The Year in Photos: Okinawa, Japan 2010

A photo a month taken on the Island of Okinawa by Ryukyu Mike during the year 2010. Enjoy !

 January: The first location in all of Japan to see Cherryblossoms bloom is the island of Okinawa.

February: A Buddha Statue in the Bonsai Gardens behind the Gold Hall Cafe in Kin Village.

March: A Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) along a riverbank in Kin Village.

April: Kin Village Elementary School Graduation. Ouch, my Granddaughter is a teenager, now !

May: The sun broke out over a pineapple field in Nago. During rainy season, this was a rarity.

June: A King Cobra's hindsite is as good as most people's at Okinawa World's Snake Park.

July: A view of the northernmost point on Okinawa taken from the cliffs above Hedo Point.

August: A Festival known as Unjami dedicated to the gods of the sea in Ogimi Okinawa.

September: Paper lanterns at a Full Moon Festival in Kin Village Okinawa.

October: Students perform the Eisa Dance at an Undokai (Sports Day) Kin Village Okinawa.

November: A Black-backed Wagtail (Motacilla lugens) at Kin Red Beach in Okinawa.

December: An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in flight over the west coast of Okinawa, Japan.

This is just a small sample to give you an idea of the places I've been and scenes  I try to capture with my camera during the course of a year. Many of the critter, culture, castle, festival and scenic shots I've taken throughout the year 2010 are waiting to be uploaded or are on hold pending publication.



Have a Happy New Year!

Cheers,
Mike

Readers Choice: My Top Ten Photo Blogs of 2010

Here are the Top Ten Blogs and a sampling of the photos that were posted along with them in 2010 right here at Mike's Ryukyu Gallery. They are the reader's choice based upon the amount of views my Google analytics gave me.

All I do is take the photos and ramble about how I shot them. I try to share some of the story behind the shot whether it's in the form of tips and tricks, a sight or festival I stumbled upon, a critter in the wild or something that fits in the Rants, Raves or Humor Department and I happen to have a photo to squeeze in along with it.

It's the readers who read, googlers who Google, yahooers who Yahoo and followers who keep following and coming back here looking at my photos or reading my blog who make the numbers keep going up. I have no control over that once I hit the Publish Button. I thank you all. In popularity order, Here it is:

 Number 1. Photography Tip: JPG vs RAW                                              
 VIEWS: 4,181

Number 2. Okinawa's Guinness TUG-O-WAR                                 
VIEWS: 3,322

Number 3. Wildlife Photo: Osprey in Flight                                    
VIEWS: 2,385

Number 4. World Water Day Photo                                                
VIEWS: 1,598

Number 5. Blue Rockthrush Preps for a Date                                   
Views: 1,529

   
Number 6. Photography Tip: Going Wide-Angle                          
VIEWS: 1,405

Number 7. Wildlife Photo: Common Kingfisher                                   
VIEWS: 1,379

Number 8. Photography Tip: The Rule of Thirds                              
VIEWS: 1,209

Number 9. Photography Tip: Reaction Time                                       
VIEWS: 1,157

Number 10. Photography Tip: Learn How to Buy a Digital Camera
VIEWS: 1.007

Readers, this is really your Top Ten list of Photo Blogs because you are who makes any, one post more popular than another. I thank you for helping me to decide what you like and for the encouragement it takes to keep me going. I'll keep posting tips, wildlife, festivals and rant, rave and try to sprinkle a little humor along with my photos on through the next year if you'll keep coming back to visit me. Thanks, again.

Cheers,
Mike