All posts filed under: Assignments

Commissioned travel articles and photo shoots

The Okinawan Elixir

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  The secrets of longevity are found not in Shangri-la, but in the homes and hearts of the people of Okinawa. Large numbers of people on Okinawa remain strong and active well into their eighties, nineties and even as centenarians. They have amazingly low occurrences of cancer, heart disease, and strokes. And, on Okinawa the proportion of life that is spent with chronic disease is also much less than the average American. This means that Okinawans, in addition to having a longer lifespan, have more healthy years free from medical problems during which they can live a full and active life. Everyday Keiko gets up at 5 a.m. and prepares breakfast for her family. She spends most of the morning in a small field near their home tending the vegetables and fruit trees. Later, she will prepare the evening meal, and then spend the remainder of the day chatting with her friends. The fact that Keiko is over ninety years old is impressive, but there are exceptionally old people all over the world. What is …

Total Immersion – Action Asia Magazine September/October 2014

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The September/October issue of Action Asia magazine is now on sale (print and iPad) and has a four-page feature on scuba diving in Okinawa. It’s always good to see your writing and pics in print, especially when it will help boost tourism to Okinawa. I have several more features for other magazines coming out over the next few months, but until they’ve been published I can’t say when, where, or the subject. Stay tuned 🙂

Porcelain Master – Hitachi Tsuji 常陸 辻. Arita, Japan

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Tombai walls were built with bricks from dismantled kilns. Behind one such wall in Arita is the home of Hitachi Tsuji. Tsuji-san is a 15th generation ceramic master, and creates porcelain that graces the tables of the Japanese imperial family. Blue and white porcelain is made by applying an blue underglaze of cobalt to white porcelain and then a clear glaze. Prices range from several million to a few thousand yen. There are times when I wish I could take my dog with me when I’m on assignment. This was not one of them.  The wagging tail of a labrador, would probably do more damage than a proverbial bull.

F.A.Q.s – Lighting Setups

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I’ve had several people asking if I can explain how I took the latest set of studio portraits. Here is the answer with the help of  the Lighting Setup generator by Kevin Kertz. The mainlight, a 150cm gridded octobox, was powered by a Profoto Pro-7a 1200W generator. The two hair lights, 30x120cm gridded softboxes, were powered by Profoto ComPact monolights. The generator was triggered with a PocketWizard which then triggered the two hair lights via their optical slaves. I used the Pentax 645D with a Pentax 67 105mm lens and a 67 to 645 adapter.

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry – Studio

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Continuing on from the location shoot with the E-type Jaguar, we moved into the studio. We worked our way through the various pieces in Suzanne’s LUXE collection so that she will have a wide range of images to work with when producing catalogs, websites or posters. The large files produced by the 645D camera mean that the client (Suzanne) will have more options with how the images can be used and the detail in the pieces was fantastic. A big thanks to Amanda for modeling, and Ursula (Ursula Styles) for hair and makeup. Check out more of Suzanne’s jewelry at Kirakirajewelry.com

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry Shoot – On Location

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Here’s a sneak peek at the location part of a shoot for jewelry designer Suzanne Somersall. http://www.kirakirajewelry.com I wanted to start with an establishing shot that focused not on the jewelry but more the lifestyle or principles behind it, these include quality, timelessness and beauty. I just needed an elegant model, a classic black dress, and a car that was the epitome of these qualities. We were lucky to get Amanda to model, Urusla Ajeroh for hair and make up, Suzanne selected the outfit, and Michio provided his E-type Jaguar. The fact that we had a few hours of reasonable weather during rainy season was a bonus. Next we move into the studio to focus on the individual pieces. Images to come soon… You can see slightly larger versions of these photographs over on Flickr, also please check out Suzanne’s website and Facebook page.

Busena Terrace Resort

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Last month I was updating the Okinawa chapter of a Japan travel guide. This meant I had to drop by numerous hotels to check the quality of the rooms, prices, amenities etc. I saved the best till last, and last week I toured the facilities at the Busena Terrace Resort. The location is great, the beach lovely, rooms are luxurious and yet understated, and the service impeccable. The reality is that it is also a little outside my budget (rooms range from  42,735 to 577,500 a night). Although I’ve been on Okinawa for 10 years, I’d never visited the resort. Somehow I’d presumed they wouldn’t allow non-guests into the complex. However, you can enjoy the beach (inc. showers etc) if you pay 2,000 yen per car, and anyone can dine at the restaurants. I’d recommend stopping by for tea and cakes at least once. The hotel is located beside the Bankoku Shinryokan where the 2000 G8 summit took place, there is also an underwater observatory and a glass bottom boat if you’re looking to do …

Discovery Channel Magazine – Yonaguni Underwater Ruins

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A few months ago I took some photos of marine geologist Kimura Masaaki for Discovery Channel Magazine. A couple of my images were used in a recent feature about the “lost civilization” off the coast of Yonaguni. The magazines finally arrived today so I thought I’d share a couple of scans. Can’t post any larger images on the web, and I’ve desaturated the area around my pics, but it gives you the general idea. Hopefully I will visit Yonaguni in the spring to get my own underwater shots. The second image is of a rock Kimura-san found which has a clear “X” carved into the surface. It is, he believes, proof that the ruins are man-made.

Island Icon: Edo Heinrich-Sanchez

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Voice for the Oceans Edo Heinrich-Sanchez is devoted to protecting Okinawa’s environment and promoting its culture. Edo Heinrich-Sanchez was born in the Caribbean, but  grew up in the Canary Islands and the United States. He first came to Okinawa in 1981 as a F4 Phantom mechanic on Kadena Air Base. After his career in the military, Edo returned to the United States to study photography at the Colorado Institute of Art, and then broadcasting at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. In 1990, he moved back to Okinawa, and since then, he has been teaching, producing TV shows, and feeding his greatest passion－protecting Okinawa’s environment for future generations. Has your background in broadcasting helped you while on Okinawa? “The most recent project I have been involved in was working as a producer for a TV series titled Fantastic Festivals of the World. Episode number 11 was based on the kyu-bon and eisa festivals in Okinawa.　The series was shown on the Discovery Channel and is still aired regularly. In December 2005, the Okinawa episode won the …