In the Spotlight: Artist and Naturalist Ichiro Kikuta

On Exhibition Right Now !

 

 

 



This is something I need to spread the word about, quickly.

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has his gallery on display.

We went today and have to go back before the month is over.

The folks at OIST were friendly and, gave me permission to take photos.

Well, I didn't bring the lens or, lighting required to do this artwork justice.

And, lucky for them I read the signs that said, "Do Not Touch."

OIST Is Really A Big Place

Scientists kept walking up and down the hallways where I was trying to shoot.

They were busy, I guess.

Trying to do long exposures (over one second) was looking impossible.

When you are a guest, you can't just yell, "Everybody Freeze."

Just when, I thought the moment was right and quit (quietly) cussing, it happened.

Map It Okinawa, tapped me on the shoulder.  I was blocking traffic with my tripod.

Click, went the shutter.  Wait one second.

Behind me, a gentleman, was waiting.  I apologized for blocking the hallway.

He said, "You're RyukyuMike.  Aren't you?"

Uh-oh.

We just met a Vice President.

And, even wearing orange flip-flops, he recognized me !

But, everything turned out alright.

He reads my blog !

Back to the Artist

Ichiro Kikuta is one of those artists, you're lucky to meet once in a lifetime.

It was my pleasure, to have found him in the northern area of Okinawa.

Just, a week ago, we located his studio in the village of Ada.

Ichiro, showed us some of the things he does to handcraft these panels.

The artwork, depicting nature, doesn't get copied from photos.

He goes into the forest with a sketch pad.

Then, sketches what he observes.

From the drawings, he re-creates the scenes as black ink paintings.

Instead of, having to visit the Yanbaru forest, he brings it to you, in all its splendor.

Don't Pass Up on this Opportunity

The exhibition at OIST  lasts through October 31, 2013.

More details available on the OIST Website

For those unable to attend, have a peek at this OIST Video:

 

In the Spotlight: Okinawa's Artist Shinzan Yamada 1885-1977

A Most Extraordinary Character

 

Shinzan Yamada created the Peace Prayer Statue, located in Okinawa Peace Memorial Hall.

Photos of that statue have appeared on this site and others, around the globe.

It was a project, Shinzan started at the age of 72 and, took 18 years to complete.

The finished product stands 36 feet tall and, is 24 feet wide.

It weighs three and a half tons.

This photo was taken inside the Memorial Hall where some other artist's works are displayed.

A close-up shot was taken so, you could better see.

Shinzan, worked on the project, by himself.

He fell from the scaffolding, seriously injuring himself, on more than one occasion.

But, he was determined, to finish this monument to world peace, without any assistance.

Artist with the Brush 

 

 

 

The Peace Prayer Statue, is what most visitors consider Yamada's masterpiece.

He was a renowned painter in Ryukyu art, as well.

This, I discovered, after taking a stained glass photo in the Ginowan City Museum.

 In January 2013, I was contacted by Liz Joyce of the Ryukyu Stamps Organization.

The stained glass, she referred to as The Heavenly Maiden, is the artwork of Shinzan Yamada.

The Ryukyu Philatelic Specialist Society now has this photo on their homepage.

 

 Copyright permission above and below, courtesy of The Ryukyu Philatelic Specialist Society

 It is an interesting story and shows how Shinzan's art came to be on postage stamps.

 

 More about the works of artist Shinzan Yamada:

Remembering Okinawa PDF

Gaijinpot

RyukyuStampsOrg

 

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 !

In the Spotlight: Omine Seibin at The Hall of Beauty and Peace

Here's a photo of artwork done by Omine Seibin.

This is one of the masterpeices that stops me in my tracks, everytime I see it.

There have been many occasions where I've visited the Stone Lion of Tomori.

There was an Essay for Apogee Photo Magazine.

And, the photos taken for the Then and Now Series.

Omine Seibin's art takes you back to the times when life on Okinawa was different.

My photography doesn't do the artist justice.

You have to see it in person in Okinawa's Hall of Beauty and Peace. 

Find directions to see the original Stone Lion Statue HERE.

In the Spotlight: Issei Karashima at The Hall of Beauty and Peace

Today, I visited Peace Memorial Park in Okinawa, Japan.

The assignment I was on had nothing to do with horses, or paintings.

But, this masterpiece by Issei Karashima caught my attention.

So, I asked permission to take a photo of it.

Not so good at remembering names, I shot this, too so I could give the master his due credit.

There are plenty of talented artists on these islands and, I think, the world should see their work.

So, every now and then, I'll be doing a spotlight post on one of them, right here.

Researching online, to find out more about Issei Karashima, I found a few links.

More of his artwork may be seen here.

And, he's listed with all the names of Painters at the Hall of Beauty and Peace. 


Directions to Peace Memorial Park may be found here.

PHOTO EXHIBITION

There's lots more involved in being a cameraman than most people realize. Just loading up a bunch of cameras, lenses and accessories then going out trying to capture the Photo of the Century is only a fraction of the job.

Shooting, as we call it, that's the fun part. Getting your photos recognized, that's work. But, your pictures won't get noticed if you do what I used to do when I had a film camera. I'd get them developed and fill up empty shoeboxes with them. See, I was recycling way before it became fashionable.

Every now and then, a photo would strike my fancy and get stuck in a frame or mailed off to someone. A collection of OK shots might have even got put in albums, something that might be worth passing on to the family, but the majority of my film shots are still in shoeboxes, somewhere, weighing the shelves down. The negatives may or may not be with them. But, what the heck, none of the photos were taken professionally.


Nowadays, I know better. Every shot has to be taken professionally. There's no more snapshooting.  Every click of the shutter is preceded by deliberate calculations. Lighting conditions, compostion, exposure, point of view, simplicity, focus, making the subject look its best; that's my sole purpose. And I love it. Taking the picture isn't work for me. It's a challenge but, it's also a pleasure. I love it.

The work part of the job comes when the camera is downloaded. Instead of dropping off the film at a drug store or kiosk somewhere to get processed, it's me and the computer going round and round. And there are many more hours spent in front of a monitor than there were behind the camera. But, the finished product doesn't get stuffed in a shoebox to be dragged out whenever there's a family get together. The original files are stored on DVDs, external hard drives and other places much safer than a shoebox in a closet.

Tiny, web-versions are sent to online publications, entered in contests or emailed to friends. The creme of the crop, they get special treatment. Printed, framed and hung out to dry, they go on exhibit. They get to hang out at places I'm not even comfortable hanging out at and when arrangements are being made the folks email me and call me an artist!

When I go to hang my pictures I try my best to look presentable. Showered, dressed up in slacks and a shirt with sleeves and even put on real shoes, instead of my flip-flops. Then as soon as the photos are hung and we leave the air-conditioned building I tell Doc (Designated Driver), "Lets get outa here and go someplace comfortable, quick"! Its all part of being a cameraman. And I love it.