All posts filed under: Okinawa

Rainy season and typhoon season in Okinawa

Published by

Okinawa is in the midst of a perfect storm of bad weather. Rainy season on Okinawa usually runs from around May 10th to June 23rd, although this year it began 11 days early. Meanwhile typhoon season runs from June 1st to November 30th, but we’ve already had one mild typhoon and a bigger one is on the way. If you’re a photographer and aren’t aware of the effects of continued humidity on your gear please read this previous blog entry:   Protecting-your-camera-equipment-from-mould. If you’re new to Okinawa and aren’t aware of what you need to do before a typhoon hits then here are a few pointers. Before it gets windy and rainy. Tidy up the garden / balcony. Your neighbors won’t be impressed if they find your parasol embedded in their car windscreen. Have bottled water for drinking, and fill the bath so that you have water to refill the toilet cistern. Have some food  that you can eat without using electricity or gas. Have a batteries and flashlights ready before you get a power …

Return of the 25mm

Published by

All good things must come to an end. I packed up the 25mm lens and sent it with Kuro-Neko (Black Cat Couriers) back to its home in Shinjuku. It’s a pity that the rainy season came early this year, as I’d hoped to have got a wider selection of images with the lens. It’s a huge piece of glass. It’s a giant in terms of size, weight and cost, but also quality. If you have the cash, and want to get as wide as possible, then this lens could be just what you’re looking for.

July 8 & 9 (& 10) Painting the Night with guest instructor Trevor Williams

Published by

Light Painting and Night Photography Course July 8 & 9 (& 10)  Painting the Night with guest instructor Trevor Williams $150 or ¥12,500 Come join me for two nights of fun and photography. I would like to introduce the magic of light painting and night photography.  The first night we will be covering long exposure and night photography essentials. Learn how to make an image rather than take an image. Use time and light to build up your picture from a black canvas in to exactly what you envisioned. You’ll then be prepared for the second night which will focus on light painting and other creative techniques. I will reveal some of my secrets and show you step by step how to create  amazing light paintings. You’ll also learn how to make custom tools and use them creatively. Light painting and night photography has a certain magic about it. When the shutter closes you will find your self running back to the camera to see what you have captured. Friends and family will be stunned by the images you’ve been able to create. After the weekend you’ll have …

Suzanne Somersall Jewelry Shoot – On Location

Published by

Here’s a sneak peek at the location part of a shoot for jewelry designer Suzanne Somersall. http://www.kirakirajewelry.com I wanted to start with an establishing shot that focused not on the jewelry but more the lifestyle or principles behind it, these include quality, timelessness and beauty. I just needed an elegant model, a classic black dress, and a car that was the epitome of these qualities. We were lucky to get Amanda to model, Urusla Ajeroh for hair and make up, Suzanne selected the outfit, and Michio provided his E-type Jaguar. The fact that we had a few hours of reasonable weather during rainy season was a bonus. Next we move into the studio to focus on the individual pieces. Images to come soon… You can see slightly larger versions of these photographs over on Flickr, also please check out Suzanne’s website and Facebook page.

Naha Haari (Dragon Boat Races) in the Rain

Published by

I got the opportunity to take photos of the dragon boat races today. I took along the new 25mm lens I’m trying out hoping to get some interesting shots. It quickly became clear that the weather was not going to be favorable and it went from drizzle, to light rain, to downpour over the course of an hour. Everyone was soaked, but I was still keen to get at least a few pictures of the event. I kept the camera and lens in an Ortlieb bag until the race began and then worked on the assumption that the weather sealed body and lens would stand up to a few minutes of rain. The camera and lens survived their ordeal without any problems, and I have a few photographs of life in the Okinawan rainy season.

Aikido in Action

Published by

The above image was shot with the new 645 D FA 25mm lens. When using wide angle lenses and still trying to fill the frame with the subject, you can get a little too close to the action. A fraction of a second after this shot, Kabayama’s left foot glided a little too close to the lens for comfort. (When Q lent me the lens he had stated, “Please be careful with this one Willson.) For the following sequence I used the standard 55mm lens giving me a little more breathing room. The third image is the real money shot – it captures the essence of the shoot in a single image, and it was the most difficult to produce. To freeze action in this way you have to use either bright ambient light and a very fast shutter speed, or low ambient light and a strobe with a very fast flash duration. I turned off all the lights in the dojo, then used a strobe system with a flash duration of about 12,000 / …

Product Shoot for Ledeen Diamond Co.

Published by

A few weeks ago I did a jewelry product shoot for Ledeen Diamond Co. with fellow photographer Aviva Bowman.  This shot is of  “The Limoncello” which I am told is a “Fancy Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring- 1.64 Carat Fancy Yellow Cushion Cut Center Stone, 1.02 Carats of Micro Pave Fancy Yellow Diamonds.” All those carats will certainly help you see in the dark. Ledeen Diamond Co. Boutique will have its Grand Opening next Friday from 4 to 10PM in Kin Town, Okinawa. You can find more information on their Facebook Page. If you’re on Okinawa, drop by, make some new friends, and support a budding local business. To take this shot I used a Lastolite Cubelite (a white indoor tent) that creates a very soft light and helps control reflections. A strobe was placed on both sides of the cubelite and these were triggered with PocketWizards. The flower then goes inside the tent which is zipped up except for a small hole.

PENTAX D FA645 25mm F4 AL[IF] SDM AW Testing

Published by

I talked about the new epic super wide lens by Pentax in a previous blog. It doesn’t come on sale until next month, but happily Pentax sent me a prerelease lens to try out. I’ve been busy this weekend teaching the Photography 101 Workshop, but managed to get out the camera and 25mm lens for the sunset this evening. (Workshop went great, more on this later.) I apologize for the cliche, but the lens is an engineering marvel. Really solidly built, and pleasure to use and hold. You can also use it as a workout device if you’re carrying it around all day. As with the new 55mm lens, the first shots show it to be extremely sharp. This is the shot from today, but more will follow over the next few weeks.

Invisible Sea Horses

Published by

Went for a dive at Cape Zampa last weekend. Zampa is one of my favorite dive locations, but you should only enter when the sea’s calm. Otherwise you can find yourself being dashed on the rocks or dragged by strong currents out to sea. It also gets deep very fast. You step off the rocky shoreline and almost immediately there is more than 50 meters of water beneath you. My dive buddy Hiroshi thought that we might be able to see Pygmy Sea Horses on the fan corals so we dropped down to a large group of fan corals at 40 meters. My watch blinked to tell me I was 60 centimeters below the limit, and more importantly that I had a maximum of 3 minutes at that depth. Our search for pygmy sea horses was therefore rapid, and not surprisingly, unsuccessful. We then slowly ascended before having a long leisurely safety stop at 5 meters. I don’t take a camera with me when diving. There’s the hassle and expense of housings, combined with the …

Karate on the Beach

Published by

Building up a larger selection of karate photographs for an assignment I’m working on. James agreed to step out of the dojo for some beach training images. (The above sequence is an example of using a fast shutter speed to freeze motion when shooting without flash. I used a reflector to add some light as I was shooting into the sun.)