Groan: That Snail Could Have Helped Me Become a Millionaire !

Another One for the Doozies

 

 

 

Doing an unsolicited photo documentary about a banana leaf is what started this.

Every day, I take photos of the banana tree behind my office.



You never know when someone might want things like this for a scientific study.

 

Only one leaf is growing back, since that typhoon demolished the tree.

And, I spotted this snail probably, trying to kill it.

The little murderer didn't want to face my camera.

It must have been half an hour, I chased it around in the rain.

That's the best shot my shivering, wet bones could catch for you.

The truth is, I really don't like those slimy critters.

Not wanting to kill the thing, I chucked over the fence, into a neighbor's yard.

"Bon Voyage" was what I said and got the heck out of the rain.

Now, I'm hoping the little critter had a safe landing.

Only because I just learned something about snails, today.


The University of Iowa is getting a million dollars for a project.

What for ?


To Study the Sex Habits of Mud Snails


Now, I want my snail back. A government grant would be nice, too.


More in The Doozies

Food Photo of the Week: Toto La Bebe Special Burger

Location: Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 18mm

Exposure: ISO 100   F/11   1/4sec

Note:  Exposure took a quarter of a second but, consumption lasted about 20 minutes !

More about this Award Winning Hamburger



Just Shoot the Them in the Eye -- You Can Move the Body Later

Don't Worry I Haven't Joined a Gang or Swat Team

 

 

This is a Photo Tip that will show you how to bring home the best bird photos.

Put the Camera on Center Focus

 

 

The exception to this rule would be, a whole flock of birds, filling the frame.

There, maybe, area focus would work best.

When you spot a single bird, perched or, in flight, go for the eyeball.

This lone, Buzzard Eagle was in a tree overlooking the shores of Kouri Jima.

It appears, the bird is in the lower left of the frame.

 But, that isn't how the shot was composed.

If you can see the crosshairs of my unprocessed RAW file, the bird was at dead center.

Wild birds don't exactly pose for you so, you have to concentrate on their eyes.

Sometimes, they look to the right.

Other times, it's to the left.

It doesn't matter to me.  All I wait for, is a chance for the shadows and light to be right.

Then, I shoot them in the eye.

Move the body later, to conform with the Rule of Thirds.



For More Tricks of the Trade See: Photo Tips





Kouri Island Ocean Tower: A new Attraction in Okinawa (Photos)

Here's photographic teaser for those who want to sample this beauty.

The tower stands 36 meters tall and it is 82 meters above sea level.

It's the only tower, I know of that tourists pay to get into, on Okinawa.

But, a driver-less golf cart, takes you up the hill so, I wouldn't complain.

 I sat in the back seat, just in case it crashed.

Going through, to reach the upper levels of the observation tower, you find a museum.

It's a seashell museum and, they have thousands of them, from around the world.

Some people say "Ooo and Ahh" when they get in there and see the shells.

Not me, I just pretend I'm having fun.  And wait for them to move on.

That way, I can take some pictures, with nobody in them.

They do have a bakery in there and sell gifts along with munchies.

Local products, like hand made glass are available for visitors.

But, I'm not visiting, I live here.  So, I don't need the stuff.

This tree caught my eye. 

It's surrounded by a spiral staircase, leading to the second level of a restaurant.

There was an ice cream stand outside the gift shop.

But, I didn't want to spoil my appetite.

So, back to the restaurant, I went and ate a 3000 yen pizza !



Wildlife Photo: Just a Couple of Grey Herons Reflecting

Location: Tomigusuku, Okinawa, Japan

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 50-500 at 230mm

Exposure: f/8   1/500   ISO 400

Plant Photo: Heck Let's Just Call Them Ghostberries !

 

A Little Rant About This Plant

 

 

 

For everyone's entertainment, I spend hours keeping myself gainfully unemployed.

Going on twelve hours, now, I've been busy getting tonight's blog post ready.

From page 155 of  ISBN978-4-408-32351-0, I have an identification.

They have a photo of the same plant, I shot outside the Wooden Toy Museum.

That's the Yambaru Field Guide, all in Japanese.

Not a problem, シラヌマカズラ, translates to Shiranumakazura, I can read that part.

Somebody Needs to Tell the Search Engines

 

 

No matter where you type the words, English or, Japanese, nothing shows up.

Even the Wikipedia folks USA and Japan, kept giving me nothing.

Then Along Came This Bright Idea

 

What do you call a white berry ?

Type that in the #1 search engine in the world, and BINGO !

Along came Wikipedia, which some folks don't like, and good old Britannica.

Now, I know we have some sort of Snowberry or, Ghostberry here.

They are also known as Waxberry, of the Symphoricarpos family.

The Research Will Continue

 

For now, we'll just call them Ghostberries.

It doesn't snow, in Okinawa but, we have a few ghosts. I just haven't captured one, yet.

Patience, we're working on it !

 



Ginoza Okinawa Announces --- The Number One Hamburger

Just a quick blog post tonight to pass along this news.

In the Matsuda district of Ginoza Village, a Hamburger Festival took place today.

Here's a photo of the winners.

On the left, Captain Kangaroo Burgers, won third place.

To the right, Restaurant Tempusu, took second place with their hamburger.

Dead center in the photo, and winner by People's Choice....

drum roll, please...

Toto La Bebe 

Remember, last year, I said this was The Best Hamburger on the Island !

NOTE: By the time, I showed-up with my camera Toto La Bebe Burgers were sold out.

So, I didn't cast any votes.  But, I cussed a little.

Ginoza Village was a bit overwhelmed with crowds at this 1st annual event.

By my estimate, over 10,000 hamburgers were served in about five hours.

For sure, next year, there will be improvements in logistics surrounding the event.

Everybody loves hamburgers.

Don't they ?



Travel Photo: Sari the Singer and Sanshin Strummer

Shooting photos of a live band, in a dimly lit bar, can be challenging.

Having, already gotten a signed model release, made this a bit easier.

But, I had to concentrate on the movement of the fingers, to prevent motion blur.

It wasn't until I downloaded my images, that I noticed those fingernails.

So, I googled and added a new word to my vocabulary.

Nail Art

 

Maybe, I spend too much time in the jungles.  I never knew about this stuff.

They have thousands of designs from Nails Magazine.

Look at the gallery, over on Pinterest

If you want to see more of Sari the singer, she's here.



Surprised While Taking Fern Photos in Yambaru Forest



Who Would Have Guessed: Insect Repellant ?

 

 

It's November and Christmas is just around the corner.

When we went north in Okinawa, I offered Map It Dude some bug spray.

He was hiking, to the highest peak on this island.

Not me. Been there before, a few times and decided not to do the 2 hour climb.

I said, bug spray and insect repellant are in my pack.

"Nah, there won't be any mosquitoes; it's too cold for them."

There wasn't any wildlife, being active so, I decided to shoot plants and ferns.

I, left the bug spray and crèmes in the vehicle.

Shooting images of ferns from different angles can keep me busy for a few hours.

It was so quiet, in the jungle, you could probably hear a snake slithering.

But, that wasn't the only thing that surprised me.

The weather warmed up and, it woke up the mosquitoes.

There were plenty of fern photos taken so, I headed back down the trail.

That's when I met these red ferns, alongside the highway.

Confirmation, on their names is pending, along with lots of other things.

Remember that movie star, Robert Redford ?

Well, he gave me an idea.

For the time being, I'll just call these guys the Redfern Brothers.

Does anyone else have a better idea ?


NOTE: The weather in Okinawa, Japan can fool you sometimes.

So, it's a good idea to always be prepared for tropical sunshine.

Insects don't follow the calendar; they follow the thermometer.

And, the weather on the Ryukyu Islands doesn't necessarily follow any calendar, either.

In years past, I recall going to the beach, to swim, during winter months.

The sun doesn't burn me and bugs won't bite me, usually.

Most of the repellants and cremes, I carry, are for others to use.

Something tells me, the secret ingredient, that protects me is in Orion Beer.

Well, the past few days I was on some strong medicine, trying to kick a cold.

Doctors orders:  No Alcohol

Those pesky bugs feasted on me, yesterday because my Orion levels were depleted.

The cold is all gone.  No more drugs.

Downtown, I have some catching-up to do.

Have a great weekend !

Travel Photos: One Minute of Sunset in Okinawa



After spending the day taking photos, in the northern mountains, we saw the sun going down.

The Map It Okinawa Dude pulled over, as quick as traffic would allow.

The photo above was taken at 5:36PM.

From the same location, I backed up and went wide angle.

It was 5:37PM.

We were somewhere on HWY 58, above Nago, Okinawa.

By the time I got back to Kin Town, it was dark.

It's a good thing I left the lights in my office burning.

Do you know what it feels like, stubbing your toes on concrete steps ?

Try it, in flip-flops, sometime. Hurts like a son of a beach !

That's why I leave the office lights on.

Ten Photos of the 2013 Itoman Mayor's Cup Sabani Race + Video



It all starts with the wave of the red flag.

There is also a lot of noise made by a gong and a conch shell.

Pretty much immune to noise (hearing impaired) I ignore all the sounds and just shoot.

The goal, for me, is to get good photos, of as many sabani boats as I can.

As a cameraman, covering an event, you have to be impartial.

Shoot all the boats, coming and going.

It doesn't matter if there's a favorite boat on the water.

At an event like the Mayor's Cup, getting photos of every boat is what counts.

Why do I make sure I get a photo of every boat ?

Well, just think about it for a minute.

Remember your high school yearbook.  Look at it if you can still find it.

How would you feel if everybody else was in there and, they just left you out ?

Video from Okinawa, Japan: Itoman Mayor's Cup by Hiroyuki Nakagawasai

 

Fine Dining in Okinawa, Japan for Under Five Bucks

 

Unbeatable Viking Bento

 

 

 

 

Where this gourmet meal came from will remain a secret, awhile longer.

Half was consumed for lunch. Part II will be my evening meal.



There's a chance, I'd be causing a stampede, if the location was suddenly revealed.

Working class people come here and, they know where to get the best meals.

Bento, is Japanese for a takeout, sort of boxed lunch.

 In Japan, Viking Style dining, is what Westerners would call, a buffet.

Viking -- was borrowed from Western lingo.

 Probably, because Vikings just came in and grabbed whatever they wanted.

So, that's what you do here. Only, you have to pay 400 yen.

The cost of the ingredients, alone, would be more than double, a few hundred yen.

And, it would cost you even more, to go home and cook them.

So, I got my office nearby and, hardly ever go home.

Somebody else, does the cooking.  And, it's delicious.

Looking at these photos made me hungry, again.

So, excuse me while I go for Round II.

NOTE: There is no "V" in the Japanese language.

If you are a foreigner trying to find a Viking Bento shop, near you, do this:

Say, "Biking Bento" and you may have some luck !

A TripAdvisor Review is forthcoming on this establishment, soon.

That way, someone else can cause the stampede.

Butterfly Photo: Marbeled Fritillary

This insect has been hanging around in the bug files since June.

With all the conflicting information, available out there, I had to make a decision.

So, I held a referendum, of sorts.

And, unanimously agree, it's a (Brentis daphne) Marbled Fritillary.

If anyone wants to disagree, we can always do the referendum over again.

That way, two of us could be unanimous.