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.
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.
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.
Toyama Zenshu was born in Awase in 1936, he used to swim in the bay as a kid, and now at age 77, his dojo looks out over the same bay. He is still very strong and demonstrated with James how easily he could throw someone to the floor and dominate an encounter. His favorite kata (set forms) are sepia, suparenpei and saifa. When asked about his favorite kotowaza (idiom / words of wisdom) he said Mikan se no kasei which refers to the imperfection of vision or the inability to see what is right in front of you, like your eyelashes. Fearsome and powerful, but also a lovely friendly grandfather. Toyama-san gave James advice on how to dislocate a man’s jaw. He gave me a can of coffee and a hug.
Father and son shoot at the Toyama dojo on Sunday evening. Satoshi Toyama is 9th dan in Goju Ryu karate and now runs their dojo in Awase, Okinawa City.
Tsuyoshi Uechi, 8th dan master of Isshinryu karate. We photographed him at his dojo in Okinawa City. His preferred weapons for kobudo are sai, which as you might expect, he wields with complete control.
After the earlier demonstrations in the shicha-nu-una, the final events of karate day took place in the forecourt of Shuri Castle. Eight of the most senior karate masters in the world each performed a kata. Of the eight, I’ve only photographed Zenpo Shimabukuro sensei which just shows how much further we have to go with the Karate Masters Portrait Project.
Three pics from the third night of light painting. We were creating our images as a team, so credit for each image must go to all members of the group, rather than just the person with the finger on the shutter. Thank you to Jamie, Kevin, Michael, Jonathan and Gary for coming to the advanced workshop, and of course to Trevor for illuminating us with his knowledge. We’ll see you back in Okinawa in Oct 2014!
A few porky pics, showing the love many Okinawans have for pigs. To be more precise, that love is usually when Miss Piggie is in a bowl of ramen, or a can of spam. I believe the owner of this truck sells “ham”burgers, but I would like to believe it is actually the vehicle of the Hogfather a superhero that saves pigs that are on their way to the Okinawa Ham factory. Not sure what the police pig enforces, but I’ve heard he has no time for squealers, and he’s sometimes described as a bit of a boar.
As a tropical storm approaches Okinawa, it’s time to grab your surfboard and carve up the waves. If you can’t surf, then you can always photograph those who can. You just need a long lens, a pair of Oakley’s, and a laissez-faire attitude to having all your camera gear covered in sea spray.
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 