All posts tagged: okinawa

Ryukyu Rampage 2014

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Do you find simply running from A to B no longer a challenge? Do you envy children as they splash in the mud, swing on ropes, and play with fire? Do you want to show the world just how fast, strong and awesome you are? Are you ready to rampage? Coming in November 2014, is Ryukyu Rampage. It will be open to everyone on Okinawa, so whether you’re an Okinawan firefighter, a U.S. marine, or an occasional jogger, all are welcome. The Ryukyu Rampage Website and the Ryukyu Rampage Facebook Page are now online. James (the organizer) asked if I could take a few action shots for publicity purposes, so we headed down to the beach with a few friends from Torii Gym. A huge thanks to everyone who helped out, it was great to see you all in action!

Naonobu Ahagon, Hanshi 10th Dan, Okinawa Karate & Kobudo Shorinryu

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Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph  karate master Naonobu Ahagon at his dojo in Naha City. It was a great experience to meet another Okinawan icon. In October 2013 he was one of 7 karate masters to be given special recognition by the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper for his contributions to traditional Okinawan karate. Ahagon-sensei is a master of both karate and kobudo (using traditional weapons). These include the kama (sickles) and sai. I took a few extra shots of Ahagon-sensei surrounded by some of this weapons inside the dojo. Starting from the far left you can see the eku (oars) then nunchaku, a pair of tonfa, and bo staffs. A big thank you to Sensei Mark Spear of the Black Bear Traditional Martial Arts Center in Connecticut for helping set up the shoot.

Kobudo Master Yukio Kuniyoshi

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Yukio Kuniyoshi, the latest subject in the Karate Masters Portrait Project. A master of kobudo he is highly proficient in a wide range of traditional weapons. The following shot really shows the advantage of using a powerful studio flash with a rapid flash duration for this project. The Profoto 7a gives me a flash duration of up to 1/12,000 second. This allows me to stop the suruchin ball and chain as it whizzes around Kuniyoshi sensei’s body.

The Okinawan Priestess

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I’m no expert on Okinawan religion, and the facts seem to vary a lot depending on who you ask, but here’s a brief explanation of a ceremony I photographed last week on Kouri Island. Okinawa’s native religion is ancestor worship, and the most important spiritual leaders are women. They are called either noro, yuta, or the more general term kaminchu. Ayako Toguchi is a spiritual leader on Kouri Island, I met her once before at the Unjami Festival. A friend pointed out on this visit that the mural in the shrine office of a woman flying through the air with a dragon is actually a portrait of Toguchi-san. April 3rd, is the third day of the third month in the Okinawan calendar, and a special ceremony was held at Sururu Gama (Sururu Cave) on Kouri Island. The cave is only accessible at low tide, after a scramble down to a hidden beach. Even at low tide the entrance must be cleared of rocks and sand before you can enter the cave. After entering the cave, offerings …

Lab Report – Disturbance in the Cosmos

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I haven’t offered family portraits in the cosmos fields. I’ve done model shoots in the cosmos, but I’ve usually referred parents with kids on to other photographers. However, in preparation for sessions next year, I decided I’d do a test shoot to work out the best locations and angles etc.  Bear played the role of a small child, and things were going fine, until I thought the pics might look better without the orange collar. Bad idea. Never feed Gremlins after midnight, never call Chuck Norris a sissy, and never remove Bear’s collar. Not unless you have a clearly defined strategy as to how you are going to catch, and then clean the ball of mud and fur, before putting her back in the car. She’s too fast for me, she’s too fast for the camera’s autofocus. In conclusion, from Spring 2015 I will offer family sessions in the cosmos fields. If your children like to roll around in the mud, then run until exhaustion, no problem. They’ll be going home in your car!

Narihiro Shinjo with the Profoto B1 on location

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After taking the studio images against the black background for the Karate Masters Portrait Project, I asked Shinjo sensei if we could walk down to the beach and get a few location portraits. I unplugged, then packed up the Profoto 7a generator and pro head I’d used in the dojo, and grabbed the new Profoto B1 battery powered head and the beauty dish. Set ambient exposure for the desired background then light up the subject with the flash. On location lighting with a bit of punch 🙂

Karate Masters Portrait Project – Narihiro Shinjo

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Narihiro Shinjo, Uechi Ryu karate master, and younger brother of Kiyohide Shinjo. He has won the kata section of karate championships so many times, James and I are having trouble working out the exact number. Just like his brother he is fast, conditioned beyond belief, and very very strong. He is also a lovely man, and has great control, which is a relief when a foot that could probably pass through concrete flies towards your camera.

Studio Lighting Intro Workshop

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Great fun was had by all at the first studio lighting intro workshop. After talking about the different types of equipment available we spent the rest of the weekend taking studio portraits. We began with a single light, added a reflector, and eventually got up to shooting with numerous strobes. Things got comical as we got dressed up for our hospital staff portraits. Individual images were composited together to get the group shot of all six people. Thank you Kathy, Molly, Lemont, Kevin and James! I’ll put dates of future workshop up on the Photography Workshops page. If you’re waiting for a specific workshop, or wanting 1 to 1 training, please send me an email.

Whale Watching on Okinawa

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It’s whale watching season in Okinawa. I’m doing some research and taking pics for a future article. Choppy seas, dark skies, and subjects that don’t respond to direction (Excuse me, if you would be so kind as to breach in front of the boat.) make getting decent shots a bit of a lottery. I have one keeper from the first trip, and hopefully I’ll get some more interesting pics over the next few weeks.