Just Me and a Python

Here's a shot of Yours Truly holding a Python. It was taken back in June of this year after I came out of Gyokusendo Cave.

Down in the caves it was nice and cool but, when I got back above ground it was kind of hot and steamy, even rained a little. So, the tourist traps where you could go indoors and suck up free air conditioning, once you paid the six or eight bucks to see the snake show, sounded like a plan to me.

Back in the old days when you went in the Snake House here, they used to have a real show. They'd turn a snake and a mongoose loose in a cage together. And there would be a fight. One of them would come out of the cage dead.

Times have changed. Now natural enemies are only allowed to do that stuff out in nature. So, the critters get to spend a long time behind bars and get to come out for tourists to poke, pet and take pictures. What's up with that?

What's An Eisa Dance?

Living in Okinawa for over half my life I sometimes forget that things I may see everyday and take for granted would be news to folks back on the other side of the world.   Eisa Dancing?

It's something that has its roots in Buddhist Culture and has to do with Ancestor Worship, old time religious ceremonies, stuff Priests and Priestesses would do at funerals.

There ain't no sense in me trying to explain all the morbid details here when you can Google or Wiki-whatever and see what the experts have to say.

This time of year I get real busy running all over the island trying to keep up with all the Festivals going on and catch as many photos as I can to share with the world. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to keep shooting, developing and posting new material, daily on my blog and website so, I get caught recycling not-so-new material, every now and then.

Well, this picture and the one on my Homepage are brand-spanking new, shot last night, just down the street from where I live.

In fact, I have to chase these gals down and get them to sign Model Releases. I don't throw anybody's photos out for public viewing without their consent, usually.

These gals are no problem. They want their photos on my website. They know, once they sign my Release Forms, they'll get a High-Gloss Print for free and maybe even a framed picture of them will adorn the walls of my bar.

There will be a crowd of anywhere from 30-50 of these characters filling-up my little karaoke bar , singing and drinking 'til the wee hours, every weekend from now until the end of Summer.

See, they're regular customers of mine and if I get any complaints about the photography it'll be from the ones who didn't get their picture taken, not those who did get captured on digital film.

During Obon, the season where all this dancing and drum-beating originated, they even bring the whole gang of twenty-some year olds inside my bar and perform, making a racket that'll split the ceiling plaster.

If you want to know more about Eisa Dancing and see a variety of photos, some that may surprise you, have a peek at Matador Network. I've got to charge my batteries, clean some lenses and get back out on the road before Summer ends.

TODAY'S BACKPAGE

WELL, HERE WE GO, AGAIN. JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE RIGHT ON TOP OF HILLARY CLINTON OVER ON CNN GO, THE ASIAN VERSION OF THAT BIG TED TURNER NETWORK.

WE SLID BACK A FEW PAGES SINCE THEN. THERE'S PLENTY OF NEWS GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD, I GUESS. SO, I'LL JUST HAVE TO SCHEME AND PLOT, CRAWL AROUND WITH MY TRUSTY CAMERAS AND FIND A NEW ANGLE TO GET BACK IN PRINT SOMEDAY.

BEING IT WAS MY FIRST TIME GETTING PUBLISHED IN ANYTHING AS BIG AS CNN, I KEPT QUIET WHEN I SAW SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY TAKING PLACE IN THE COMMENTS.

SOME FOLKS COMPLAINED ABOUT ANIMALS BEING ABUSED FOR PLEASURE OR ENTERTAINMENT.

PROBABLY BEST FOR ME TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.

I SPENT A FEW MONTHS AROUND THESE FIGHTING BULLS AND KNOW THEY'RE JUST REALLY BIG PAMPERED PETS.

ONE GUY COMMENTED IT WAS EVIL 17TH CENTURY STUFF AND AS BAD AS DOG FIGHTING AND COCKFIGHTING.

I'M NO FAN OF EITHER OF THOSE SPORTS, MYSELF AND IF I WAS I'D BE DAMNED IF I'D TAKE MY KIDS TO POSE ON A FIGHTING DOG OR CHICKEN'S BACK AFTER THE FIGHTS.

WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE PROTESTING OKINAWAN BULLFIGHTS:

WHO GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY TO DENOUNCE BULLFIGHTING?

TELL ME YOU'E NEVER EATEN BABY CARROTS.

INNOCENT LITTLE VEGETABLES RIPPED AWAY FROM THEIR ROOTS BEFORE THEY EVEN REACHED MATURITY JUST FOR YOUR PERSONAL SATISFACTION.

SEE THE BLOODLESS BULLFIGHTING ARTICLE AND COMMENT IF YOU'D LIKE. I'VE GOT OTHER THINGS I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING !

PICADADAY

PUBLISHED

IN

CAMERA

TALK

AND

INTERESTING

QUESTIONS

POPPED-UP.

HOW DO

YOU GET PERMISSION TO PUBLISH SOMEONE'S PICTURE ? READ ABOUT IT HERE.

Photo of the Day

Marin, my #1 Granddaughter Graduates and makes the cover of LIFE MAGAZINE !
Well, not exactly but, that's what I'm telling her, anyway.

Published at Matador Life

And There Was That Time

Sometimes when I'm on the road trying to get the inside scoop and some pictures for a sensational, once-in-a lifetime event, I have to wear things you wouldn't normally see me wearing. Like in this photo taken by Doc Graff. I'm wearing a HAT. I hate hats and always did. But, for this event which was some kinda secret ritual conducted in the mountains of northern Okinawa by men, only, I wanted to make sure I blended-in, as much as possible. That's just in case them mountain boys started playin' that tune "Dueling Banjos" and started lookin' around for strangers to fool with, if ya know what I mean.

The rest of the uniform is pretty much what I normally wear, as little as possible, unless I'm goin' to town, or it's real cold outside. Then, I wear socks with my flip flops and maybe a jacket, but no damn hat; 'specially one with flowers in it !

People don't realize what a cameraman goes through to get a story, sometimes. You can't just show-up with a fancy camera at someone's sacred rituals and start snapping-away thinking you'll give some magazine a Feature Article , you have to get permission, for a lot of events, especially if you plan on living long enough to tell your story.

This particular event, the Shinugu Matsuri , took months of planning in advance and I'm still tying up loose ends, months afterwards to keep good relations with all the folks who helped make my stories possible. Every now and then, I go back to the village of Ada and pay a visit , meet people who remember the bearded old guy with the cameras and spend some time socializing with them. The festival they hold only happens, the way I want to shoot it, once every two years. I figure if I keep going back and making friends, soon everybody up there will know me and we can chat, visit with each other and soon enough I'll know where everyone lives and I'll check their houses and make sure nobody bought any damn banjos before I go up the mountain again !

Oh, before I forget; my New Years Resolution hit Print , so, if you get a chance check it out and Stumble/Tweet it; it drives them Google folks wild !
To be continued.....

An Alert Reader

In response to the request of an alert reader and good friend, here's the photo of the young lady the wild and wooly cameraman below was shooting and an explanation, of sorts, as to the camera details and why I had to act like a nut to capture the shot this way.

Most of the people performing in period costumes, whether they're marching or dancing as part of the reenactment ceremonies for the Ryukyu King and Queen's Coronation, are forbidden to smile. In fact, many of the Okinawan Dances I shoot, have the same rules; they're very formal affairs with hours of rigorous training and rehersals behind them.

What I was attempting to do here was capture one of these beauties, with blue sky and skyscrapers in the background. Actually, I threw away half a dozen other photos from this same series where the young ladies were staring at me as if their eyes were cold-steel, piercing my lens. I figured, maybe, if I acted like a nut or paparazzi (same), I might get someone to crack a smile. And it worked ! Sometimes ya gotta break the rules; all of them.

Photo taken with a Pentax K10D, Camera Flash, Spotmetered, f/11 1/180 ISO 100 Pentax 18-250 mm lens at 48mm . 1NOV2009 12:38PM Brilliant sun and harsh shadows made it a difficult shot so, flash was used to soften the shadows. Flash set to Compulsory Red Eye Reduction.

Sumitran, my alert reader-friend, thanks for the inspiration !
To see my Blog where almost flawless English is mandatory and I even get paid for it (Don't tell the IRS) please visit and comment HERE

Cheers,
Mike