All posts filed under: Japan

Kyoto Workshop – April 1st-7th 2017

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Kyoto Workshop      April 1st to 7th,  2017 An amazing photographic experience in Japan.  6 nights and 7 days exploring Kyoto and creating stunning images. We will be visiting iconic locations including temples, shrines, bamboo groves and traditional gardens. There will be monkeys, geisha, and a model (Yuki) in yukata and kimono.  6 nights and 7 days exploring and photographing Kyoto and the local area. We will also take side trips out to the castles and skyscrapers of Osaka, and the temples of Nara. As members of the workshop you’ll be doing more than just playing follow the leader. We’ll be learning as we shoot, capturing great images at each location. I’ll be bringing speedlights and a Profoto B1 so that we can add our own splash of magical light when desired. In the evenings you’ll have the opportunity to review images and work on your favorite shots in Lightroom.   Price US$1800 (deposit US$500)   Price includes accommodation in a business hotel in Kyoto for six nights (individual rooms with breakfasts), entry fees. Does not include transportation …

Pentax K-1 Exhibition, Tokyo

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Today, September 14th, the Pentax K-1 photo exhibition begins at the Ricoh Imaging Square in Shinjuku Tokyo.  The staff at the gallery just sent me some pics of the images on the wall including my photograph of Sam wearing a suit and tie. The exhibition runs until September 26th so if you’re in Tokyo please stop by and check it out. The Ricoh Imaging Square is in the Shinjuku Center Building just west of the (world’s busiest) train station. Shinjuku Center Building is a pretty generic skyscraper but it’s right next to the far more recognizable Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower モード学園コクーンタワー. A huge thanks to the people at Pentax and Ricoh Imaging for selecting me to produce work for their exhibition. Thanks also to the model Samantha Armistead and makeup by Audra Pesicka. For those interested here’s the technical details: Pentax K-1 with at 28-105 lens at 105mm ISO100 f8.0 1/200 sec Main light Profoto softlight reflector white powered by Profoto 7a 1200w generator. Fill light Profoto medium softbox 2 rim lights – 30x120cm strip boxes …

Pentax K-1 Exhibition, Tokyo

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If you’re in Tokyo between September 14th and 26th,  check out the Pentax K-1 exhibition at the Ricoh Imaging Square Shinjuku. There will be images by 18 photographers from across Japan. Glad to be part of the team 🙂   https://travel67.com/exhibitions/ The Ricoh Imaging  Square Shinjuku is 5 minutes walk from Shinjuku Station. It’s on the middle basement floor of the Shinjuku Center Building which is next to the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower  just west of the station.  

Chondara – Okinawan Clowns

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Chondara are clowns that encourage the performers, and entertain the crowds during Okinawa’s summer eisa dance performances. They can be young or old, but you see very few women chondara. Usually they wear a straw conical hat and a short striped basa kimono. The makeup is nearly always white with designs drawn on to the face. The designs on the face vary between the chondara, but more surprisingly, unlike western “whiteface” clowns, a chondara doesn’t always stick with the same face. Below we can see the same chondara at Ryukyu Mura with four different faces. Send in the clowns!

Pentax K-1 First impressions

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The Pentax K1 is the first 35mm full-frame digital camera by Pentax / Ricoh. For many years Pentax focused on producing great  APS sensor cameras such as the K-5 and K-3, or the medium format flagships the 645D and 645Z. The main features of the K-1 are a 36.4 MP sensor and  5-Axis in-camera shake reduction. These provide high resolution images and minimize motion blur. As with other Pentax cameras you get great build quality and weather sealing. Dual SD card slots  and the same lithium battery I use with the  K-3 and 645Z means it should be a dependable workhorse. Pentax Japan kindly sent me a K-1 and the new FF 28-105 lens to shoot some images for a Tokyo exhibition later in the year.  First, however, I thought I’d just put in a couple of memory cards and a battery and take it with me during Sunday’s workshop in Yomitan. A few things I immediately noticed. The articulated monitor is clear, and has adjustable brightness. On sunny days such as yesterday you can set …

Woodblock Artist Naka Bokunen – 10 years on

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It’s been 10 years since I last photographed Naka Bokunen, and his star has continued to rise. In 2006, I interviewed him at his small gallery on Route 58. In 2016, I meet him at the beautiful Bokunen Art Museum at the heart of Depot Island in American Village. On this occasion all I needed was a couple of quick images for a client, but it was great to see his new mountain exhibition at the gallery. Here’s the original interview from Okinawa Living Magazine. Island Icon – Naka Bokunen Bokunen was born on the small Okinawan island of Izena in 1953. As a child, he always carried a sketchbook, and drew pictures of the island’s creatures and landscapes. At that time, he never imagined a career as an artist, and thought he would become either a fisherman or a carpenter. His talent, however, did not go unnoticed. One of his teachers recommended that he attend an art-based high school on the main island of Okinawa. After graduation, Bokunen became a graphic designer and set …

Kumamoto

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The earthquakes in Kumamoto on April 14th and 16th  killed at least 48, injured over 3000, and more than 44,000 were evacuated from their homes. Many historic structures were damaged including Aso Shrine and parts of Kumamoto Castle. Today, a news report in the Asahi Shinbun showed the pond at Suizenji Jojuen garden had almost disappeared. Right now there are pressing matters of getting water, food and shelter to those who need it. In the long term I’m a believer in the positive power tourism can have. It brings in money, provides jobs, and gives pride to residents. I first visited Kumamoto around 10 years ago to write and shoot a travel feature for Okinawa Living, I returned in 2013 and in 2015 updating the Fodor’s Japan guidebook. The castle and the Japanese garden are my favorite spots in a beautiful city. I hope some of you can make a trip to Kumamoto while you are living in  Japan or during your next visit. It’s a fine city, well deserving of your time. Kumamoto Castle The Uto …

Cherry Blossom in Tokyo

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Hanami ( cherry blossom viewing ) is the highlight of the spring. For a few days, delicate pink white blossoms cover the trees, then cascade to the earth. For some it is a time to contemplate their beauty and the ephemeral nature of life. “The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life.”  Katsumoto For others it’s a great chance to get drunk with your mates in the park. At famous hanami spots, such as Yoyogi Park, the grass is covered in a patchwork of blue plastic sheets. If it’s a work outing then the youngest person in the office, usually has the duty of arriving as soon as the park is open to grab a spot for the company’s blue sheet. “Too many beers. Long line for the toilets.  Nowhere to pee in a park filled with trees.” Anonymous  

Lasik in Japan

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This is a compilation of blog posts about my experience getting laser eye surgery in Japan. Short Version: I used glasses and contact lenses for 20 years. In 2013, I decided to get Laser Eye Surgery. I had iDesign iLASIK at the Kobe Kanagawa Clinic in Shinjuku, Tokyo.  Procedure went great. I now have excellent vision, better than 20/20. Hoorah. In 2020 the Kobe Kanagawa Clinic changed ownership and the clinic is now focused on other procedures. Richard, who helped me now works at the Shinagawa LASIK center which is a great option for English speakers in Japan. Shinagawa LASIK Center Richard set me up with a referral system for the Shinkawa LASIK Center  so readers of my blog can get up to 50,000 yen off.  Just message me and I’ll send you a referral discount coupon. Long Version: I got my first pair of glasses when I was about 13. At age 16, I started wearing contact lenses, and glasses became a last resort. For the next 20 years I used contact lenses pretty much …

New Threads

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DOJO Okinawa is a new clothing line by my friend  James Pankiewicz. Great t-shirts and kariyushi wear with designs inspired by the Ryukyu Islands. You may even recognize a few of the pics that make up the “Karate Action” and “Okinawa Places” kariyushi shirts. You can buy the shirts online, at the Ryukyu Piras stores in Naha or Chatan, and at the one and only DOJO Bar in Naha City.   Also check out and like their new Facebook page.