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Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

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Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Kluso is a singer / songwriter based in Okinawa. I’ve seen him play live several times, and it’s a pleasure to have someone with such talent and love of music living just down the road.

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Kluso’s style of music is best described as Americana, a blend of folk, country, blues and rock. Inluences include Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, David Gray and even Oasis. Please check out Kluso’s music on his website, or on iTunes. His new album Determination will be available soon.

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Americana Singer / Songwriter Kluso

Rainy season and typhoon season in Okinawa

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Okinawa is in the midst of a perfect storm of bad weather. Rainy season on Okinawa usually runs from around May 10th to June 23rd, although this year it began 11 days early. Meanwhile typhoon season runs from June 1st to November 30th, but we’ve already had one mild typhoon and a bigger one is on the way.

It's going to be a rainy weekend.

If you’re a photographer and aren’t aware of the effects of continued humidity on your gear please read this previous blog entry:   Protecting-your-camera-equipment-from-mould.

If you’re new to Okinawa and aren’t aware of what you need to do before a typhoon hits then here are a few pointers.

Before it gets windy and rainy. Tidy up the garden / balcony. Your neighbors won’t be impressed if they find your parasol embedded in their car windscreen.

Have bottled water for drinking, and fill the bath so that you have water to refill the toilet cistern.

Have some food  that you can eat without using electricity or gas.

Have a batteries and flashlights ready before you get a power outage. An LED lantern might also be a good idea.

Have some old towels ready as the strong winds can sometimes push rain under doors and around windows if they aren’t sealed perfectly.

Rent some DVDs / buy a new book / set up an indoor bicycle trainer.

Numerous typhoons hit Okinawa every summer. They are not something you should be worried about, but they are something you should be prepared for.

On a side note, typhoons are important in keeping Okinawa’s coral healthy. The rough seas stir up the ocean, breaking the thermoclines. This stops the surface waters from getting too warm in the summer months which can lead to bleaching of the corals.

“Love & Hope” exhibition at Pentax Forum Gallery, Tokyo

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“Love & Hope” is a new exhibition to be held at the Pentax Forum Gallery  in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The exhibition is currently scheduled to take place  from June 8 to June 20, and July 6 to July 18. Images will printed B0 size (1030mm by 1,370mm) which should be amazing.

The first part of the exhibition will have 10 images each shot by a different photographer. Pentax asked if I’d take part, and they chose this image of Jessica as one of 10 to be exhibited.

Jessica in Pink ( Pentax 645D ) at the "Love & Hope" exhibition Shinjuku, Tokyo

Return of the 25mm

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All good things must come to an end. I packed up the 25mm lens and sent it with Kuro-Neko (Black Cat Couriers) back to its home in Shinjuku. It’s a pity that the rainy season came early this year, as I’d hoped to have got a wider selection of images with the lens.

It’s a huge piece of glass. It’s a giant in terms of size, weight and cost, but also quality. If you have the cash, and want to get as wide as possible, then this lens could be just what you’re looking for.

Shisa ( Pentax 645D with 25mm )

F.A.Q.s – Lighting Setups

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Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - White Gold + Diamond Sakura Earrings

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - White Gold + Diamond Sakura Earrings

I’ve had several people asking if I can explain how I took the latest set of studio portraits. Here is the answer with the help of  the Lighting Setup generator by Kevin Kertz.

Lighting Setup for Suzanne Somersall Studio Shoot

Lighting Setup for Suzanne Somersall Studio Shoot

The mainlight, a 150cm gridded octobox, was powered by a Profoto Pro-7a 1200W generator. The two hair lights, 30x120cm gridded softboxes, were powered by Profoto ComPact monolights. The generator was triggered with a PocketWizard which then triggered the two hair lights via their optical slaves. I used the Pentax 645D with a Pentax 67 105mm lens and a 67 to 645 adapter.

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry – Studio

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Suzanne Somersall Jewelry -

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - Tanzanite Barcelona Ring

Continuing on from the location shoot with the E-type Jaguar, we moved into the studio. We worked our way through the various pieces in Suzanne’s LUXE collection so that she will have a wide range of images to work with when producing catalogs, websites or posters. The large files produced by the 645D camera mean that the client (Suzanne) will have more options with how the images can be used and the detail in the pieces was fantastic.

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry -

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - Gold Diamond Necklace, Ring, Earrings

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry -

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - Gold Diamond Pendant, South Pacific Coral Pendant

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry -

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry - Gold Canary Diamond Sakura Ring & Earrings

A big thanks to Amanda for modeling, and Ursula (Ursula Styles) for hair and makeup.
Check out more of Suzanne’s jewelry at Kirakirajewelry.com

Photography 101 Workshops – June 25&26 and July 2&3

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Ayano-san on the April Photography 101 Course

PHOTOGRAPHY 101

Weekend Workshops June 25&26 and July 2&3.

Who is the course for?

The beginner or novice photographer who has a digital SLR  and wishes to progress beyond the green fully auto mode. People who want to take better photographs of their friends and family rather than point, shoot and hope for the best.

What do I need to bring?

Your digital  SLR camera, lens, your camera manual, memory card, battery and charger. If you have a digital compact rather than a digital SLR camera then I can lend you a digital SLR for the course. You don’t need a particular brand of camera or lens.

What does the course cover?

Equipment – The anatomy of cameras, lenses, memory cards, filters and tripods.

Exposure – Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Camera Modes, Metering

Composition – Angles, Repetition, Rules, Lines, Simplicity

Data Management – Sorting, storing and protecting your images.

This is a fun workshop rather than a lecture. As we cover new topics we will be taking photographs, reviewing the images, and discussing the results.  You’ll be learning by practicing each new skill rather than just reading about it.

Number of Students in the Class? Maximum of 4

Time and Place? 9.00 to 17.00 on June 25&26 and July 2&3. Class takes places at my home in Ishikawa (Uruma City), and surrounding locations. The workshop takes place both indoors and outdoors. It could be sunny or rainy so bring suntan cream and umbrellas! Bring some cash for the lunch breaks on both days.

What is the course fee? US$250 or ¥21,000

Who do I contact? To reserve a place send an email to chris@travel67.com (please write WORKSHOP RESERVATION on the subject line) or phone 090 1367 9198.  Please state the name and date workshop you wish to book  A 50 dollar deposit is required. I’ll send a paypal request for the deposit to those who are booking the course.

July 8 & 9 (& 10) Painting the Night with guest instructor Trevor Williams

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Lighting Painting with Trevor Williams

Light Painting and Night Photography Course

July 8 & 9 (& 10)  Painting the Night with guest instructor Trevor Williams

$150 or ¥12,500

Come join me for two nights of fun and photography. I would like to introduce the magic of light painting and night photography.  The first night we will be covering long exposure and night photography essentials. Learn how to make an image rather than take an image. Use time and light to build up your picture from a black canvas in to exactly what you envisioned.

You’ll then be prepared for the second night which will focus on light painting and other creative techniques. I will reveal some of my secrets and show you step by step how to create  amazing light paintings. You’ll also learn how to make custom tools and use them creatively.

Light painting and night photography has a certain magic about it. When the shutter closes you will find your self running back to the camera to see what you have captured. Friends and family will be stunned by the images you’ve been able to create. After the weekend you’ll have the knowledge and skills to go out and start painting Okinawa with light.

             Trevor Williams

Lighting Painting with Trevor Williams

Dates: The two night course is scheduled to take place on the evenings of July 8th and 9th. July 10th is a backup day in case of rain on both the 8th and 9th. In the event of a typhoon leading to a base lockdown the course will be rescheduled. The course will take place in central Okinawa (Yomitan / Uruma City).

Booking: The course is limited to 12 students. To reserve a place send an email to chris@travel67.com (please write WORKSHOP RESERVATION on the subject line)  A 50 dollar deposit is required to book a place on the course. I’ll send a paypal request for the deposit to those who are booking the course.

Requirements:  At a minimum you’ll need a DSLR and a tripod. We’d highly recommend a cable release or a remote also. If you have a hotshoe flash and or flashlights bring these along also.

You’ll get the most out of the course if you already confident manually selecting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. If you’re new to photography and not sure about this, I’ll be running Photography 101 workshops on the weekends of June 25&26 and July 2&3.



Lighting Painting with Trevor Williams