Things Cameramen Must Know About an Eisa Matsuri

It's a Fairly Lively Crowd

 

 

Everybody likes to have their pictures taken but, they won't hold still.

As the sun goes down, you need a wide open aperture and high ISO's to catch the action.

People in the audience are friendly, offering you food and things to drink.

While moving around, to get the best photos, it's best to look behind you.

Just like, you don't want anyone ruining your scene, you shouldn't be blocking others views.

Everybody familiar with me, in this town, knows I've developed a taste for fine spirits.

And, they try to give me beers, awamori (local sake) and things like that.

But, I tell them, when they see me holding a big camera, I'm working.

When the day's work is done, I'll go out and tip a few cups of my favorite beverages.

Sometimes, you can get close to the action and, the crowd, won't get in your way.

Other times, it's best to pick a good location and, zoom in on the dancers.

Being able, to speak some local dialect comes in handy, at times, for a photographer.

It helps, to move around to an advantageous position, where you can compose your shots.

A disadvantage, is when some boozed-up local, wants you to help translate to a American.

It's best to just say, "Sorry Dude, I'm working as a cameraman today."

Once, when I was moving  back through the crowd, I met this girl.

She said, "Mikesan, you remember me?"

Um, I remembered her from a turtle release, a few years ago but, not her name.

What was I supposed to say, "Yeah, you're the turtle lady?"

The next day, I got this photo from her on Facebook and, now I know her name.

Thank you Asami.  You're a sweetheart !

Flower Photo: Mussaenda Erythrophylla -- I Got Some Today

Crazy Things Happen

 

 

This is a long story, I will attempt to make short.

These flowers caught my eye as I was walking the back roads to buy my lunch.

Construction along the main highway of Kin Town has been driving me nuts.

So, when I leave the office, I walk the back-roads to get some peace and quiet.

The cameras, stay in the office; I'm only going for a quick takeout lunch.

But, when I spotted this tree, I wished I had my camera.

A Five Foot Woman Showed Up Behind the Eight Foot Fence

 

 

"Those are some pretty flowers, you have there." I told her.

Then, I asked if, she knew the name of the tree.

She said she didn't. She thought it might have came from Taiwan.

Next, I asked her if she knew a typhoon was coming. It would blow all the flowers away.

She agreed.

Now We Had a Conversation Going

 

 

Telling her, I was a cameraman, was a good idea.

The plan, was to get some photos of those flowers before they all get  blown away.

She said, taking pictures would be no problem.

But, she looked sort of funny, at me because, I didn't have a camera.

Then, I told her, it's too windy outside to take photos of the flowers.

I asked if it would be alright to cut off a branch and take it home.

She agreed and, I told her I'd be back as soon as I grabbed my lunch, around the corner.

By the time, I got back, she was gone.

Some construction workers, next door, had heard our conversation about the tree.

So, I opened the gate and went into the yard, without looking like an intruder.

And, I snagged a branch to photograph the flowers above.

Today, when I went to buy lunch, she was out in the yard, again.

"The flowers are named Mussaenda."  I told her, I found it on the internet.

And, she invited me in to take some more.

While, I was reaching in my pocket for a Swiss Army knife, she disappeared.

She came back with some sort of pruning tool and handed it to me.

All, you need to photograph flowers, is a small piece of a branch.

But, she was directing me, to cut humongous limbs of the tree.

Maybe, I looked like a lumberjack, to her.

Next thing, you know, I'm walking back down the street with all sorts of flowers.

A Pink and Red Tree

 

 

Have you ever seen a tree with pink and red flowers walking down the street ?

If it was wearing yellow flip-flops, it was probably me.

Feeling like a fruitcake, with bundles of flowers blowing in my face, I hurried along.

Now, was really a good time to take the back roads.

Sonovagun, if I didn't run into somebody on the back streets.

A lady, pushing a cart asked me where I got the pretty flowers.  Great !

After, I convinced her, they weren't stolen, I asked if she wanted some.

Sashigi (plant cuttings) is what the first woman told me, you could do with the flowers.

When, lady #2, heard that, I got rid of one armload of today's booty !

Free to a Good Home

 

 

The rest of today's haul, is soaking in buckets of water, until after the typhoon.

So, if anybody wants to try growing them, drop on by.

Here's what they look like, in real life:

The Insect Says "Bug Off " to the Cameraman

This character didn't seem to appreciate having a portrait made.

Scenes from Zamami Island 2014 Sailing Sabani Race

Motion GIFs of the Boats in Action

 

This year, the course was changed due to rough sea conditions.

Instead of sailing from Zamami Island to Naha, Okinawa the race was held in the Keramas.

The sea was relatively calm, close to the islands.

It was a beautiful, sunny day.

For awhile, it had me wondering. Why not sail to Naha ?

As you probably noticed, I'm bouncing around on a fishing boat.

Each team had an escort boat, somewhere nearby, for safety.

Peeking through a camera viewfinder, I'm busy, looking for the Umimaru team.

With 30-40 boats racing, it would take some time to find them.

I take advantage of he light to shoot different types of the traditional wooden boats.

A few, had outriggers and some had, two sails.

The weather, seemed perfect, to me.

And, I was a little bit disappointed, that the race to Okinawa was cancelled.

Leaving the Kerama Islands

We rode a commercial fishing boat back to Naha, Okinawa.

Just a few minutes away from Zamami Island, I learned, why the race was cancelled.

The swells, in the ocean, made waves a few meters high.

They would have swallowed any one of the sailing sabani boats.

A few times, I thought our boat was going to capsize.

But, we had a captain who knew how to handle the seas and, I thanked him for the ride.

BONUS: FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THIS FAR

 

On the ferry, going to Zamami Jima some gals, asked the age of this old cameraman.

So, one of the sabani dudes told them.

"Mike, he's a Super Grandpa, about 90 years old or, so."

HAH !

I won't be 90 for another 13 birthdays or, so.

Okinawa.  I couldn't think of any place, on earth, I'd rather live.

Just Wonder If We'll Get the Ocean Going Cowboy

There's No Other Way to Describe It

 

 

Preparing for the trip has me reviewing last year's experience.

We were invited to the 14th Annual Sailing Sabani Race from Zamami to Naha, Okinawa.

Researching online, I couldn't find much about camera techniques for an event like this.

The boat we were riding on, could be called a safety or, escort ship.

Anybody, who has ever been out to sea, knows it may be a rocking and rolling ride.

We left the Kerema Islands with our diesel engine roaring.

It's important, to get out to sea and give those sailing sabani boats some room.

It's a good thing they made us wear life-jackets.

The sun, surf, wind in my air and, even the smell of salt water and fish, are alright by me.

But, I'm a cameraman, looking for the team, I'm supposed to be shooting.

  Shoot Still Photos of Moving Subjects from a Moving Platform

 

You know what that's like ?

Go ride one of those mechanical bulls and try throwing darts at a bulls-eye, at the same time.

If you get thrown off, at least you won't land in the ocean !

We were guests aboard this vessel so, I can't complain.

The man and crew (his wife) are probably professional fisherman and, good at what they do.

It just seemed like, when you least expect it, the boat would suddenly, shift positions.

WA WA Wa Wa  VAROOM

The boat goes in one direction and, the (softly cussing) cameraman, in another.

Some sort of agreement will have to be worked out this year.

Maybe, someone could give a signal when it's time to spin the ship's wheel or, gun the throttle.

Or, maybe, I should just quit being an old grouch.

There Is a Live Matsuri in Town Tonight

Six or eight bars will be having roving entertainment and, I'll be shooting.

One place, has a mechanical bull, too.

Reckon, I should practice shooting with a camera, while riding ?

An Excellent Fortune at the Kin Temple Today

 

Kin Kannon Temple JAN 4, 2014

 

This afternoon the skies were looking good over my neighborhood.

With one camera, a tripod and wide angle lens, I decided to go shooting.

The temple wasn't overly busy so, after a few clicks of the shutter, up the stairs, I went.

 

All Shrines Don't Have the Same Rituals

 

 

The good thing about being a cameraman is you get time to stand back and observe.

There are different sects of Buddhism and sometimes you may be at a Shinto shrine.

With as many places as I go, things can get confusing.

Now, I don't want to make a fool of myself at somebody's house of worship.

So, I get myself a refresher course before I go up there.

Watch and See What the Old People Do

 

 

That's what I do.  Next, I just pretend I am one of them.

At the top of the stairs, I bowed and looked like I was praying and tossed a coin.

Then, reached in a box and pulled out my fortune.

This One's a Keeper

 

 

So, I didn't tie it to the fence or, a tree.

It's right here, in my office and, I'll quote some of it to you:

"Given time, the cherryblossoms on the hillside, which seemed to have been withered, begin to

bloom and smell sweet."

"Your Fortune:  Excellent

In the beginning your fortune is not good like a cold winter, but later it is getting better and better like spring comes."

It goes on about advising me on certain areas of my life.

GOOD STUFF:

Wishes: Will be fulfilled later

Expected Visitor: He or she is sure to come, even if late

Business:  Take your time

Study:  All right.  Continue studying

Game and match:  Depend on your partner or team mates

Illness:  Don't worry.  Be faithful

Love:  Be faithful to your lover

BAD STUFF

Missing Thing:  It will fall into other hands

Travel:  Little profit.  Something bad may happen on your way home

Speculation: The market is fluctuating now.  It's time to wait

CRAZY STUFF

Childbirth:  Keep regular hours

Marriage proposal:  At first it seems not to go well, but later it will be settled

END OF QUOTES

Now, I'm pretty satisfied with the fortune I threw my coin in there for and, I

usually don't go around poking fun at any governments or religions.

But, I just have to say something about that Crazy Stuff.

Maybe some sensors, in those steps, need to be adjusted, for the fortune telling.

For sure, I thought, I did everything according to the book.

Darned if I can figure out what went wrong.

Do you think, I waddled up the stairs like some kind of pregnant, unwed mother ?



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

 

Working Portrait of the Week: The Cameraman

  A Little Explanation

 

First, the sun isn't going to shine, like that again, the rest of this week.

Secondly, that's a woman, shooting the big camera.  I know.

Cameraman, is what I call her.

Cameralady, just doesn't sound right.

At the Itoman Sabani Races

 

There isn't much time for socializing, when you're shooting a boat racing event.

They were giving opening ceremony speeches when I asked her.

"Are you a cameraman?"

She replied in the affirmative.  And, I got permission to shoot her.

But, forgot to ask her name !

Another Tropical Storm Is Brewing

 

I know, there won't be anymore photos, of this sort, coming out of my camera, the whole week.

 Maybe, this gal will find me over on Facebook.

Then, I can find out who she is and,  give her a printed, working portrait.

And, possibly, I'll get a model release signed, too !

 

 



5 Photos of Blue Skies and Dragonboats in Okinawa

2013 Kin Town Dragonboat Races

 

The fair weather spirits smiled on my hometown, Kin Village in Okinawa, today.

A cameraman could get burned-out shooting  a few thousand photos of these boats in a week.

 So, I play with the camera lens to squeeze some scenery into the frame.

The blue sky with white clouds was a relief, to see, after months of rainy season.

Once in awhile a cloud carrying some moisture blew over.  But, it never rained.

The team members, wearing orange life vests gave some terrific color contrast to these images.

There will be hundreds of close-up dragonboat photos processed next week.

For now, just kick back and enjoy the scenery I saw over Kin Town today.

Life's a beach !

Closing out the Month of April 2013: Too Many Things to Do

April has always been a hectic month for a cameraman in Okinawa.

This year it didn't get any easier.  It's not over, yet and, there's plenty more to do.

This morning, I ran down to the print shop early, trying to stay ahead of the game.

That's not a scrapbook, I'm making.  Just some prints I'll be delivering to people.

There's a Bit of Madness to My Method

 

Magazine editors and some of my best friends, don't always get it.

Sometimes, neither do I but, it seems to work.

When I hear of an event, about to take place, I research, all I can, about it.

Visit the village days, weeks or, months before and meet people.

That way, I'm not a stranger, in town, when it's time to use the cameras.

Most of the places I go, people are friendly.

But, they might not like some foreigner shoving model releases in their face.

So, what I like to do, is forget about all the paperwork and just shoot cameras.

Then, visit, a few weeks later, with some free photos to hand out.

Why Close Out the Month So Early ?

 

 

The next few days it's going to get real hectic around here.

There was supposed to be some sort of Pink Full Moon last night and, I missed it.

So, tonight, I'll be looking for the moon.

Sunday, we're going to another island for a ritual in a sea cave.

Monday,  will find me in the Orion Beer Brewery, shooting a camera.  No drinking.

And, while up that way, I'll see if I can catch that Ryukyu dog, again.

If I get a signed pet release on him, he may become a star !

Then, there's those adorable women from Henza Island, I have to catch-up with.

One, already signed a model release.  The other one will, too, I'm betting.

With all the things I have to do, it's best to close out April 2013 today.

Golden Week in Japan is all ready to kick-off !

2011 The Final Full Moon Festival : A Photo Essay

Here's a photo of the Kanji for what I went looking for last night.  Moon.

In Kin Village Okinawa, Japan they know how to do a Full Moon Festival.

Build a stage in an open area where the moon will shine down on you.

Get some local entertainment to perform.

They get all dressed up.

People congregate, watch, listen and enjoy the good spirits.

It can be a real challenge for a cameraman.

But, I know this will be the final Full Moon Festival of the year 2011 for me.

Kin Village is my hometown.  So, when the festival ended, most of the performers you saw in the photos above came over to My Place (karoke bar) and enjoyed good spirits 'til the sun came up.

Almost forgot.  I found what I went looking for and got a photo of it, too.

Here's the Full Moon from September 2011.  My head hurts.

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN WITH A PENTAX K5 AND 18-250MM ZOOM

                                       

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.