Wordless Wednesday SEP 28 2016

SEP 2016 Full Moon and Festival Animations

No Typhoon Yet

It was looking like the approaching typhoon might ruin things.

Kin Town, had scheduled our annual Harvest Moon last for last night and, that's where I went.

Tonight's moon was much fuller and, I was lucky enough to catch it.

Thousands of photos were taken and, I'll just post a few GIF animations for tonight.

The event, in Japanese is known as Kangetsusai, sort of a full moon party.

All Okinawan music is good. The gal on those drums was spectacular.

Gals, could learn something important from her.

If, you want a man, to listen to you, for the rest of your life, learn to play drums, like her !

The woman is playing a Japanese harp, known as a koto.

She has musicians, of every age, playing sanshin, in the background.

Her husband probably, listens to her, too. Er, she could strangle him with those harp strings.

Standing above, on the roadway, I figured was the best position, to setup a tripod.

At that elevation, people wouldn't be tricking my auto focus, too much.

The silhouettes, in front of this scene, are Eisa drummers, performing offstage.

They, didn't distract me, as much as, children running through my compositions.

 Watch, the little rascal, pop up and, run through this scene. Oh, well.

No matter, how many times, I photograph these dolls, I never get tired of watching them dance.

My camera, stores images, 500 per folder, on the SD card.

Today, I only processed some photos from the first and last folders, to show you.

A couple thousand more images, will be processed at a later date.

On Facebook, my 2016 Kin Town Kangetsusai Album, has plenty more to see, for tonight.

Animation: Sanshin Player

Eisa Wouldn't Be the Same Without Them

 

 

When you're out chasing Eisa teams with a camera, catch some shots of these folks.

The drummers, dancers and costumes, make some good high contrast images.

Tucked away on the back of tiny pickup trucks is where you find these musicians.

They add lively, stringed instrument music to the activities and, are real friendly people.

Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens:  Pentax 18-250 at 48MM

Exposure:  f/11   1/13   ISO 1600

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  AUG 16  2016  9:51PM 


More About Okinawa's Sanshin

During Obon Eisa Drums Will Be Heard Day and Night

Obon Season in Okinawa 26-28 AUG 2015

 

 

This image was created at the Kin Town Eisa Matsuri earlier this month.

Okinawa.s Obon begins tomorrow and, lasts through Friday of this week.

The young people doing the performances may be seen and heard just about anywhere.

 During daylight hours hospitals, day care centers and shopping malls are popular.

Evenings, the drums and shouts of the Eisa dancers are heard on many of the back-roads. 

Often, they are out there dancing until way past midnight.

With the passing of Typhoon Goni, we may begin to see some clear skies.

If no more rain falls, some photos of the full moon above the dancers may be possible.

Festive Motion GIF from December 7, 2014 and a Note

A Funny Thing Happened

 

 

Last week at the Nuchigusui Festival, I really didn't know who's picture I had taken.

Someone from Kentucky, USA asked me if, I saw this gal.

He said, she looked right at my camera and, winked at me.

Out of the hundreds of photos, I might know a dozen of the folks in the images.

Women are always blowing kisses and winking at the cameraman.

It's because part of our routine, is blowing kisses and winking at them.

We collaborated online and, I think, I may have found the young lady.

Now, all I need is a signed model release and, I can give her a framed photo !





NOTE: Construction of the new, improved website is running smoothly.

Hopefully everything will be accomplished in time to ring in the New Year.

Nowadays, I monkey could probably be trained to handle this task which has been baffling me. 

The problem: I ain't exactly a monkey.

But, I do enjoy monkeying around !

5 GIFs from the Ginoza Hamburger Festival

Action Away from the Food Tents

 

 

A little confession. I did eat one hamburger.

It was a lot more fun watching the entertainment. And, that part didn't cost anything.

Little kids were banging on these Taiko Drums like professionals.

I had to get closer to focus one one drummer.

Away from the crowds, I went to investigate the noise motorcycles were making.

They were doing some wild stunts with those bikes.

Like, this guy, standing up and, riding on only one wheel.

It wouldn't be a festival, without Eisa dancers.

With over a thousand images to process, I left the fairgrounds early.

Lots of people were still standing in the long lines, waiting for their burgers.

So, I went back to the office and downloaded the camera.

And, went across the street for a sit down meal.

Hamburger steak !

Some of the Activity at a 97th Birthday Party in Okinawa

4 Motion GIFs of Events at a Kajimaya

 

 

In the Ryukyu Archipeligo a Kajimaya is a big deal.

Today, I got to attend one because one of my neighbors, attained the age of ninety-seven.

We had a little parade in the streets but, I haven't looked at those photos, yet.

For now, we'll just look at what took place at the party indoors.

The younger generation entertains the crowd with some sort of hilarious dance.

A bit more formal, were these gals, dancing with silver and gold fans.

Everybody likes watching Hula dancers so, we had some of them, too.

 Now, I'm not sure if you should call that blue thing a parasol or, umbrella.

But, the gal in the blue kimono sure knows how to dance with it.

After a few hours of celebrating, the birthday girl got tired.

And, she had somebody take her home so, she could go to sleep in her own bed.

And, that's what they did.

Man, I can hardly wait to turn ninety-seven !

Favorite GIFs: Second Night of Obon in Kin Town

Early Evening Eisa

 

 

The sights and sounds of Eisa during Obon are something no traveler should miss.

Last night, I got out early, looking for some new angles, before the sun went down.

From above, here's a birds eye view showing some of the action.

In the blue robe, a chondara, visits the drummers.

He's offering them something to drink. It might or, might not, be water.

 

Descending the stairway, I was on, got me closer to the action at ground level.

When you get this close, you have to be careful and, leave the dancers some room.

Nobody wants to see you accidentally get whacked on the head with a drumstick.

  The Eisa dancers chant fairly loudly.

And, you may be able to catch the scent of what they've been drinking.  Not water.

If you were a mile away, you could still hear those drums.

But, you might mistake the noise for thunder.

Across the street from the stairway where, I took photo No. 1, I shot these girls.

They are much more graceful than the dudes with the drums.

But, they sing and chant, loudly sometimes, too.

An Amazing Little Guy Joined the Eisa Dancers

 

 

 

To capture the images of him meant, getting way down low, on the ground.

 He hasn't had the years of experience, others have, at doing this.

But, Touri, looks like a potential Eisa dancer, to me.

Being, he's the son of some close friends, I think we should all get together and chip-in.

We cold buy him a drum, uniform and maybe, some flip-flops.

Then, he could become an official member of an Eisa team !

 

 

 

 

 

10 Photos of Activities in Okinawa Way After Sunset

Great Ways to Beat the Summer Heat

 

 

Some people go to the beach when the thermometer rises.

Others, just find an air-conditioned place to hangout or, go shopping in a mall.

  

What we do in our daily travels, is look for indicators like these paper lanterns.

Festivals, in many small villages, aren't listed in local travel guides.

If you spot paper lanterns in daylight, something will be happening after dark.

And, many times, they string them up, days before the event will take place.

The car, comes to a screeching halt when we find these things in daylight.

And, go poking around, asking the locals, what's going on and, when.

 That's how to find unadvertised things, like this Okinawan Sumo Wrestling.

It took place, after a tug-o-war, held in the evening.

 

Gals, in summer kimonos, danced around a fire on a summer night.

Talking to folks in the village office, way in advance, got us an invite to this event.

 It was the Shinugu Matsuri in a village called, Ada.

An event, called a Shinigu, in Gushiken, Motobu, took place during daylight.

 But, the gals, insisted on having me stick around for the party afterwards.

Right after taking the above photo, I locked-up the cameras. So, no photos after that.

We filled a couple of taxi cabs and, went to some cool bars.

Yellow flip-flops. What a buncha gals.

Driving the lesser known roads, above Nago City, we saw the Orion Beer lanterns.

It was during daylight hours and the event took place the next night.

If we hadn't asked at a little mom and pop store, we would have missed this one. 

 The performers, you see here, danced after a tug-o-war on Hamahiga island.

That's another festivity we wouldn't have known about.

Visiting the village offices really pays dividends.

This event takes place, again, next weekend.

  Okinawa's Obon, happens next month.

But, if you listen carefully, the drums are beating, at practice, all around the islands.

Live Houses are always air-conditioned.

Just when you think Monday night is a good time to rest up, along comes Ridea.

She's coming back from a tour in Tokyo and, I have to see her.

This coming Monday night.

Once things get caught up around here, I have to get a driver.

Down in Okinawa City, there are lots of cool places to hangout at night.

And, the mineo (traditional Okinawan) music, this guy plays, is even cooler.

Why Don't Travel Agents Advertise these Places ?

 

 

Maybe, there is a good reason to, not promote the lesser known events.

If all the tourists, started showing up, it would get too crowded.

And, people in the travel and tourism business, wouldn't have a place to chill !

Does Watching Too Much Ballet Cause Blindness ?

 

Depends on How You Look at It I Guess

 

 

 

Last night, I was viewing ballet through a camera viewfinder at a disco.

And, I was blinded by the light.



Maybe I'm getting old or, something.  I should call John Travolta and ask him.

Didn't disco die awhile back ?  Like,  during the last Century ?

These girls were some kind of special dancers.



More than a few hundred photos were taken and it was a real challenge.

See me, over in that mirror ? 

I was running all around the place trying to get some good shots.

Sorry, if I blocked anyone's view or, spilled their drinks.

The truth is: This was the first time, in my life, I ever watched a live performance like this.

Well, I did the best I could with available lighting and a prime lens.

Those talented gals were dancing around lit candles.

There was no sense, using flash.  They might have blinked, fell down and set the place on fire.

It was nice to see this girl in white because she made it a lot easier to focus.





Performers like this should be placed on a pedestal not, under disco lights.

It took me awhile to figure out how to get the best compositions, under these conditions.



Get down on the floor.

Remember When People Wore Those Furry Hats ?

Those raccoon things, with tails hanging off the back.

Daniel Boone or, Davy Crocket style, I'm talking about.

Well, some of my friends are loosing their hair but, they don't wear coonskin caps.

That's because they aren't fashionable, anymore.

Let's ditch the disco lights.  OK ?

Okinawa's Obon Festivities End After 3 Days (Photos)

A Busy Time of the Year

 

 

 

The ancestors have finished their annual visit and everyone has gone back where they came from.

It has been an extremely busy week.

A friend wanted to know if I'd like to go to Uruma City and watch Eisa.

Heck no !    I've been chasing Eisa dancers and, the full moon all week.  Burnout !!!

Eisa, takes place on almost any little village street, throughout the Ryukyu Islands.

Loud music, is played through speaker systems and you hear thunderous drum beats.

The dancers chant stuff like "Hai  EEE Yah".

If you want to pretend you're somebody's drunk uncle and join-in, that's OK.

It was real tempting but, I had photos to shoot.

The Eisa dancers are all twenty-something and full of energy.

They have been known to perform, all over the island, until the wee hours of the morning.

And, being old enough to drink, they may tip a few when they're on a break.

The first night of Obon, they are welcoming the ancestral spirits. 

The second day, they entertain them.

And, the last night of festivities, is to send them off in good spirits.

With Obon season, over and done, my cameras are all packed away, resting-up for the weekend.

So, I was thinking I should take a night off.

There was this place, I found, in my travels that has some good spirits, I'd like to try.