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 !

 

 



Flower Photo of the Week: Orchids in the Dark

Strange things happen when the camera and I run across something like this.

At the Okinawa International Orchid(蘭) Show, this beauty was on display.

It was in a special, dark room and, I wasn't letting this shot get away.

Using a tripod, Pentax KD10 and Pentax 18-250 lens at 18mm, I took the photo.

In a rush, to move on before the next group of visitors passed through,

I never got the name of the special flowers.

So, we'll just have to call them orchids in the dark, for now.

They should send a note-taker along with me.  Dontcha think ?

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Travel Photo of the Week: New Year Ritual in Okinawa

Okinawan Priestesses Known as Noro

 

This photo was taken December 30, 2012 at Takushi in Okinawa, Japan.

The Noro, are the women in white robes, making offerings.

After they pray, water is drawn from Hiijaa, a well to their right.

The water is then taken to UNESCO Shuri Castle.

In a ritual which dates back to the days when Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom,

water from this site, is mixed with water drawn from a well in Hedo, northern Okinawa.

The blessed mixture of water is presented to the royalty of the castle.

It signifies a desire for peace, prosperity and health within the kingdom.

The ceremony is timed to take place around the beginning of  the New Year.

Today's Feature Photo

Animal Photo of the Week: Let's Get It On !

Some hilarious things happened at the Sesoko Island goat fights Sunday.

There will be a story about goat fights in Okinawa, Japan one of these days.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share this photo.

One goat leaped, like a kangaroo, while the other one just shook his beard.

All I could imagine was, he must have been thinking, "Let's get it on, Bubba" !

Photo of the Week: What a Character !

 

 This is one of the photos I shot last Sunday at a school in Kin Village.

At an Undokai  (Sports Day, in Japan) Eisa dancing was performed.

Depending on who you ask, the one clowning around while everyone else is dancing,

would be called either a Gajan Gani, or a Chondara.

The kid was a real lively character.  One of the best I've ever seen.

So, I'm going to do a little searching and see if I can locate him, or her.

To give the character this photo.

Photo of the Week: From Itoman Okinawa

 

It's been a few days since anything got posted here or, on the website.

Just a quick  photo from Itoman's Tug-O-War and I have to get going.

There are hundreds more photos from the event, plus some typhoon damage pictures to work on.

More about Typhoon Jelawat, later.

All is well with the Ryukyu Crowd and it was great seeing the sun shine yesterday.

There will be some things to show and tell you about the Itoman City folks, too.

They are awesome !

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Energy Conservation Photo of the Week

There's a little confession I have to make.

When I'm out with a camera shooting something like this, I don't always see the background.

 Peeking through a little hole in the back of the camera, I'm concentrating on the boat.

It's moving fast and the sail is flapping in the breeze.

I'm concerned about shadows, light and the glare coming off of wet oars.

Focus is on the sabani, people rowing and the sail, nothing else.

The camera is being panned, to compose a photo with the subject moving.

The orange-tiled roof on the buildings, I was aware of, and some blue sky.

But, I'll be danged if I knew there were solar panels in the picture.

When I developed the photos I noticed them.

We have wind and solar power in the picture, along with some people power.

So, I'm calling this my Energy Conservation Photo of the Week !

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Photo of the Week: Eisa in the Hills of Motobu

It's Obon in Okinawa, Japan and I'm right in the middle of it.

Today, up in the hills of Motobu, I got so busy, I forgot to ask these dancers something.

Like, "Which district are you from and where are we located right now" ?

Well, I'm hearing drums beating outside my office as I type this and the full moon is rising.

Time to run !

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Photo of the Week: Good Reason to Take Diving Lessons

This photo was taken near Manzamo in Okinawa, Japan.

There is an underwater cave over in that pile of rocks.

Planning on going back over there when the light suits me better, I sort of put doing it on the back burner.

That was until I found an article about the huge underwater cave system nearby.

One of those Ryukyu Dudes I hang out with will have to take diving lessons.

That's because you won't find me going inside any underwater caves ! 

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.

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Photo of the Week: The Sacred Site at Kijoka Falls in Okinawa

This photo of an Utaki, or sacred site, was taken at Kijoka Waterfalls Ogimi Okinawa, Japan.

Pentax K5 and 18-250 lens at 21mm

f/16   0.8sec   ISO 100

More about Kijoka Falls

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Photo of the Week: Under the Kitchen Table

Once in awhile, I get lucky and don't have to travel very far to shoot a critter.

This photo was taken this morning under my kitchen table.

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Photo of the Week: This Ain't Exactly Arizona

Here's a shot made while out looking for a scene to photograph for the Then and Now Series.

If I'd have cropped out some of the beach in the lower right corner I could probably trick someone into thinking I was in New Mexico or somewhere like that.

There's something different about the way those rocks were formed and I wish I knew a geologist or, whatever they call those rock scientists. 

They could go along with me and see if they can figure out what makes the place look so strange.

All I can tell you about the place right now is, it's in Okinawa, Japan.

And this ain't exactly Arizona.

Photo of the Week: Kijoka Waterfall Okinawa, Japan

Kijoka Waterfall is located not far from the iris fields which got my Pentax's attention

three times this past week. 

For directions to the falls visit MAP IT OKINAWA

Folks who live on island may want to see how the iris fields looked today.

There will be a photo on my Facebook Page 

Photo of the Week: Always Look at the Bright Side of Things

Today it was cold, cloudy and windy in Okinawa, Japan all day long.

But, there's really no sense it letting the weather spoil your day, I figure.

So, I shot this photo coming out of a cave because the scene cheered me up.

If you always look at the bright side of things, guess what ?

You can cheer yourself up, too !

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Photo of the Week: It Really Is A Small World After All !

Crazy things happen to me all the time.

Like yesterday,  I was taking photos at the International Orchid Show.

This guy come up and taps me on the shoulder and says, "Mikesan."

Well, I looked at him and said, " Sashiburi.".

Don't worry.  I wasn't cussin'.  That's short for "Long time-no see."

Talk about a small world.  Sometime, last century,  I was the best man at his sister's wedding.

That was in California, USA.

When he found out I was a cameraman, everyone in his group wanted pictures.

Well, some gal handed me one of those throw-away film cameras and I told her I forgot how to operate them.  So,  I took a few photos with the newfangled thing for them.

Folks, over here, of a certain age, don't have internet and email.  That's the easiest way for me to send them printable photo files.  Email is kinda scary, ya know and computers even worse.

Dang,  I wish I could remember that gal's name from the wedding thing, I did.

Maybe, she has a computer back in California and will recognize her brother.

That way,  I could get an address and mail a photo to the guy and his friends.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL !

PHOTO OF THE DAY:  JAPANESE WHITE EYE

Photo of the Week: Waterfall and the X, Ahem, Ahum, O-Files

Here's a photo of Todoroki Waterfall in Nago Okinawa, Japan taken Oct 23, 2011.

One of these days I have to go back up there and check the place out, again.

I have a couple of reasons.  Call them unsolved mysteries, if that's allowed.

RyukyuRusty thinks one of those big rocks, near the white water in the photo, is petrified wood.

Well, I think he's been watching too much TV or something.

So, we'll have to bet some beers on it and go back up there, just so I can get free beers.

Another reason I want to go climbing up that waterfall is something I saw when I was developing.

It looks like there is some kanji ( Chinese character ) engraved in one of those stones, right near the one Rusty thinks the petrified wood rests.  So, I want to take a closer look.

Lots of places we go shooting photos around the Ryukyu islands, we come across things that need further investigation.  I call them unsolved mysteries.  RyukyuRu was calling them X files.

Well, one day, goofing around online, we Googled X files.  And, we came across this article about somebody getting sued for using X files.  It had to be some sort of joke, I hope.

Like, some knucklehead lawyer is going to tell me I can't use the letter X, anymore ?

Just to be on the safe side, though, RyukyuRu started calling unsolved mysteries "The O Files".

You don't suppose the unsolved mysteries and X files people could really take me to court over using the same letters and words they did, when I write about a waterfall, do you ?

Someday, maybe someone will own the letter "O" too.  Hurry up and use them while they're free !

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

RyukyuRu's MAP IT OKINAWA DIRECTIONS TO THE WATERFALL

Video courtesy of OkiNinjaKitty

Photo of the Week: Shades of Green in the Jungle

This photo showing shades of green in the jungle was taken in Okinawa, Japan along with the photos seen in WHEN IT'S WET IN THE FOREST.

That was October 15, 2011 and I'm just getting around to developing the rest of that month's photos.

Do you think I'll ever get caught up ?

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Photo of the Week: Reflections at the Track

The day started with blue skies and sunshine over Okinawa, Japan.

Then the weather had to get involved.  This was what the track looked like at 11AM.

There was a slight delay but, nothing stops a village Undokai (Sports Day) and I have about 485 more photos to prove it.  It will be midweek before all the developing is done but, I decided this photo deserves the  honor of being my Photo of the Week.

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Photo of the Week: View of Kudaka Island from Okinawa, Japan

Here is a photo of the view tourists and travelers come to see when they visit UNESCO World Heritage Site Sefa Utaki in Okinawa, Japan.  Barely visible on the horizon is Kudaka Island.  It is the place, Okinawans believe, where human life originated.  One of these days, I'm going to hop on a boat and go take some close up photos.  It could be like the Garden of Eden without the snake and that gal named Eve !