All posts filed under: Photography

Okinawa Nature Photographer Shawn Miller

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While Martin Bailey was in Okinawa for the Pixels to Pigment workshop he interviewed my friend and dive buddy Shawn Miller for his very popular photography podcast. Shawn’s a talented photographer both in and out of the water, always learning new things, and pushing the limits of his gear.  Check out Shawn’s scuba photos on Flickr and listen to the interview on Martin’s blog.

Anime Antics at Mihama Manga Mega Expo

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On Friday afternoon there was a small cos-play event in Mihama. I’ve shot much bigger gatherings in Tokyo and Kyoto, but anytime you get people dressing up as anime or manga characters there’s going to be some good photographic opportunities. It was bright and sunny at the time I was shooting so the main challenge was finding patches of open-shade that had a clean, uncluttered background.

Pixels to Pigment Workshop with Martin Bailey

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Had a great time last weekend hosting a Pixels to Pigment Workshop with Tokyo photographer Martin Bailey. The workshop taught photographers how to create a more effective workflow from image capture to print. This meant calibrating the camera to give the correct colors and white balance, both done using an X-Rite color checker passport. Monitors, the projector, both printers and two kinds of paper were calibrated using the X-Rite color munki and the i1Publish Pro 2. Prints were made of both Martin’s and the participants images, and on the second day the prints were laminated and then made into gallery wraps. I’d like to thank Shawn, Michael, David, Justin and David, for coming on the workshop and making it such a fun and successful weekend. A huge thanks to Martin for flying down to Okinawa and sharing his knowledge with us.  For details on future Pixels to Pigment workshops in other parts of the world please check out Martin’s website.

Rocking at Fuji

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Another very busy couple of weeks. Just got back from three days shooting Fuji Rock Festival for ACUMEN magazine. The feature is about the British bands playing at the festival, these included The Stone Roses, both Gallagher brothers, The Kooks, Ocean Color Scene, Ray Davies, The Specials, The Heartbreaks, Spiritualized, Elvis Costello, Radiohead, and my personal favorite of the festival, a new soul artist called Michael Kiwanuka. Don’t want to post images of the British acts before they go to print, but here are a couple of shots of non-UK performers Jack White (above) and Toots and Matayls (below). I had a fantastic time. This was partly because it was the first rain-free Fuji Rock Festival in several years, but mainly due to the fact that I met many great people on the trip. To all the photographers, security, organizers, VIPs, artists and festival goers, thanks for making it a memorable few days. My computer is currently wheezing away under the weight of so many cool images.   Update: Magazine published you can see the …

Test Shots

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Before any dive you have to run through a series of checks – B.W.R.A.F (BCD, weights, releases, air, final check). If you’re diving with a camera, there is a separate series of checks that you need to do. Camera battery level, strobe A battery level, strobe B battery level, memory card capacity, dials and button working, O-rings in place, clasps closed and locked. Once this is all done it’s worth taking a couple of test shots before you load the gear in to the car to make sure that everything is working okay. As the strobes and camera are set up for macro work, and as Bear is normally watching me while getting ready, every sequence of dive shots usually begins with an image a little like these.

Summer in Okinawa

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Summer is here in Okinawa. The asphalt gets so hot it’s tough to walk around in bare feet. Some people retreat to the air conditioned malls. Jusco and San A always seem at their busiest during the blistering heat. The other option is to head to the ocean or to the pool. Above is a shot from a portfolio shoot with model Michelle Santos. Lovely sunny day, but to combat the harsh shadows I used a strobe and umbrella for some fill light.

Shorin-ryu Karate 10th Dan Master Sokuichi Gibu

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A great shoot yesterday with Shorin-ryu Karate 10th Dan Master Sokuichi Gibu. On friday afternoon, James Pankiewicz and I headed over to the dojo of karate master Sokuichi Gibu. Another great opportunity to photograph an Okinawan icon. Sokuichi Gibu may look fierce in his portraits, but he was exceptionally friendly and willing to run through a wide selection of poses, and a few fierce kicks.