All posts filed under: Okinawa

Empty Streets

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At the moment, active duty military on Okinawa must be back on base before 11pm. As midnight approached on New Year’s Eve, the normally busy Park Avenue in Okinawa City was like a ghost town. It’s interesting to note that there seemed to be no Japanese in the area also. Park Avenue really needs a makeover if it’s to compete with other areas for business. At Music Town young Japanese were taking part in a rap dance battle, while in Chatan thousands had gathered to watch a fireworks display. Not surprising really that Park Avenue was left empty.

Wind Power v Wind Power

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While out looking for the Okinawan Rail near Cape Hedo, Shawn Miller and I came across some damage from Typhoon Jelawat. I had noticed that during storms wind turbines are somehow disengaged so the blades don’t rotate, but I’d never seen them damaged. I don’t know if or when it will get fixed, but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be cheap.

Off Camera Flash Workshop – January 19th & 20th 2013

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Off Camera Flash Workshop Move your flash away from your camera to create more natural images or to give your photographs a drop of magical light. January 19 & 20 2013 1PM to 6PM Class Size: Max 12  Location: Ishikawa, Uruma City, Okinawa (Maps and pins will be sent out) Instructors: Pete Leong & Chris Willson Price US$150   To book a place on the course please email me on chris(at)travel67.com I will send you a paypal request for the class fee. Payment secures your place on the course. Pete uses off camera flash everyday as an wedding photographer. He can use it to overpower the sun, and create flattering light for the bride and groom. He’s very good a what he does, and a great person to learn from. On the first day we will talk about the different types of strobes and how to get the most out of them on and off camera. The second day we will move from TTL to manual flash control, and from wired to wireless triggers. At the end …

Testing for Toxins

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Testing to see what dangerous chemicals are present in my workplace. It turns out that my studio is free of anything lethal, which is a good thing, because while Jovi was wearing full MOPP gear, I was chilling out in a t-shirt and shorts. On a more serious note, particularly just after Remberance Day in the U.K. and Veteran’s Day in the U.S., for some people the threat of sickness or death from chemical and biological weapons is a very real concern. Hopefully, one day, humanity will have progressed and the danger of these horrific armaments will no longer exist. To those who, for the protection of others, face this threat on a daily basis, thank you.

Dalai Lama visits Okinawa

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Yesterday I went down to Naha to cover the Dalai Lama’s second visit to Okinawa. Unfortunately press access for photography had to be arranged before I was aware the event was taking place, but I was able to listen to the lecture he gave at the Budokan. The Dalai Lama’s speech included some of the following thoughts: Respect differences to find peaceful resolution. Distrust, hatred, fear and jealousy disturb our peace of mind. Compassion is not just for the benefit of others, it calms your own mind. A self centered attitude, or extreme self centered arrogance, leads to stress and heart attacks. Conflict is a result of a lack of conviction in the basic human values of love and respect. Respect all religions and the non-religious. Group culture must take care of others, we must be wise selfish, not foolish selfish. Media coverage appeared to be exclusive to RBC (a local television station) and the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper who was one of the co-organizers. Surprisingly, even the photographers who had access were all shooting with long lenses …

Seibukan Karate 10th Dan Zenpo Shimabukuro

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Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate 10th Dan Zenpo Shimabukuro, the latest subject of the Karate Masters Portrait Project. Shimabukuro sensei was kind enough to take an hour out of his evening for the shoot, and told us how pleased he was that James and I are undertaking the project. This is always good to hear as the sensei we have photographed can help us connect with the other masters on Okinawa.

Coming Workshops

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Had a great weekend with Katie, Robin, Keith and Bernice on the Photography Fundamentals Workshop. Sunday was a bit wet and windy, but all in all a lovely couple of days with really nice people. Coming Workshops Photography Fundamentals Workshop Move beyond the auto modes by understanding your equipment, controlling exposure & depth of field, and composing images. December 15 & 16 2012 10AM to 6PM Class Size: Max 4 Instructor: Chris Willson Price: US$250 Off Camera Flash Workshop Move your flash away from your camera to create more natural images or to give your photographs a drop of magical light. January 19 & 20 2013 1PM to 6PM Class Size: Max 12 Instructors Chris Willson & Pete Leong Price US$150

In the Studio – Diana

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Last month I did a shoot with Diana, a lovely lady who runs some of the outdoor recreation facilities on Okinawa. For her birthday she wanted a photo session that would show both sides of her personality.  After taking a few classic beauty portraits, she slipped into something less comfortable and we took things up another gear. A big thank you to Diana for hiring me to shoot such a fun concept and to Summer Johnson for makeup.

Miss International Beauty Pageant in Okinawa 2012

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Miss International Beauty Pageant in Okinawa 2012 took place on October 21st. As the audience arrived they wandered between photographs of the girls in swimsuits and heels. The ceremony opened with some traditional Ryukyu dancing and drumming, a nice Okinawan touch. The first event was national costumes, followed by the swimsuits, and then the evening gowns. (Which was amusing titled as the Night Gown Competition) The announcement of the top 15 finalists was met with cheers as most of the favorites made the cut. Each of the finalists gave a short speech before hip hop dancers from the Tida Dance Studio in Chatan performed. The kids were fantastic and the highlight of the evening. After quite a wait, the winner was announced, Miss Japan. Huge cheers from the majority of the crowd, but quite a few raised eyebrows from the non Japanese members of the audience. After the audience had left, the press got to take some photographs of the top 5. I held a speed light at arm’s length in my left hand and …