12 Photos from Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

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This attraction has been open for over 15 years and, I made my first visit yesterday.

Over 100 photos were taken and, I'll probably go back there again, to do some more.

A traveler could easily spend more than a few hours observing sea life in this attraction.

The cost per person is under $20.00 or, 2,000 Japanese Yen.

There must be hundreds of species living together in the saltwater tanks.

The building is climate controlled so, it's always comfortable, even when the weather isn't.

It can become crowded but, watching people is as entertaining as, watching fish.

Some people do travel reviews and complain about crowds of Chinese tourists. Don't know why.

I love Chinese. Especially takeout orders of Chow Mein and Chop Suey!

This aquarium has successfully bred corals and some fish in captivity. That's a first.

They haven't tried humans, yet from my personal observations but, you never know.

Divers in the tank stay busy, cleaning and avoiding big sharks.

More than likely, they don't even think about breeding, while they are in the aquarium.

The fish tanks were constructed using 603 MM thick plastic glass.

That means the fish tank walls are about two feet thick, according to my calculations.

This attraction can be educational for children, as well as, adults.

That boy will become a photographer. I can tell.

Churaumi keeps the environment as natural as possible for creatures of the deep blue sea.

To learn more about Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium visit the website.

Do You Need a Release for an Aquarium Photo ?

It Depends on What You Do with It

 

Here is an aquarium photo I shot in a Pool Bar the other night when I got bored.

It's not something I would enter in a contest or, sell.  So, no release needs to be signed.

If the fish photo was good enough for publication or, printing, framing and selling, I'd get a release.

The release form, I use most of the time, is a model release.  These fish aren't models.

There are a few other types of release forms which require signatures.

National Geographic has downloadable release forms you can checkout.

They have Artist  Release, Personal Release and Location Release Forms.

If these fish were out in the wild, I wouldn't need a release to sell the photo.

But, when they are in somebody's aquarium, they are private property.

If the aquarium photo had turned out a little better, I'd get the owner to sign a release form.

I always give a copy of the photo away, to whoever signs the form.

Maybe, I'll print this one and see if I can get a free beer !

Sunday's Silly Sign (Photo) Jun 19, 2011

Whoa Nellie!  Just when I was starting to think I'd have to discontinue this series of silly signs this beauty popped up in a pretty high class (for me) restaurant in Okinawa, Japan.

Look in the background.  There's a guy wearing a coat and tie and he looks like he might be reading a menu or something.  Er, he could just be pretending.

He's really thinkin of asking the bearded dude squatting in his flip-flops and dripping sweat all over a table to shoot the aquarium sign to please go somewhere else to eat.  But, I'm glad he didn't.

They treat the elders and disabled people in Japan pretty well these days.  So, while I may embarrass Ryukyu Rusty and Doc, sometimes,  I get the job done. 

Just act like some kinda old, crazy guy and people get back outa the way leave me alone.  Hah !

We did one of those long, long days in the hot sun, just to catch some good sunset photos on the other side of our island.  You'll get to see some of those photos later.  I think I have a good one for Travel Photo Thursday this week and there's plenty more in the cooker waiting for development.

I'll have to go back and get the name of that restaurant and do a review on the place someday.
It was really good food and they had the air-conditioning cranked up high enough to give you goose bumps.

Only, when I excused myself, after eating, to go to the Gentlemen's Room and splash some cold water on my head, I came back out and Rusty was headed for the door.  He said he payed the tab.

Now, I'm wondering if they charged him for that tablecloth I dripped all over trying to shoot that silly sign with a cell phone !

Photography Tip: Aquarium Shots

Shooting pictures of fish in an aquarium can be tricky and I’ve seen tourists from all over the world firing away with their cellular phones, point and shoot and DSLR cameras; ending the day buying postcards instead of going home with the pictures they wish they’d have been able to take themselves.


The worst mistake you can make is using your flash. In most cases, it will bounce back off the glass and do very little as far as improving the lighting on your subject. Here’s a little trick I used to get this shot. Look in your camera manual and see if it’s possible to turn-off the Laser that sends out a beam when you AUTO FOCUS. If you can turn it off, you won’t have to use Manual Focus and the fish won’t know you are focusing.

I used AUTO FOCUS in this shot because I was in a hurry and was expecting excited children coming around the corner of the aquarium to smudge the glass and scare the fish away in about 3 seconds. I removed my lens hood, pressed the lens flat against the glass, set my 2 second timer, let the camera auto focus and snapped the shot.

This photo was made with a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 handheld f/3.2 1/4sec ISO 100 Lens@7mm, an impossible shot without a tripod, had I not steadied the camera by pressing it against the glass.

Practice aquarium shots at home or at a friend’s house, so the next time you visit a world class aquarium you come home with more than just postcards.

Another quick photography tip-do it while the munchkins are sleeping !  More later.....