All posts filed under: Okinawa

Kiyoshi Yogi – Uechiryu Karate & Ryukyu Kobudou

Published by

Kiyoshi Yogi is a master of Uechiryu Karate & Ryukyu Kobudou. He was the sai world champion, the bou world champion, and the first Okinawa traditional karatedo world champion. Yogi sensei was the 17th master to be photographed as part of the Karate Masters Portrait Project. We stared on March 11th 2012 so we’ve being underway for a year. Over the past 12 months it has become clear just how important the project is. There has been praise and encouragement from all over the world, although the best feedback is usually the beaming smiles from the masters as we hand over the prints for their dojos. Hopefully over the next year we’ll photograph even more of these Okinawan icons. I’ll continue to take the portraits, James will continue to organize the shoots, and the karate masters will continue to share their knowledge with the world.

Business Portrait – Hisano Pankiewicz

Published by

Hisano Pankiewicz makes traditional Okinawan sweets. It’s been the family business for over a century. They have a small store in Naha called Jahana Kippan, which can also be found online at OkinawaSweets.com Her husband James is the owner of The Dojo Bar in Naha. Hisano needed a new portrait that can be used when promoting the company and introducing herself as a young Japanese businesswoman. We decided to keep the look of the shot simple and natural. Hisano was delighted with the image, and a happy client means a happy photographer. Hisano also gave me some coconut covered tougatsuke, as a thank you. Very happy photographer.

Corporal Bermudez United States Marine Corps.

Published by

It would have been much better timing if I’d posted these images a couple of days ago. The US government had just announced changes to military regulations  that would allow women to serve in frontline combat positions. (It has been pointed out that many have already been doing this for years.) These portraits are of Corporal Bermudez of the United States Marine Corps. It should be noted that while there have been numerous photographs of fictional fishermen, lumberjacks and brawlers, Corporal Bermudez is a very real Marine.

Off Camera Flash Workshop

Published by

Pete Leong and I had a fun weekend teaching the off camera flash workshop on January 19th and 20th. We covered pop-up flash, on camera speedlights, and off camera flash with TTL cords. Then we threw off our creative shackles, went wireless, and started to modify our lights. By the end of the weekend we were on the beach with our model Jovi practicing what we’d learned. A huge thanks to Keith, Bernice, Alex, David, Jessica, Lian and Ana for being such great students. Thanks also to Jovi for modeling and Summer Johnson for makeup. And a final thanks to Pete for sharing his knowledge with us all.

Empty Streets

Published by

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

Published by

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

Published by

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

Published by

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.