All posts filed under: Japan

Cherry Blossom in Okinawa

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Spring is officially here in Okinawa. Cherry blossom is in full bloom, and it’s starting to warm up. The cherry trees in Okinawa produce dense pink blossoms, quite unlike the pale blooms up on mainland Japan. The most popular viewing spot in Okinawa is not a large public park, but on the twisty road up Yae mountain near Nago City. It’s a pretty drive, but get there very early, or you’ll get stuck in a long line of cars. Equipment: Pentax 645D, Pentax 67 to 645 adapter, Pentax 67 Macro 100mm  

Visions of Japan at Global Gallery – A few thoughts

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It’s been a couple of months since I held my Visions of Japan exhibition at Global Gallery. I’d promised I’d write a  post about the experience of putting on this exhibition, sorry it took so long. (If you haven’t read it all ready, take a look at my previous post Zen and the Art of Photography Exhibitions in which I talk about what I learned from my first few shows) 1) Space I had more space for this exhibition. It was great to be able to show a large range of images. I did however only hire half the gallery to save on rental costs. I was able to display around 20 framed A2 landscapes and 24  matted A3 portraits.  The larger area also gave me the space for several tables from where I could display and sell prints. 2) Costs The basic costs for gallery rental, postcards and posters came to a little over 100,000 yen or $1000. In addition to this were the costs of producing the pieces for display. 3) Sales This …

Inside the Matrix

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I really should wander around with my camera more often. Rather than planning exactly what I want to photograph, I should explore and see what’s out there. It’s both liberating and challenging. As I no longer have to pay for film and processing on each shot, I should use the opportunity to go out and shoot more (or even a lot more). I tend to notice  repetition and geometric patterns quite easily (This may have something to do with my father) which is why I took this shot. I think I read somewhere that people vary in their affinity for shapes and colors. So my question is…. what catches your eye, shapes or colors?  

Lucky Cranes

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I spotted this Red-crowned Crane on the back of a bridal kimono while wandering around Niigata. The Red-crowned Crane is thought to bring luck, longevity and fidelity which is why it’s often found on wedding kimono. Hopefully I will get to see some real Red-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis) later this winter in Hokkaido.

Snow Monkey Portraits

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I didn’t spend that much time with the monkeys this year, but came away with a few good shots. Really pleased with the detail I was getting in the eyes and fur, then a nice drop off into creamy bokeh. Weather proofing of the body and lens was useful as it was snowing at the time, and the monkeys tended to splash when they were getting in and out of the water.

Up in the air

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Last Friday I arrived at sunny Naha airport with a ticket to Niigata. Unfortunately, the flight was cancelled due to heavy snow up on the mainland. They told me the next flight to Niigata was the following day, when things would probably be back to normal. The problem was I needed to be in Niigata that night, so that I could get to Nagano the following day. ANA allowed me to change my ticket and get on a flight to Haneda. I then got the monorail and local train to Tokyo Station, and finally jumped on the bullet train to Niigata. I arrived in Niigata 4 hours later and 11,000 yen poorer than I’d expected, but at least I’d made it. Let the adventures begin.

Studio Shoot – Manda – Transformation

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This was an interesting shoot with Manda, one of the Marines based on Okinawa. Lighting remained constant through the shoot. Makeup artist Kim Clay added a natural makeup look between shots 2 and 3, and then an evening makeup look between 3 and 4. Another key difference is that the first two shots were taken with the 645 55mm lens (approx 40 mm on a 35 full frame camera) and the last two shots were taken with the 67 105mm lens (approx 85mm on a 35mm full frame camera). The longer lens gives more pleasing proportions to the face, which is why lenses around 85mm are often described as portrait lenses.

Santa Dive 2010

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My good friend Hiroshi and I did our annual Santa dive today. Cape Maeda was calm, and the water clear but chilly. Not many other people diving today, but did manage to amuse a few other divers and snorkelers as we glided by.