TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography

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Back from Cambodia

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The Monk of Angkor Thom, Cambodia – Pentax 645D with Profoto B1

Back from two weeks shooting in Siem Reap, Cambodia. A great experience, met a lot of interesting people, and really enjoyed my time there.

Came back with four 64GB cards filled with images so I have a lot to sort out over the next few weeks.

I decided to take the new Profoto B1 strobe and a beauty dish on the road with me. This would allow me to combine location shooting with powerful studio light. It’s something I’d been experimenting with on the latest karate master portraits, and is an exciting new challenge.

Pentax K-3 Exhibition

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Pentax K3 Exhibition Tokyo

A couple of my images are on display as part of Pentax’s exhibition of images shot with their new K3 camera. The Ricoh Imaging Square Shinjuku (Previously the Pentax Square or Pentax Forum) is located in the Shinjuku Center Buidling about 5 minutes walk from the west exit of Shinjuku Station.

Pentax K3 Exhibition, Shinjuku, Tokyo

If you’re in Tokyo, please stop by and check the exhibition out. It starts tomorrow March 26th and runs until April 7th. My pics are the shot of of Sarah in the blue dress and the eagle.

Pentax Forum, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Above is the map to Pentax square from Shinjuku Station. You can also copy and paste this address into google maps: 東京都新宿区西新宿1-25-1

“A” is the Shinjuku Center Building. The pink area on the right is Shinjuku Station. Between is the very distinctive Tokyo Mode Gakuen Tower.

Tokyo Mode Gakuen Tower (Next to the Shinjuku Center Building)

Pentax Forum is on the middle basement level so you need to descend one set of stairs from street level.

Lab Report – Disturbance in the Cosmos

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Pretty in Pink (already having rolled in the mud)

I haven’t offered family portraits in the cosmos fields. I’ve done model shoots in the cosmos, but I’ve usually referred parents with kids on to other photographers.

However, in preparation for sessions next year, I decided I’d do a test shoot to work out the best locations and angles etc. Bear played the role of a small child, and things were going fine, until I thought the pics might look better without the orange collar. Bad idea.

Can’t focus fast enough

Never feed Gremlins after midnight, never call Chuck Norris a sissy, and never remove Bear’s collar. Not unless you have a clearly defined strategy as to how you are going to catch, and then clean the ball of mud and fur, before putting her back in the car. She’s too fast for me, she’s too fast for the camera’s autofocus.

Hell Hound

In conclusion, from Spring 2015 I will offer family sessions in the cosmos fields. If your children like to roll around in the mud, then run until exhaustion, no problem. They’ll be going home in your car!

みさおとふくまる　Misao & Fukumaru

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みさおとふくまる

A couple of weeks ago I saw these amazing photos of an old Japanese lady and her cat online. I then found the book and a bit more information about big mama Misao and her cat Fukumaru. The images document their life together, and are so touching and beautiful I was stunned. I wondered who has such amazing access, and it turns out that it was Misao’s granddaughter, a professional photographer. She really captured something special.

It is by far my favorite book of Japan images, and I’m a dog rather than a cat person!

It’s available from Amazon Japan here: みさおとふくまる

Out of stock on Amazon U.S., but may reappear: Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat (Japanese Edition)

みさおとふくまる

Meitetsu Yagi & Ippei Yagi at Fukushu Garden, Naha City, Okinawa

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Meitetsu Yagi and son Ippei Yagi of Meibukan Karate

Shooting on location with karate master Meitetsu Yagi and his son Ippei, at the Fukushu Garden in Naha City, Okinawa.

Ippei Yagi – Meibukan Karate –

Photographed using the Pentax 645D with the 90mm and 35mm lenses along with the Profoto B1 flash with a beauty dish.

Meitetsu Yagi and son Ippei Yagi of Meibukan Karate

Meitetsu Yagi Meibukan Karate

Ippei Yagi – Meibukan Karate

Published by travel67

Ippei Yagi – Meibukan Karate

Ippei Yagi, son of Meitetsu Yagi. He was the All Okinawa Karatedo Association Kumite Champion and now leads the Naminoue Dojo of Meibukan Karate.

Ippei Yagi – Meibukan Karate

Meitetsu Yagi – Meibukan Karate

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Meitetsu Yagi Meibukan Karate

The latest shoot for the Karate Masters Portrait Project was with 10th-dan Meitetsu Yagi of Meibukan Karate and his son Ippei. Photographed on the black background in the Meibukan dojo in Naha, before shooting on location at the Fukushu Gardens.

Meitetsu Yagi Meibukan Karate

Print Sale! March 1st to 10th, 20% all limited edition prints.

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“Cherry Blossom” (NOW AVAILABLE!)

For just 10 days, I’m having a special 20% off sale on my limited edition prints of Japan.

www.travel67.com/prints/

This is the first time I’ve offered special pricing since I began producing the limited edition prints in 1998. It won’t happen again in 2014.

“Cape Manza” (NOW AVAILABLE)

A2 (17″x 24″) Edition 50 JPY ¥33,000 March 1- 10th 26,400 yen (approx US$264)
A3 (12″ x 17″) Edition 100 JPY ¥22,000 March 1- 10th 17,600 yen (approx US$176)

Price includes international express shipping with tracking and insurance.

All prints are made with the highest quality archival paper and pigment inks so your investment will look great, long into the future.

“Fireworks at Itsukushima”

Ordering – Please email me with the name of the print(s) you’d like, and the size (s). I will then send you a PAYPAL request for payment. Payment must be made before midnight March 10th, 2014 to have the special pricing. Email: chris@TRAVEL67.com

“Snow Monkey Hug”

Living on Okinawa? If you’d like to come and browse the prints, then send me an email and I’ll send information on how to get to the studio.

“Wagasa”

The Pokemon Plane

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ANA Boeing 777-381 JA754A Pokemon Plane

I was disappointed to find out that the pilot is not forced to wear a Pikachu costume while flying the Pokemon 777.

ANA Boeing 777-381 JA754A Pokemon Plane

Narihiro Shinjo with the Profoto B1 on location

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Narihiro Shinjo – Uechi Ryu Karate, Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan. – Lit with Profoto B1

After taking the studio images against the black background for the Karate Masters Portrait Project, I asked Shinjo sensei if we could walk down to the beach and get a few location portraits. I unplugged, then packed up the Profoto 7a generator and pro head I’d used in the dojo, and grabbed the new Profoto B1 battery powered head and the beauty dish.