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Noguchi-gera ( Pryer’s Woodpecker )

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Just got back the film from the couple of days I spent trying to photograph the Noguchi-gera. The Noguchi-gera is a rare woodpecker that is endemic to the forests of  northern Okinawa. It is the prefectural bird of Okinawa and is designated as a natural treasure of Japan.

The photographs I’d taken were disappointing, but this was hardly surprising. There were several factors that made this a difficult shot. The bird was far away, the bird was moving, the day was overcast, and above all, I was using the wrong tools for the job. A large piece of film or a large sensor isn’t much use if you have to heavily crop the image to see the bird. I would have been better using my little 35mm film camera with a 67 to 35mm adapter on the lens. Even better would have been to have used a cropped sensor digital camera which would have increased the size of the bird in the image even further.

Here’s the best of the images. It serves as a good reminder of what the bird looked like, but I’ll think of this as merely a first (and second) attempt.

Noguchi-gera, Pryer's Woodpecker, Sapheopipo noguchii

Noguchi-gera, Pryer's Woodpecker, Sapheopipo noguchii

Protecting your Camera Equipment from Mould

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Here’s an email I received today from a friend based on Ishigaki (one of Okinawa’s southern islands).

I’ve just discovered the power of Ishigaki’s mould. I left my favorite  macro lens out on the desk for about 2 weeks….every day I told myself that I should pack it away before it gets mouldy. I finally got around it to and guess what – inner element completely smeared with mould which looks like it might have cut into the glass. How stupid. Lesson learned. I really need to get some dry-storage, especially as I’m about to buy a nice Tokina 11-16mm wide lens which I really don’t want to suffer the same fate.

Mould is a serious problem in Okinawa, especially during rainy season. Lenses and film are particularly vulnerable. A mouldy lens can be sent to a specialist for cleaning but more than likely the mould will have etched itself into the coatings and a repair will be more than the cost of the lens. I imagine mould could easily create havoc on a digital sensor.

The cheap solution is to store your gear in an airtight container along with desiccants and fungicide. Regularly replace or recharge the desiccants so that the humidity is always controlled.

A far better option if you are living in (rather than just traveling through) a humid area is to purchase a dehumidifier cabinet. These work similar to a refrigerator except they keep the interior at a constant humidity. I have three large cabinets, two filled with transparencies and one filled with camera equipment.

Dry cabinets are available at most camera stores in Okinawa, however, they’re cheaper and there’s a better selection at Amazon.co.jp. It’s not just photographers who need them, in many offices in Okinawa computer discs and electronics are also stored in these cabinets.

A final tip is that you should get out in the sun and use your gear. A good dose of sunshine will help combat the growth of mould, and there’s no point having a camera if you don’t get out there are take some pictures.

Onbashira- up close

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Crop from center of sixth image in the series

It’s hard to see on the smaller images but this crop shows just how dangerous this event is. The rear of the tree is off the ground and there are several limbs and at least one head near the rapidly closing gap between trunk and ground.

Onbashira – Japan’s most dangerous festival

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Although I started scanning the images from my trip in order, I grew impatient and skipped to the grand finale. The Onbashira Festival took place on last few days of my travels, and was the big event the entire trip had been planned around.

The festival takes place every 7 years. Huge tree trunks that will be used to rebuild the local shrine are dragged from the forest to the town. The route, however, includes a treacherous  steep slope. The locals rather than use the slope as a respite from dragging, have made it a test of bravery, machismo, and it would appear, sanity.

This is an important traditional festival in Japan, but it does come at a cost. People are often injured and fatalities do occur. I photographed the event on the Friday and Saturday. On the Sunday, while I was flying back to Okinawa, one of the participants was killed. I hope the photographs give some idea of the spectacle. The following series comes from Saturday afternoon.

Chanting and cheers before the decent.

Slow at first...

then picking up speed...

faster and faster...

unstoppable

Some fall, others hold on.

Team members surge to join the riders

Celebrations

Once again, chanting and cheers.

Equipment for Sale

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I’m selling a few Pentax 67 lenses and accessories  to create space in my dehumidifier cabinets (and improve my bank balance) before purchasing the 645D.

I’ve included the list price, and then selling price (in bold).  If you’d like more information and photos of the items please email me at chris@travel67.com   Payment with Paypal.  I’ll put the items up for sale on Ebay (at the same price) later in week, but thought I’d give readers of the blog a first look.

Pentax 67 35mm Fisheye F4.5 155,000 yen (inc. case) 60,000 Yen

Pentax 67 75mm Shift F.5 221,000 yen 75,000 Yen

Pentax 67 T6 2X teleconverter (black) 20,000 Yen

Pentax 67 Angle Finder 35,000 yen (inc. case)  20,000 Yen

Pentax 67 Magnifier 14,000 yen (inc. case) 8,000 Yen

Pentax 67 Metal Hood with bayonet mount for 105mm 2.4 Lens. (inc. case) 5,000 Yen

Mount Takasaki National Park, Oita

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Twenty minutes west of Beppu is Mount Takasaki National Park. The park is famous for the group of wild monkeys that live on the mountain.  Throughout the day, park staff feed the monkeys barley so visitors are literally surrounded by wild monkeys. Unlike at a zoo, when the visitors leave and the feeding stops, the animals can retreat to the depths of the forest.

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque

Mount Takasaki Japanese Macaque