TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

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From Princess to Queen

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Last Saturday I had a great location / studio shoot with Kelley. Kelley’s husband gave her a portrait session as a Christmas present and she had some magical ideas about what she’d like to do. Her initial idea was to be a queen for a day, but with a change of outfit and makeup we realized we could first shoot softer images of “the princess” before turning to the dark side as “the queen”.

Cosmos fields are blooming at the moment so they made a beautiful background. I shot with the Pentax 645Z along with the 90mm and 300mm lenses. For light I used the Profoto B1 with a softlight reflector white.

After the softer images, makeup artist Audra Pesicka switched the hair and makeup to the second look. We first shot in the studio with a simple 3 light studio setup. ( Profoto D2 with beauty dish, and a Profoto 7a generator to 2 proheads in 1×4′ softboxes.)

Then we headed out to the village of Bise and its roads lined with Fukugi trees. This created a moody Into the Woods background.

We packed up the gear and started to walk back to the beachside carpark, then I noticed the sky. I asked Kelley if she was up for one more shot and we quickly set up the gear again. As the wind picked up and the rain began, Kelley struck the pose and we got a final epic shot.

A huge thanks to Kelley and Zac for being such fun and inspirational clients. Thank you to Audra Pesicka for her great work with hair and makeup, and to Yuki as my assistant.

Kelley & Zac 🙂

Hatsuko Machida 6th dan Uechi-ryu Karate

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Hatsuko Machida 町田初子 is ranked 6th dan in Uechi-ryu karate 上地流　空手. She teaches at the Ageda Women’s Dojo which is unique in Okinawa for offering women only karate classes. She explained that many of her students had not been allowed to study karate when they were young so now embrace the opportunity to do so. Many of the ladies are over 50 with the oldest still training at 78.

Machida-san was a student of Takamiyagi Shigeru (1935-2014) who encouraged her to set up her own dojo and help spread karate to more women.

Machida sensei’s class also uses the nigiri gamae (握りえ構え) ceramic jars that strengthen their grip and forearms.

After shooting in the dojo we took a short walk to the local park to get a shot of Machida sensei training outside.

All images shot with the Pentax 645Z with the 90mm lens (indoors) and the 25mm lens (outdoors). Lighting with the Profoto D2 (indoors) and Profoto B1 (outdoors) with a Softlight Reflector.

Family Sessions in Motobu

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Wonderful family session with the Lyon family at the end of December. I photographed Michael and Kana’s wedding in Kagoshima 4 years ago, so it’s always a delight to see them again.

Holiday visits are always a great opportunity to take photos of the extended family. Big smiles and warm feelings on a cold and blustery day!

It’s always a pleasure to show clients my favorite spots in Motobu, and take some nice pics.

Thanks to you all for a lovely afternoon. See you on your next visit to Okinawa!

If you’d like to have your own family session in Motobu, check out the details here.

Cosmos flowers bloom in Motobu

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2017 is here, and the year starts with swathes of pink.

In Okinawa, farmers often plant fallow fields with cosmos flowers. Not sure if it’s just to make life a little more beautiful, or if there are direct biological effects. Maybe something similar to planting clover for nitrogen-fixation.

The cosmos flowers also provide lovely natural backgrounds for photos whether you’re out walking the dog, or taking pics of other people’s families.

Thanks Jamie for letting me share a pic of KateLynn.

Cherubims No-kill animal shelter

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Just before the New Year we took some pics of all the dogs at the Cherubims no-kill animal shelter in Ishikawa, Uruma City. There are a wide range of dogs from big to small, young to old, healthy to infirm. They all need homes, but for the very old dogs that are not normally adopted, it would be lovely if they could spend their last few months on a blanket with people to dote on them.

Please help if you can.

Cherubims Japanese Website

Cherubims Japanese Facebook Page

2016 Highlights

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2016 has been an great year with a mix of photography and putting in the groundwork for future projects.

Cherry Blossom

The year began with cherry blossom in Okinawa, and a few months later I was whizzing around mainland Japan shooting cherry blossom in Himeji, Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. 2017 should be another epic year for cherry blossom pics as I run a Kyoto Workshop in April while the trees are in full bloom.

Himeji Castle and cherry blossom after the rennovations completed in 2015 .

Deer in Nara Park among the cherry blossom. Nara, Japan

Karate

The Karate Masters Portrait Project continues although at a slower pace. In 2016, I shot images for James’ new clothing brand Okinawa Dojo of Life. The Guinness World Record for the most people performing a kata was broken, and Sensei Higa took on the minotaur of Zakimi.

Maeshiro Shusei 10th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate 10th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo

Shintoku Takara 10th dan Okinawa Uechi-ryu Karatedo Kyokai (D.0.B. 10/05/1930)

Marine Life

Didn’t spend much time shooting underwater this year, but have made new contacts with the Churaumi Research Center so it’s been great to document some of their work monitoring the migration of humpback whales. In 2017 I hope to get pictures of other monitoring programs including coconut crabs and turtles.

Humpback whales off the coast of Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

Dissection by Okinawa Churashima Research Center of young humpback whale that beached near Kadena, Okinawa, Japan. 19/02/2016

Humpback whales off the coast of Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

Life on Okinawa

I continue to shoot editorial images of life on Okinawa. Artisans featured heavily this year with photos of shisa makers, painters, weavers, carpenters, and bodybuilders. Photos went into magazines for Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Star Cruises, Action Asia and numerous websites.

Toshiko Taira age 96 Japanese Living National Treasure, Ogimi Village Bashofu Hall, Kijoka, Ogimi, Okinawa

Oshiro Yoshimasa (57) carpenter making weaving loom , Haebaru, Okinawa　大城織機製作所

Woodblock artist Bokunen Naka at Bokunen Art Museum in Depot Island shopping and dining area, Mihama American Village, Chatan, Okinawa, Japan

Naoko Yamashiro creating ceramic shisa at Yachimun no Sato ( Pottery / Artists Village ) in Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan

Festivals

Along with the fiery Dosojin fire festival, and the damp Ohara Hadaka Matsuri the big festival of my year was Onbashira where teams of men risk their lives riding tree trunks down the side of a mountain.

Ohara Hadaka Matsuri, Chiba, Japan

Let there be light

I shot in and out of the studio and worked with some new gear by Profoto to add magical light to the images.

Pentax sent me their new camera the Pentax K-1 and one of the images was used for their exhibition up in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Summer in Europe

Spent a couple of weeks back in the UK and France meeting up with friends and family along with shooting imagery in the Lake District, London and Paris. Beautiful weather, awesome museums, and a wonderful time catching up with so many great people.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

View from the London Eye ferris wheel overlooking the Thames River and Houses of Parliament, London, England.

Woman walking across Millennium Bridge away from St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Louvre’s most popular attraction. Paris, France

Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit. Lake District, Cumbria, UK

Sessions

Motobu is surrounded by great locations for family, couple, and commercial sessions. In 2016 I got to photograph many lovely clients and look forward to many more in 2017. Details about sessions can be found here.

Gima Family Session in Motobu

Hannah Hooper Yoga、Okinawa, Japan

Meggan McMains Family Shoot, Uruma City, Okinawa by Chris Willson Photography

Beau and Lindsay Engagement Shoot. Motobu, Okinawa, Japan. Chris Willson Photography www.TRAVEL67.com

Beau and Lindsay Engagement Shoot. Motobu, Okinawa, Japan. Chris Willson Photography http://www.TRAVEL67.com

Favorite image of the year?

This year my favorite shot is the pic of Yuki walking across the Millennium Bridge in London with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Technically it works with the focus, framing and exposure being correct, I also knew that just before sunset direct light on her face would work. However, it is the little bits of luck with the clear skies, the break in the pedestrians, and the dress billowing that made it all come together.

Hope 2017 is a great year for you all.

“Kid” Yamamoto Portrait Shoot

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Portrait shoot with MMA fighter Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto on friday night. Yamamoto is perhaps most famous for his 4 second flying knee KO to Kazuyuki Miyata back in 2006.

Pentax 645Z with 90mm lens. (I had brought a black background but spotted the Japanese flag in the gym so changed my plan). 2 light setup. Profoto D2 with gridded 4×1 softbox as rim light (back left), Profoto B1 with gridded softlight reflector as the main light (front right). Air remote trigger.

Huge thanks to Ben of Capoeira Academy Okinawa for setting up the shoot, and Shawn Miller and Yuki for assisting.

Some BTS pics and video!

Virtual Reality and the Medieval Knight

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Epic photo shoot last weekend with CJ (the knight) and Yuki (the virtual reality gamer).

My friend Steve is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and introduced me to CJ the knight. Before the shoot I created a flaming torch from a green branch and kevlar tape. Although the location looks like one of Okinawa’s ruined castles (UNESCO World Heritage Sites) it is a local park whose only visitors are feral cats.

I used the Pentax 645Z, 55mm and 90mm lenses, and three Profoto B1 lights with gridded reflectors. The second stage of the shoot was to add Yuki wearing Sony’s new virtual reality headset.

In Lightroom I darkened and toned the scene and then in Photoshop I illuminated the lights on the Sony VR headset and move controllers. All in all, a fun successful shoot!

A huge thanks to CJ the knight, and I look forward to working with you again in the future. Thanks to Pete and Ashley for assisting and sharing your gear. Thanks to Steve for assisting and setting up the shoot. And a final thanks to Yuki for all her help and being willing to enter a medieval world of Virtual Reality.

Instagram

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I’m now making a daily posting of a photo to Instagram. So if you’d like to see a pretty pic from my travels everyday then please follow me @chrisinokinawa !

Bodybuilder Hidekazu Taba

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Hidekazu Taba is a champion bodybuilder. Several years ago I saw him compete at the Pacific Muscle Classic on Camp Foster. He won his weight class, he won his age group, he won overall. In other competitions, he’s repeated the feat. He dominates Okinawan body building, and he does it at age 67.

For a long time I’ve been hoping to photograph Taba-san and yesterday I visited his home to take a few pics.

Taba-san began bodybuilding around 40 years ago after seeing a Tarzan movie. He hits the gym for a couple of hours, 5 days a week. Unlike many bodybuilders who bulk up and then cut weight (shred?) for competitions he stay lean all year. The reason is that he’s not trying to peak for a single event, but has to be ready for local competitions or festivals all year. He’s very happy that his grandchildren are proud to have a super cool oji-chan.

I’m looking forward to shooting more photos of Taba-san training at the gym and at competitions.