Maeshiro Shusei 10th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate 10th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
Maeshiro Shusei 10th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate 10th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
We were introduced to Maeshiro Shusei through his student Tsueno Shimabukuro. Maeshiro sensei may be 83 but he is full of energy, something he attributes to his healthy diet. He is one of the elder statesmen of Okinawan karate.
Maeshiro Shusei 10th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate 10th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
Maeshiro Shusei 10th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate 10th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
January has arrived. Okinawa is in the feeble grip of a subtropical winter. Cool temperatures, clouds and rain, but spring is not far away.
Jigokudani Onsen, Nagano
2015 began with a quick trip to photograph the snow monkeys of Jigokudani Onsen, Nagano.
Yoshimasa Matsuda, Hanshi 9th-dan Okinawa Shorin-ryu Myobukan at Naminoue Shrine
Back in Okinawa I continued to document the karate masters and the people of the Ryukyu Islands.
Okinawa man in yukata and straw hat, Yomitan.
A few weeks in spring were spent in the UK where I hung out with family and took pics of some local icons.
Stonehenge, prehistoric monument of standing stones, Wiltshire, England. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Kelpies, 30-meter high horse sculptures by Andy Scott. Falkirk, Scotland
Lotus Eclat British sports car Rudding Park Hotel, a Grade I listed Regency-style country house in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.
Back in Okinawa I had to update the Okinawa and Kyushu chapters of the Fodors Japan travel guide. I popped down to Iriomote to check out the options for visitors.
Jungle Trekking on Iriomote Island, Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa
And up to Kumamoto for a bit of history.
Japanese samurai in armour at Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto
Yuki drinking green tea at the Kokin-Denju-no-Ma teahouse, Suizenji Jojuen Park, Kumamoto City
Around the same time I was working as a location manager for the Okinawa episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. A cool experience introducing Okinawa to a huge new audience.
Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, Itoman, Okinawa.
On March 25th, I bought a house in the morning, then in the afternoon Yuki and I got married at the town office. A good chunk of the summer was then spent renovating the house and making it weatherproof.
The house ( after some elbow grease and a lick of paint!)
Yuki and I got some wedding pics done by being models for a photo class with my mate Pete Leong. Always good to have friends in the business!
We had a few days in Hong Kong as a mini honeymoon.
Back in Okinawa it was time to photograph the summer festivals.
Chondara at the Heshikiya Eisa Festival, Katsuren, Okinawa, Japan
Shioya Ungami Sea Festival an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan, Shioya Bay, Ogimi Village, Okinawa
Shioya Ungami Sea Festival an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan, Shioya Bay, Ogimi Village, Okinawa
The Karate Masters Portrait Project continued both indoors and beyond the dojo.
Tsuneo Shimabukuro 島袋 常雄 9th-dan Uechi-ryu Karate, 9th-dan Ryukyu Kobudo
Yonamine Kousuke, 10th-dan Okinawa Karatedo Association Shohei Ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo Kenryoryu
Nobuko Oshiro, Kyoshi, 8th dan Okinawa Karate-do Shorinryu, Taishinkan Association in the Sugar Cane fields of Sashiki Town, Okinawa, Japan
Hiroshi Takamiyagi, Hanshi Goshukan Ryu Karatedo, Sunabe, Okinawa
Kensho Tokumura, Hanshi 9th-dan Ryukyu Dento Kobujutsu Hozon Budo Kyokai Training on Heshikiya Beach, Katsuren, Okinawa.
Masaharu Higa 8th dan Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate-Do Myobu-kan Yomitan Chapter Dojo
Katsuyoshi Chibana 7th-dan Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate-Do Myobu-kan Yomitan at Zakimi Castle, Okinawa, Japan
I also photographed a few very cool cars, and was sent on assignment by the Guardian newspaper to a galaxy far, far away.
Godzilla in Okinawa, Nissan GTR
2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale sports car
Richard Napier (48) American living in Fukuoka, Japan spent 4 years and US$34,000 to build a working R2-D2 called R2-J1.
Thanks to all my family, friends, students and clients for a great 2015. Looking forward to seeing you all in 2016.
The force is strong with this one. Photo by Toma Fumiya at the Off Camera Flash workshop with Pete Leong (Japanese version)
A few pics from a recent shoot with some beautiful Italian craftsmanship. The first couple of shots show the difference created by lens selection. Both were shot with the 645Z camera but for the image above I used the 35mm wide angle lens and the image below is the 90mm.
2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
For these final shots I have to thank Patrick for driving so that I could get images of the car in motion. A really fun shoot!
2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
Hiroshi Takamiyagi, Hanshi Goshukan Ryu Karatedo & Kyoshi 7 -Dan Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate-Do
Hiroshi Takamiyagi is the founder of Goshukan Ryu Karatedo which combines Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate with Wu Zhu Quan (Five Ancestor Kenpo). The origins of karate came from Chinese emissaries so this combination is in many way taking the art form back to its most traditional techniques.
Hiroshi Takamiyagi, Hanshi Goshukan Ryu Karatedo & Kyoshi 7 -Dan Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate-Do
Hiroshi Takamiyagi, Hanshi Goshukan Ryu Karatedo & Kyoshi 7 -Dan Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate-Do
Hiroshi Takamiyagi, Hanshi Goshukan Ryu Karatedo & Kyoshi 7 -Dan Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate-Do
Nobuko Oshiro, Kyoshi, 8th dan Okinawa Karate-do Shorinryu, Taishinkan Association in the Sugar Cane fields of Sashiki Town, Okinawa, Japan
Nobuko Oshiro, Kyoshi, 8th dan Okinawa Karate-do Shorinryu, Taishinkan Association in the Sugar Cane fields of Sashiki Town, Okinawa, Japan
Nobuko Oshiro, Kyoshi, 8th dan Okinawa Karate-do Shorinryu, Taishinkan Association in the sugar cane fields of Sashiki Town, Okinawa,
These shots were possible because of a high speed flash system that I was able to purchase with the money that came from supporters of the project purchasing a book, print or digital file.
It allows me to sync a powerful flash at shutter speeds faster than 1/125 sec. I can now freeze movement without the ambient light blur normally associated with these images.
1/2000 sec at f / 4.0 ISO400
The crew: Yuki, James, Oshiro-sensei, Chris, Bekka.
Priolite M-Pack1000 HotSync and Maserati
Shooting a client and the 2015 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.
This was shot with the Pentax 645Z and 90mm lens. I used the Priolite M-PACK1000 HotSync flash along with a white beauty dish for light.
The HotSync system is designed for shooting flash while using fast shutter speeds, but it also works at standard or slower sync speeds. In this image it was 1/20 f16 ISO100.
Yonamine Kousuke, 10th-dan Okinawa Karatedo Association Shohei Ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo Kenryoryu
Last Friday we photographed Yonamine Kousuke at his dojo in Sashiki Town, Okinawa. Lovely man.
Yonamine Kousuke, 10th-dan Okinawa Karatedo Association Shohei Ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo Kenryoryu
Yonamine Kousuke, 10th-dan Okinawa Karatedo Association Shohei Ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo Kenryoryu
Yonamine san has developed techniques and even a kata that use a walking stick as a weapon. Once he demonstrated how easily it could be used to hook a limb or bludgeon an opponent, it was clear it would be very effective.
Yonamine Kousuke, 10th-dan Okinawa Karatedo Association Shohei Ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo Kenryoryu
Okinawan woman in purple yukata.
Placing the subject in the shade on a sunny day can lead to bright catchlights in the eyes that reflect the entire scene before them.
You don’t need to advertise to the world which brand and model you own via your camera strap. A plain generic strap is a safer option. Pacsafe Strapsafe100 
I recommend SanDisk as a solid reliable brand. You don’t have to buy the most expensive card if your camera is not shooting 4K or rapid bursts. Use the widget on the SanDisk website to see which card they recommend for your camera.
Small, light, cheap. Throw it in your backpack and it may just save the day when you haven’t packed your big tripod. (You can also use it to mount your off camera flash.) The Gorillapod is a design classic.
Unless your shooting with an all mechanical film camera, you’re going to be using battery power. Get a spare so you don’t run out of juice.
The world looks better when it’s polarized. Less glare, bluer skies, greener vegetation. Get a pair of polarized sunglasses for your eyes, and a polarized filter for your camera lens. The size of polarizing filter you need will depend on the diameter of the lens. You can find this by checking the back of the lens cap.
Blow bits of dust and dirt from the front of your lens rather than smearing them around with your sweaty T-shirt. This one also looks like a rocket ship, enough said.
Harsh sunlight creates unflattering portraits. Soften the light with a diffuser or bounce in fill with a reflector. Lastolite makes a Difflector that does two jobs in one.
In the last few years numerous cheap generic flashes have hit the market. Most work only in manual mode, but that’s not a real disadvantage when working with off camera flash. I throw a couple of Yongnuo yn560 iv flashes and a couple of YN560-TX transmitters in my camera bag in case I need to add a little light.
On bright days it can difficult to see images on the back of the LCD screen. The Hoodman allows you to check you got the focus and exposure correct before moving on to the next shot.
Plastic Bag
Save a large plastic bag, and place it in your camera bag. Use it to protect your camera or other gear from rain. Use it to pick up your dog’s poop, or just make the world a better place and collect trash.
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 