Taro the Akita-ken
Taro, a big lovely dopey Akita-ken (Akita dog) I met in Fukuoka. The most famous Akita-ken, however, is Hachiko. There have been several movies about his life, and of course there is the statue beside Hachiko Crossing in central Shibuya, Tokyo.
The Widow & The Warrior Helmet of Shingen Takeda Float, Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
As the floats wound their way around Karata City, locals and visitors lined the parade route. On the Monday, among the thousands of spectators, one person stood out. An elderly lady waited on the side of the road clutching a framed photograph of an man dressed in the colors of one of the float teams.
The Widow & The Warrior Helmet of Shingen Takeda Float, Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
The Warrior Helmet of Shingen Takeda approached. Two lines of men dragged the float along the street and up across the bridge. Then something rather magical happened.
The Widow & The Warrior Helmet of Shingen Takeda Float, Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
The giant float with the warrior helmet of Shingen Takenda stopped. The elderly lady was ushered in front of the float, and the teams of men turned to face her.
The widow held up the photograph of her husband and the men cheered, and cheered, and cheered again.
The Widow & The Warrior Helmet of Shingen Takeda Float, Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Another tribe that somehow I don’t know the name of. At the time I think I’d guessed they were more member of the Kunai Culture Singsing Group (shown in a previous blog), but now it is clear that they have different pattern of red, black, white and yellow face paint.
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
For this next photograph I switched to using off camera flash to illuminate the portrait. It produces a very different style of image, and although I don’t usually go for this “lit” look when shooting travel work it is useful to add some punch and variety to the selection of images from an event.
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
The Red Snapper is the most popular float at the Karatsu Kunchi festival. You could hear many people saying “kawaii” as it bobbed past flapping its fins.
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Shooting Lego People with a ring flash
A new version of the lego group shot. There are several more modern minifigures in this version, so you have the arrival of several superheroes, Star Wars characters, and a hobbit. I used a ringflash as the main light, this made sure I didn’t get shadows beneath any of the hats. To maximize depth of field I shot with my older 67 macro lens that can stop down to F32 rather than the newer 645 lens which has a minimum aperture of F22.
Lego Minifigures 2013
Gamusi Nokondi Singsing Group, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
The Gamusi Nokondi tribe, one of the most memorable groups I encountered at the Goroka Show. There’s something a little scary about the fact that there is a person hidden deep inside the undergrowth. It may take a moment to spot the fact that there is a glistening eye staring back at you from within.
Gamusi Nokondi Singsing Group, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Gamusi Nokondi Singsing Group, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Gamusi Nokondi Singsing Group, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Gamusi Nokondi Singsing Group, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Hiryu Flying Dragon Float , Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Flew up to Kyushu to photograph the Karatsu Kunchi Festival. The main events took place on Sunday and Monday, but as the rain poured down, the Sunday procession was a little waterlogged.
Rain Day , Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
The kids were all looking a little glum.
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
The adults however had a special remedy. Which appeared to be encouraged by the local constabulary.
Drinking Sake, Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
And so with heads held high,
Tamatori-Jishi (The Guardian Lion on an Orb) Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
the floats were dragged through the city.
Hiryu Flying Dragon Float , Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
And some people even managed a smile.
Karatsu Kunchi Festival, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Japan
Kamusi Short Dware Singsing Group Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
It seems in this tribe that the young boys go through a premature aging process. Perhaps this is done as a way to make a child warrior look more experienced and fearsome, but I must admit it was also slightly comical. (Of course it would be less amusing if spears were being pointed in my direction.)
Kamusi Short Dware Singsing Group Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
It appears that each boy has the middle of his head shaved to give a bald spot, and then this hair is mixed with glue and applied to the face to give beards, or Wolverine style sideburns.
Kamusi Short Dware Singsing Group Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Some boys seemed to love the new look, others were decidedly less sure.
Kamusi Short Dware Singsing Group Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
On the second and third day of the show I was organized enough to note the names of the tribes I was photographing. Unfortunately some tribes, such as this one, slipped through the net. I’m pretty sure they are from the Mt Hagen area, but not sure of the exact name.
Anyone out there in the internet able to help?
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea
Asaro Mudmen Singsing Group, Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show Papua New Guinea
Another singsing group by the Asaro mudmen. This group were selling mudmen figurines with detachable masks. They were fantastic, but unfortunately I knew that they would’t survive a day in my rucksack.
Asaro Mudmen Singsing Group, Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show Papua New Guinea
Asaro Mudmen Singsing Group, Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show Papua New Guinea
Another photographer introduced me to one of the leaders in the tribe. He was a real tough guy, an enforcer within the tribe and between tribes.
Asaro Mudmen Singsing Group, Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show Papua New Guinea
Asaro Mudmen Singsing Group, Daulo District, Eastern Highlands Province – Goroka Show Papua New Guinea
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 