Back to School
The start of September means that for many it’s back to school. My friend Tomoko left Okinawa and headed back to the States to continue on her journey to become a dentist. Good luck with your studies Tomoko-chan!
All posts filed under: Photography
The Tobacconist
Met up with photographer Trevor Williams in Okayama and spent the day checking out Naoshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea. Driving around the island we spotted an old store squeezed between more modern buildings. Murao is an 83-year-old tobacconist who defiantly sells his cigarettes and non-safety matches just has he has done for more than half a century. The sign next to his window says, Kyo mo genki da! Tobako ga umai, which roughly translates as, Today I’m also healthy. Tobacco is delicious. The future of tobacconists is literally on Murao’s doorstep. A cigarette vending machine with taspo age identification sits beside his store. Murao however doesn’t seem worried. Against all the odds, he’s happy and healthy, still puffing away.
Direction of Light
A couple of photographs showing the difference that changing the position of the light makes. Above from front right, below from front left. The great thing about having a voice activated light stand (James) is that we can quickly move the light from one side to the other, and get greater variety in shots.
Seiyu Nakamura – 10th Dan Okinawa Dentou Shidokan Karate and Kobujutsu
Seiyu Nakamura is a master of traditional shidokan karate and kobudo. More than a decade ago, Nakamura-sensei was my briefly my karate instructor. It was great to meet each other again, although he did note that we’d both got a little grayer over the years. Once again after shooting the black background portraits indoors, I switched the plug-in 7a generator for the battery powered B1, and we went outside. A huge storm was quickly approaching, but we managed to get a few shots in the sugar cane fields before the heavens opened.
Pentax 645Z – Just the facts, ma’am
The Pentax 645Z digital medium format camera will be available for purchase at the end of June 2014. It’s predecessor, the Pentax 645D, went on sale in June 2010 for 848,000 yen. You can pre-order the 645Z at B&H for $8,496.95 or from Amazon Japan for ￥777,110. The 645Z uses a 51.4MP Sony CMOS sensor unlike the 40MP Kodak CCD sensor in the 645D. The sensor remains the same size at 43.8mm x 32.8mm, this means it is a crop 645 sensor. The sensor is the same one used in the 50 megapixel Hasselblad H5D-50C camera ($29,000) and Phase One IQ250 digital back ($37,000). At around $8,500 dollars, the 645Z is a third the price of it’s MF digital competitors. The use of a CMOS sensor allows the 645Z to offer live view, a video mode, and a higher ISO range. The PRIME III image processor is significantly faster than in the 645D. The camera can now shoot at 3 fs rather than 1 fs in the 645D and instant reviews will be quicker. The autofocus system and metering systems have also been improved. The …
Pentax SMC DA 645 25mm F4 AL (IF) SDM AW
I recently purchased a 25mm lens for my Pentax 645 system. This is one of the new lenses designed for the digital 645D / 645Z cameras alongside the DFA 645 55mm and the DFA 645 Macro 90mm. A few important facts about the lens: At 25mm when used on the 645D it is equivalent to 19.5mm on a FF 35mm camera. This is one of the widest medium format lenses available. I also use the excellent 645 35mm. It’s a heavy beast at 1040g and expensive US$ 4,996.95 at B&H (although still several thousand less than the Hasselblad 24mm). Occasionally they appear used on Ebay, which is where I purchased mine. As with the 645D body, the 90mm, and 55mm, it’s weather sealed so can stand up to the elements. This really separates the Pentax system from other medium format digital systems which are more suited to a controlled studio environment. The front element is curved, which means filters are designed to be inserted internally. The filters are 40.5mm and polarizers can be rotated with a nifty dial on the holder. Interestingly, this …
Porcelain Master – Hitachi Tsuji 常陸 辻. Arita, Japan
Tombai walls were built with bricks from dismantled kilns. Behind one such wall in Arita is the home of Hitachi Tsuji. Tsuji-san is a 15th generation ceramic master, and creates porcelain that graces the tables of the Japanese imperial family. Blue and white porcelain is made by applying an blue underglaze of cobalt to white porcelain and then a clear glaze. Prices range from several million to a few thousand yen. There are times when I wish I could take my dog with me when I’m on assignment. This was not one of them. The wagging tail of a labrador, would probably do more damage than a proverbial bull.
Riley Marx – Fitness Model
A few studio images for the portfolio of fitness model Riley Marx. We’ll do a second session outdoors when rainy season has finished. Always great to work with such a dedicated athlete. If you’d like to have a go at using studio lighting, the next Intro to Studio Lighting Workshop is June 14 & 15, 2014. Click on the workshops tab for more details, then send me a message to book a place.
Idea leuconoe – Rice Paper Butterfly
Idea leuconoe – The Paper Kite, Rice Paper, or Large Tree Nymph butterfly, is the largest butterfly in Japan. Photographed on Aka Island, Kerama Islands, Okinawa, Japan Pentax 645D with 90mm macro lens (image stabilized) at f4.
Diving in Okinawa – Dragonair’s Silkroad Magazine May 2014
I have a feature on scuba diving, and the cover photo, in the May 2014 edition of Dragonair’s Silkroad magazine. Along with the cover, most of the photos used with the feature are also mine, but unfortunately I didn’t have any decent Hammerhead shark images. A big thanks to all my diver buddies who helped providing quotes or posing for pics! Underwater images shot with the Pentax K5 or K5IIs in an Ikelite underwater housing.
