All posts filed under: Okinawa

Naha Tug of War – The Kids

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On Sunday I went to the annual Tug of war in Naha. This is one of the biggest events of the year in Okinawa, and the rope is humongous. Before the tug of war there is a procession down Kokusai-dori. I had my camera with me and got a few shots. I like these  two shots, but my favorite of the three is the third. There is something really cool at the way such a young kid stares fearlessly straight back into the camera.

Okinawa Tourism Video

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This is an interesting promotion video created by Okinawa Prefecture and the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau. It’s nicely put together, it can be viewed by potential visitors both domestic and foreign, and gives a good intro to the islands. It would have been nice to have a list of the places seen in the video (along with time shown). For example I’m not sure if the islands shown at 1.30 are the Keramas or somewhere else. As a start of a list ….. 2.30  Manza Beach Hotel? 3.22 Southeast Botanical Gardens 3.25 Bios Botanical Gardens 3.26 Gyokusendo 3.28 Churaumi Aquarium The tug-of-war shown at 4.05 is the world’s largest and takes place this Sunday at 3PM!

Zakimi Castle – Film and Digital

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This morning I got up early and drove over to Zakimi Castle.  I decided to get a shot from the same place I took one of my favorite photographs of Okinawa. Although it was 7.30AM the sky was a little hazy, and even with a polarizer it didn’t pop. When I came home I compared the image to the “original” taken with the Pentax 67II, a 45mm lens, a polarizer and Fuji Provia. The detail in the first shot is fantastic but I prefer the wider angle and the saturation of colors in the original. Unlike today, I had managed to catch the castle under glorious clear blue skies. However, I did get an interesting new image of the stonework. It’s a simple “detail” shot that says a lot about the construction of the castle.

Kishiwada Danjiri – The Action

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It’s the job of some men to drag the danjiri through the streets, while other men get to ride along. The above photo is clear evidence that I was standing where I shouldn’t be standing! The large group of men in the left of the image are just about to stampede past. The man on the roof of the danjiri jumps from side to side and performs something similar to YMCA as they hurtle through the streets.

Suzuki on the beach.

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I’d been planning to take this shot for about a year, but kept on being distracted by other things. Drove car on to a deserted Okinawan beach in the middle of the day. Took some photos, drove home. I shot this with a wide angle Pentax-FA 645 35mm. The lens is exceptionally sharp and is thought by some as the best medium format lens available. I’ll be shooting a lot more with this lens over the following month. Glad to have it in my camera bag as I was really missing a wide angle on my last trip.

Surfer-Boy / Skater-Boy

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Matt the father of Alec, is a keen surfer and skater so he brought along a few props to the newborn shoot with Anya Schmidt. Before worried readers point out potential dangers, we were still in the same warm room next to the parents, and the wood with peeling paint is a surprisingly realistic bit of fake flooring.  The result was some fun, and unique newborn baby images. Thanks again to Alec, his parents, and Anya for letting me be a part of their day.