Author: travel67

Rocking at Fuji

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Another very busy couple of weeks. Just got back from three days shooting Fuji Rock Festival for ACUMEN magazine. The feature is about the British bands playing at the festival, these included The Stone Roses, both Gallagher brothers, The Kooks, Ocean Color Scene, Ray Davies, The Specials, The Heartbreaks, Spiritualized, Elvis Costello, Radiohead, and my personal favorite of the festival, a new soul artist called Michael Kiwanuka. Don’t want to post images of the British acts before they go to print, but here are a couple of shots of non-UK performers Jack White (above) and Toots and Matayls (below). I had a fantastic time. This was partly because it was the first rain-free Fuji Rock Festival in several years, but mainly due to the fact that I met many great people on the trip. To all the photographers, security, organizers, VIPs, artists and festival goers, thanks for making it a memorable few days. My computer is currently wheezing away under the weight of so many cool images.   Update: Magazine published you can see the …

In every nook and cranny

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Coral reefs are full of life, but many species are not overly keen on being seen. If you’re armed with toxins or sharp teeth you can casually float around, or cruise the reef looking for prey. For other creatures there is too high a correlation between being spotted and being eaten. The result is that many spend their life in the shadows, having chosen to slip between the cracks. For the photographer, the closer you get and the harder you look, the more complexity you will find. Almost every anemone, or coral growth has its own micro ecosystem living around it. You just have to find it.

Test Shots

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Before any dive you have to run through a series of checks – B.W.R.A.F (BCD, weights, releases, air, final check). If you’re diving with a camera, there is a separate series of checks that you need to do. Camera battery level, strobe A battery level, strobe B battery level, memory card capacity, dials and button working, O-rings in place, clasps closed and locked. Once this is all done it’s worth taking a couple of test shots before you load the gear in to the car to make sure that everything is working okay. As the strobes and camera are set up for macro work, and as Bear is normally watching me while getting ready, every sequence of dive shots usually begins with an image a little like these.

Fun in the Sun

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I had a fun 101 Photography Workshop last weekend with Allison and Kimberly. Glorious weather on Sunday, so we all ended the course happy and with mild sunburn. The next 101 Photography Workshop will be in the fall. There are four places left on the Pixels to Pigment workshop with Martin Bailey August 4th & 5th. Please get in touch if you’d like to join us.

Summer in Okinawa

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Summer is here in Okinawa. The asphalt gets so hot it’s tough to walk around in bare feet. Some people retreat to the air conditioned malls. Jusco and San A always seem at their busiest during the blistering heat. The other option is to head to the ocean or to the pool. Above is a shot from a portfolio shoot with model Michelle Santos. Lovely sunny day, but to combat the harsh shadows I used a strobe and umbrella for some fill light.

Workshop Updates

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There are a couple of places left on the Photography 101 Workshop with Chris Willson on July 14th & 15th 2012. There are several places left on the Pixels to Pigment Workshop with Martin Bailey August 4th & 5th. For more details on the courses check out the workshops page. To book either course send an email to chris@travel67.com This will be the only 101 workshop for the summer, and  probably the only time the Pixels to Pigment Workshop will be held in Okinawa. Please make the most of this opportunity to learn from Martin. Hope to see many members of the Okinawan photography community at one of the courses.

Fight Club Okinawa

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The first rule of fight club, don’t get blood on the camera. The second rule of fight club, don’t get blood on the camera. The third rule of fight club, don’t mess with Elmo. A huge thanks to Darryl for taking a beating and to makeup artist Summer Johnson for supplying it.

Dangerous Jobs – Hazmat Specialist

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Back in the studio playing around with light. I like the look of these images, they could be promo photographs for a new discovery channel series titled “The world’s deadliest jobs” or quite possibly “The world’s deadliest jobs with Shawn Miller.” I used some artistic license with the gas mask, deciding to place the air filters on the outside rather than the inside of the mask. I thought it looked a little more interesting, but due to the reversal of the one way valves, made breathing a little tricky.