All posts filed under: Japan

Aomori – Nebuta Matsuri

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From Aktia I took the train north to Aomori. Nebuta Matsuri is one of Japan’s most famous festivals. Giant floats depicting scenes from ancient fables are dragged along the streets of Aomori City. Before the parade started I got some shots of the participants, then I turned my attention to the floats. Digital Discovery #3 It is very easy to fool yourself into thinking an image is badly exposed by quickly reviewing the image on the rear monitor. What looks completely underexposed when standing in bright sunlight may actually be accurate. Better to use the histogram to check exposure. I often used my Sekonic light meter to get an accurate incident light reading. Digital Discovery #4 I hardly used the auto focus on my new 55mm lens. Auto focus worked fine, just used to doing it by myself. When shooting portraits at F2.8 the depth of field is  shallow so you need to be very accurate with the focusing. If you don’t focus perfectly on the eyes, the larger files really show your mistakes.

Akita – A few final images

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When I looked at the full res file of the lotus image I was impressed by the amount of detail. I thought others might like to check it out so I uploaded a full sized JPEG to Flickr which you can check out here. Another place of note in Akita was the Masakichi Hirano Museum of Fine Art. It is worth checking out just to see the huge “Annual Events in Akita” wall painting which at just over 20 meters in width is one of the largest canvas paintings of the 20th Century.

Akita Kanto Matsuri – Competitive lantern balancing

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There’s something amazing about the fact that the people of Akita have taken the simple act of carrying a paper lantern and made it into a competitive event. Carrying one lantern. Easy. Carrying fifty. Tricky. Balancing those fifty lanterns on your head. Unbelievable. Doing it at night. Ridiculous. A big thanks to Anton, a great kiwi guy I met on the street and press-ganged into holding my off-camera flash for the night shots. Couldn’t have got this last shot without you mate. Another big thanks to Ian who let me crash on his floor when all the hotels were full. (If you want to see a Japanese festival, book accommodation early or you’ll be begging for floor space!)

Akita Kanto Matsuri – Kid Portraits

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Digital Discovery #1 The LCD screen on the back of the camera is a great way to interact with the people you are meeting. Take one shot of a kid, and then show the image to the whole group. You then have 10 kids who want their photo taken. Digital Discovery #2 Having a whole group of kids wanting you to take their photo could be a problem my old camera. As it cost about $1.50 each time I pressed the shutter I had to be quite selective with the shots I was taking. (You can’t even fake taking a photo with the 67II as the shutter is so loud.) With digital I could happily shoot everyone (and delete images later). I handed out business cards to the parents of these kids, so if you are one of their parents please contact me so that I can mail you the digital file or prints. この子供さん達のご両親で、写真を希望される方は連絡ください。

Akita Kanto Matsuri

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I flew from Naha to Haneda, then jumped on the Shinkansen to Akita. There are cheaper way to travel (as I would learn later in my trip) but I needed to get to Akita before the festival got going in the evening. I dumped my big bag at the hotel then rushed out to try and get some shots of people preparing for the festival. Akita Kanto Matsuri is a lantern festival so I wanted a shot of a local, preferably in traditional dress, and with lanterns. Dripping with sweat, I made my way around the back alleys until I found just what I was looking for.  Kids, lanterns, and beautiful golden light. So here it is, one of the first images from my trip.

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 …

Location shoot: Horse riding in Okinawa

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There are huge differences between shooting in the studio and shooting on location. Above all, it’s the degree of control. In the studio you can easily adjust the direction, quality and strength of light. You can make micro adjustment to the model’s poses, and then shoot, check and reshoot until you get it right. Yesterday was a wonderful example of having to relinquish control. With heavy clouds, sporadic rain, and several large horses, you have to work with what the conditions and the equine models will give you. Luckily things all came together. The overcast skies produced a nice even light, and the horses were kind enough not to throw Liz off their backs, or knock me (and the camera) into the water. Huge thanks must go to Liz Craig for modeling, Kim Clay for makeup, Pete Leong and Eboh Ajeroh for assisting, and above all Eve Carey, Makoto, Sly and Sky of Mihara Horse Club.