was a real professional, quickly creating 3 different looks that transitioned from one to the other. For more information on model portfolio sessions. Click here! 

Hannah Hooper Yoga

Published by

Early Saturday morning I was out at the beach in Nakijin Village shooting some promotional images for Hannah Hooper Yoga. Hannah wanted some simple clean shots she can use as illustrations and backgrounds for her new website. I used both the 645Z and the K-1 and a Priolite HotSync Flash to add light removing the harsh shadows on Hannah. We also took a few portraits with some softer lighting. Finally we moved to a beach in Motobu that has beautiful rocky walls. A great morning out in the sun. If you’re ever looking for a yogi, check out Hannah Hooper Yoga. 🙂

Workshop Wonders

Published by

The Off Camera Flash workshop went really well yesterday. My buddy Pete Leong and I taught the class, and we had 3 great students Adam, Anna and Liesa. We discussed the various different types of strobes and modifiers before getting out there and practicing taking some pics around Yomitan. We finished the class down at the beach. I took a pic of Yuki to demonstrate using shutter speeds below the max sync speed. A great day. The next workshops are: June 4 & 5, 2016 – Photography Fundamentals Workshop with Chris Willson June 18 & 19. 2016 – Time-lapse Workshop with Mark Thorpe

Pentax K-1 & Priolite – Capoeira

Published by

It’s rainy season in Okinawa, but yesterday morning we had a dry spell long enough to capture Ben and Antonio practicing capoeira at Araha Beach. Gear: Pentax K-1, 28-105mm lens,  Priolite M-Pack 1000 HotSync strobe Using the Priolite HotSync system meant I was freezing the action with the shutter speed rather than the flash duration. This removes the issues you get with ambient light blur when shooting motion with strobes outdoors. ISO 400, f4.5 1/3200 sec   This was my first time shooting Capoeira so it was  tough to anticipate the action. With two subjects performing different moves at the same time it is also tricky to get  images where they are both mid air, correctly illuminated, and in focus. Back flips and kicks are so fast to the naked eye it all happens in such a blur. It’s fascinating to check out the images and see them frozen in time. In some shots they looked like skydivers free falling. I’d also like to try this on a bright sunny day where the strobe would act …

Pentax K1 -Fisherman

Published by

A visit by friend Mike Lynch is always a great photo opportunity because he looks fantastic and tolerates my crazy ideas. Ideas such as making him stand outside on a bright sunny day wearing a sou’wester and bring sprayed with water. Gear used: Pentax K1 with 28-105mm lens at 105mm      1/4000 sec f6.3 ISO 100 Priolite M-Pack 1000 HotSync strobe with white beauty dish full power In most cases when shooting with strobes your shutter speed is restricted to the maximum sync speed of the camera. This is usually around 1/200 sec or 1/125 sec. In turn this then forces you to shoot at small apertures or with dark neutral density filters to control the amount of light.  The Priolite system however has a long enough flash duration that you can sync with fast shutter speeds such as 1/4000 second. With a standard strobe the water droplets would be frozen by the very short duration of the flash, with the Priolite system they are frozen by the short duration of the shutter. Thanks to …

Pentax K-1 First impressions

Published by

The Pentax K1 is the first 35mm full-frame digital camera by Pentax / Ricoh. For many years Pentax focused on producing great  APS sensor cameras such as the K-5 and K-3, or the medium format flagships the 645D and 645Z. The main features of the K-1 are a 36.4 MP sensor and  5-Axis in-camera shake reduction. These provide high resolution images and minimize motion blur. As with other Pentax cameras you get great build quality and weather sealing. Dual SD card slots  and the same lithium battery I use with the  K-3 and 645Z means it should be a dependable workhorse. Pentax Japan kindly sent me a K-1 and the new FF 28-105 lens to shoot some images for a Tokyo exhibition later in the year.  First, however, I thought I’d just put in a couple of memory cards and a battery and take it with me during Sunday’s workshop in Yomitan. A few things I immediately noticed. The articulated monitor is clear, and has adjustable brightness. On sunny days such as yesterday you can set …

Fine Art Prints

Published by

Bring the spirit and beauty of Japan into your home or workplace with a fine art print. The Pursuit of Excellence From the initial choice of film to the production of the final print we strive for the best at every stage of the artistic process. The latest professional printer technology along with Hahnemühle fine art paper has allowed us to produce giclée prints with vibrant colors and fine details. Using the highest quality archival materials also means that our prints have the longevity to provide a lifetime of viewing pleasure. Print Size Prints are available in two sizes A3 (30 x 42cm; 12″ x 17″) and A2 (42 x 60cm; 17″ x 24″). These are the approximate dimensions of the paper, actual image size will be slightly smaller as the prints are created with a white border in readiness for framing. The border is about 15mm (1/2 inch) around the image. Prints are not matted or framed. This gives you the flexibility to find a frame that will best compliment your home or office interior. The Travel 67 …

Woodblock Artist Naka Bokunen – 10 years on

Published by

It’s been 10 years since I last photographed Naka Bokunen, and his star has continued to rise. In 2006, I interviewed him at his small gallery on Route 58. In 2016, I meet him at the beautiful Bokunen Art Museum at the heart of Depot Island in American Village. On this occasion all I needed was a couple of quick images for a client, but it was great to see his new mountain exhibition at the gallery. Here’s the original interview from Okinawa Living Magazine. Island Icon – Naka Bokunen Bokunen was born on the small Okinawan island of Izena in 1953. As a child, he always carried a sketchbook, and drew pictures of the island’s creatures and landscapes. At that time, he never imagined a career as an artist, and thought he would become either a fisherman or a carpenter. His talent, however, did not go unnoticed. One of his teachers recommended that he attend an art-based high school on the main island of Okinawa. After graduation, Bokunen became a graphic designer and set …