Travel Photo: At a Noro House in Itoman

Noro: An Okinawan Priestess

This image comes from my files dated June 2013 and, was just processed today.

Things have a habit of sneaking up on me this time of year. I get extremely busy.

The event above, happens at the conclusion of the Itoman Hare or Dragon Boat Races.

For some reason, the races are taking place early than usual and, I won't be attending.

My calendar, has already been filled, going into the month of July.

The Itoman Hare happens to kickoff at 0900 tomorrow !

Historically, these dragon boat races, signal the end of Okinawa's rainy season.

To see more about these rituals, have a look at some previous posts:

2012 Itoman Dragonboat Races

Tip Your Boat Over During the Race

GIF Animations from Itoman City

At the House of a Priestess in Itoman Okinawa

Japan Times Article About Okinawa's Dragonboat Races

Get Ready, Get Set, Tip Your Boat Over During the Race !

A Highlight of the Dragonboat Races

 

This isn't something you see happen at many boat races.

Half way through the course, the teams deliberately capsize their boats.

It's a ritual performed at the Dragonboat Races of Itoman, Okinawa, Japan.

Three boat teams overturn the boats but, I wanted to zoom-in and show just one.

It's called the Kunnukaze (Capsize) race.

The boat is rolled over and completely filled with sea water.

Everybody hops back in and starts paddling and bailing out water, like crazy.

There's no sump pump or, motors involved here; just pure muscle power.

Nobody on the team gripes or complains.  They just bail and paddle.

With the last man on board, they finally get someone to do the steering !

More about the Itoman Dragonboat Races.

Friday Travel Photo: A Never Ending Summer

 

Just catching up on processing photos from August, I decided to share this one.

It was taken on August 11, 2012 at Igei Beach  Okinawa, Japan.

Shucks.

Only five more days of photos from that month to develop and I can start on September's.

The Dragonboat Race got me thinking.

This weekend's schedule has me going to some boat races, again.

It seems like a never ending summer around here, to me.

And, I love it !

Photo of the Week: Igei Beach Dragonboat Races

This photo is a scene from this morning's Dragonboat Races on Igei Beach.

There was plenty of sunshine. I got out there early and was fried before 9AM.

At 8:42 my cell phone went off.  I was hoping it was someone bringing me a drink.

Turns out it was an email from my niece back in New York.

Here I was, dehydrating under the hot Okinawa sun with all my beer fumes coming out of me she says:

"So, I'm sitting in a Japanese restaurant and drinking Asahi Beer.  It's not too bad !!!!"

Now, I love my niece but, I wonder if she's a little bit crazy.

You won't catch me drinking anything but Orion Beer !

Photo of the Week: A Dragonboat from Itoman Okinawa

Someone over on my Facebook Page reminded me about this photo.

It was taken Jun 23, 2012 at the Itoman Hare, or Dragonboat races.

There were a few hundred photos from June, waiting to be developed.

It looks like I'm caught-up with last months photo development but, I'll have to go back and check.

Okinawa's Summer Festival Season is in high gear, right now.

So, I have to grab some cameras and get out of here.

Visit my homepage for today's Feature Photo

The Rain in Okinawa has to Stop for the Weekend! Groan

Whoa ! 

The weekend is coming and I've been waiting for this for months.

What I was really doing way down on the south end of the island yesterday was this:

GETTING READY FOR THE ITOMAN DRAGONBOAT RACES.

The rain has to stop.  I just got over that pneumonia thing.

Last night, I went and filled up my tank with anti-freeze, er, I mean Orion beer.

And, almost forgot, I promised the folks in Itoman I'd advertise their poster.

Anti-freeze makes ya forget, sometimes.

Lucky for me, I won't have to translate this for you.

Everything you need to know is right here.

 Itoman is the place in Okinawa where Dragonboat races originated.

They take pride in the fact.  Even painted the event on their drink machine at the city office.

They won't cancel this annual event just because of rain.

Somebody better get the stuff to stop, or I'm gonna get real wet !


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Photo Essay: A Day at the Dragonboat Races

           These photos were taken Jun 5th 2011 at the Onna Son Seaport in Okinawa, Japan

     The boats, called sabani, may have almost anything painted on them (even boobs), not just dragons.

The dragonboat races would start around 9AM. I got there early to catch some of the opening events. 

          A procession of the teams participating in the annual races moves away from the ocean

         and goes to a shrine on a hill.  Packed into a small yard in front of the shrine, they pray.

       The first time you see dragonboats in the water, all three teams are dressed in traditional clothing.

             The rest of the day most of the dragonboat crews are wearing their team t-shirts.

Three boats race, each time, starting at the north end of the port.  They turn at a flag that marks their lane on the southern end and paddle with all their might to be the first boat to complete the round trip.

                     These guys were doing really well, taking the lead on the way home, but

                               took on a little bit too much water and wound up in the drink.

     I know what those dudes passing them were thinking but, can't tell you.  Rhymes with boozers !

     The guys with the rescue team came and got the unfortunates out of the water and saved the boat, too.

 Around noon, there was a break in the routine so, dragonboaters could eat lunch.  These kids put on a show for the crowd and they were amazing.

The west coast of Okinawa has several resort hotels and each one put on some sort of demonstration.

 Then, it was back to dragonboat races and eliminations to see which three teams would make the finals.

           Closing ceremonies consisted of awarding certificates and a case of beer to each team.

This Dragonboat Festival was like no other I have seen on the island Okinawa.  Rather than a big commercial event where everyone is hawking their games and festival foods, there was nothing for sale here, to my knowledge.  It was like a community picnic.  Everyone brought their own tents, grills, coolers and food and shared with everyone else.


The few times I came down off the roof of the building I was shooting from, people who didn't know me were offering food and drinks.


After the closing ceremony, I stopped by the tent of a contact I had made during a previous visit. 

I took a few family photos for him, had a bite to eat and made a customary "kanpai" (cheers) with sake.


Then, I excused myself  because I had to go home and download 375 photos and start developing.


One of my favorite shots, so far, (not done, yet) was a closeup shot I took of the mermaid on the dragonboat above filling the entire frame. But, I'm not sure it's safe to post here because of the boobs. It's like art !

Maybe Facebook, huh?

Sunday Photo: Dragonboats and Sunshine

This photo was taken Sunday June 5, 2011 at the Onna Son Seaport in Okinawa, Japan during the annual Dragonboat Races.  We had brilliant sunshine most of the day and I'll be developing a few hundred more photos from the event during the week. It was a blast !

Visit my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Photo of the Week by Ryukyu Rusty

Here's a photo Rusty shot at the Onna Son Seaport in Okinawa, Japan the night we went over there to do some liaison for the upcoming Dragonboat races this Sunday.  He used a Pentax K7, Tripod, Cable Release, and an 18-250 Lens at a Focal Length of 21mm.  Right good shootin !

I started another gallery on the website called Ryukyu Rusty's Photography and will be getting him to add photos whenever I catch up with him.  Have a peek and leave a comment if you'd like.


Visit my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Photography Tip: Going The Extra Mile for Travel Photos

         There are times you have to really go out of your way in photography to snag a great shot.

At home, you can just sit on the back porch and watch a birdfeeder, have camera and tripod all set up, knowing where the light and shadows will be best for you to capture the perfect picture of a bird. 

Or, you'll know where the sun will set and where to position youself for an award-winning scene.

When you're traveling and want outstanding lighting for your subject, it gets a bit more complicated. 

You are on unfamiliar terrain.  Chasing the light may cause you to have to go that extra mile.

In the photo above, I was driving to Okinawa, Japan's annual Dragonboat races.  This is what the City of Naha looked like on my drive to town.

I was thinking "What freakin' possesses you to do stupid things like this, old man"?


The odds were against anyone getting a great photo at the Dragonboat Festival because there were dark skies and rain, on and off, all day long.  It's rainy season.  What did you expect?

This photo was taken while I was standing, with a few thousand other people, facing towards the west.  Look at that red tower in the upper righthand corner of the frame. 

Knowing that the final Dragonboat Races would be in the late afternoon, I knew, that if the sun ever did shine, all the spectators, cameramen, videocam news channels and the thousands of spectators would all be looking directly into the sun.  Good for them.  Hah !

When the time was right, I sneaked away from the crowds and set my camera up on the seawall directly in front of that red tower.  This shot was taken with my cell phone camera thingy.  I walked a long way and crawled through some hairy situations avoiding security guards and police, just to get there and sit on that wall.  And the lighting was just as crappy as where I'd came from.  However, there wasn't any crowd. 

  At 4:25PM the sun lit up the sky right where I wanted it to be for my Extra Mile Travel Photo. 

Today's Photography Tip is my weekly post for LadyE's TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY.

She has a bigger and bigger crowd of people posting travel photos every week so, drop on by and you can see great travel photos from all over the globe and it won't cost you a dime.  Most of the photographers over there know what going the extra mile means, too.  Check it out and you won't be disappointed.

People Reflections at Naha Dragonboat Festival 2011 (Photos)

There are still hundreds of Dragonboat photos in the development stage and I'll be posting them shortly.  Meanwhile, here are some shots I took between the races.  Things to do on a rainy day in Okinawa.

When the rain slacks off for a few minutes, the light is just right and no wind or movement disturb the water it can be the same as standing on a mirror.

Children in bright yellow raincoats make terrific subjects, if they'll to stay motionless for a second.

            Adults are easier to capture when you can find them standing in the lighting you want.

           Every now and again, even a teenager will hold still to have a cell phone conversation.

                                For larger crowds you have to back off and go wide angle.

    Where there's enough room to move left, right, up and down it's easier to get the best reflections.

           This couple was very cooperative but, the little Bulldog didn't want to get his feet wet.

Turn a little tyke loose in a puddle at a festival and it's better than watching entertainment on the stage.

        If you think I was miserable at the Dragonboat races, getting rained all day, you're wrong. 

It was so much fun wandering around looking at people reflections I almost missed the boat races!

There will be plenty more photos of the Naha Okinawa Dragonboat races and the teams that were there posted here and in my wesbite gallery as they get processed.  Please be patient and if you happen to know someone who enjoys writing about these events, making no money at it (like I do), have them contact me through my website.  I'll give them all the free photos they can eat !

Visit my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY

Naha Dragonboat Races 2011 Okinawa, Japan (Photo)

Here it is, a photo of the three Dragonboats lined up and preparing to race. It rained almost all day long but, the sun came out over Naha Okinawa, Japan for the last few races.

This photo was taken at 4:56PM 5 MAY 2011.  There are about 400 more I'll be developing later this week.

Standing in the rain all day, most of the time in deep puddles of water, caused one of my hiking shoes to fall apart.  So, I'm headed home now to get comfortable.  A hot shower, food and sleep are my plan for the rest of the day. I'll be back in the morning wearing my flip-flops and dry clothes and in a much better frame of mind. More photos and stories about the Dragonboat races will be coming your way in the near future.

Visit my Homepage for THE PHOTO OF THE DAY