Sports Photo of the Day

Love It When a Granddaughter Smiles

Especially when she passed everyone on the athletic field in a relay race.

It's a busy weekend and I took over 1000 photos of an Undokai so, I'll be brief.

More later.....

Reflections of a School Sports Day in Okinawa

An Undokai is a Big Family Event

The annual Sports Day at a middle school is sort of a family picnic. 

Normally, tents are pitched to shelter everyone from the blazing hot Okinawa sun.

This year things were a little different. The tents served as umbrellas. It rained.

Once it stopped pouring buckets of water from the sky, children hit the athletic field.

It looked almost as if they were standing on a mirror.

This character is a Chondara, sort of a clown in the Eisa group.

Normally, dust would be flying as the Eisa dancing takes place on the dirt field.

Today, I didn't mind slipping and sliding around in my flip-flops. No dust on my lens!

This Chondara, you might say, was outstanding in his field.

Several photos were taken, trying to get compositions, where he was separated from the group.

Once a Chodara gets in with the rest of the dancers, they're difficult to catch with a camera.

For a few minutes, a bit of blue sky poked through the clouds but, it wouldn't last.

A couple of hundred students romping around would drain some of the mud off the field.

Here's a GIF to show some of the unusual relay races the students execute.

It seemed as if the rain might hold off for the rest of the day but, it didn't.

Shortly after the relays were finished and, before lunchtime, the event was canceled.

More stormy weather was on the way so, I left quickly.

On the way home, I grabbed a takeout steak dinner.

Not a bad days work!

6 Animated GIFs from Kin Elenentary School Sports Day

Fun on an Athletic Field

 

 

With so many Undokai (Sports Day) events during October, I get extremely busy. 

Preschools, kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high and, high schools hold them.

 Aemed with a few cameras and a tripod, I try to cover everyone and, everything.

Somewhere, on the field, grandchildren and relatives of mine are participating.

 The kids, own parents can't point them out to me because, everybody looks the same.

So, I usually carry one camera with a wide angle lens and, shoot them all.

Maybe, I'll get a clue like, "Look for the kid wearing orange shorts and a red hat."

They just forget to tell me which relay the rascal is running in, that day.

The kids with the black hair, looked familiar so, I captured the gymnastics, twice.

It turns out, they aren't any relatives, of mine.

But, maybe they belong to someone I know, in my travels through the town.

The parents and teachers got involved in a tug-o-war and had fun, too.

A teacher, the other night, reminded me of another 1,000 images, I forgot to develop.

So, I'll be posting a few more on the Ryukyu Life Facebook Page.

Tomorrow maybe, I'll take a peek at a couple of dozen more if, the weather ain't just right !

Motion GIFs from A High School Sports Day

Ginoza High School Undokai

The weather was almost, like August all over again, in Okinawa today.

The shutter on the camera was opened 2,000 times today but, just a few photos for now.

The scene above depicts the young men going to do a karate demonstration.

The guy, I wanted to shoot was in the crowd somewhere so, I shot everybody.

 The girl, I wanted to catch with the camera, was a bit easier.

Someone mentioned, she was in the third group of gals jumping rope.

Not sure what it's called, when they jump two ropes at a time. Multiple jump rope ?

Now That It's Over

 

 

Three cameras were downloaded and, the batteries are charging.

Just a few dozen images were processed, while I rehydrated.

Next, a few images will be shared on Facebook and, this place will be locked up.

The sun has already gone down and, it's time to see if any bars have opened !

More About Undokai (Japanese Sports Day) on Previous Posts

 

Kin Town Harii Aka -- Dragon Boat Races

Ten Photos of Sabani Boats in Action

 

 

It's a good thing, I changed my mind and went to this activity today.

No alcohol was consumed last night.  Instead, I took some Aspirin and crashed early.

The sun was already blazing, high in the sky by the time I woke up.

The wife laughed and told me, "Don't worry about the Harii. Skip it.

"You're getting too old for that stuff.  Sleeping late is good for you."

So, I told her, "You're probably right. I won't go."

But, around 10AM, I packed some cameras and started walking.

A taxi driver friend came along and asked where I was going.

So, I hopped in and said, "Take me to Kin Port."

The sky was looking kind of iffy but, that can always change.

Sure enough, the black clouds, moved out of the scene.

The afternoon sun lit up the power plant and gave me some blue skies.

So, I stayed on that side of the port and tried to shoot each team.

Most of these people, rowing the sabani boats, only get to do it once a year.

And, when they run across me, it's always, "Mike, did you get my picture?"

Truthfully, with about 2,000 folks at the event, I don't know, who I shot.

Husbands, wives, grandparents and children are everywhere at gatherings like this.

A photographer, at a sporting event, isn't exactly a good census taker.

There are some friends of mine, who do special events photography.

So, when someone wants their own photographer, I can give them a referral.

Special event photographers, come at a price.

The type of photography, I'm doing here, you could say, is cultural photography.

 So, I tell people asking me about a photo, I may or, may not have taken, to look.

If they see their offspring on my blog, website or, Facebook, just let me know.

If they want a printed photo, I can be very reasonable.

That's why, we all carry model releases.

Travel Photo of the Week: Action at a Sports Day in Japan

Today we went to an Undokai (Sports Day) at Kanna Dam in Okinawa, Japan.

Most of the activities involved school children.

But, at these type of family get-togethers, everybody gets a chance to participate.

Just when you think you've seen it all, something like this happens.

My hat goes off, to all the teachers and parents.

They had some sort of, whatchamacallit relay with aluminum pans.

Over 600 photos were downloaded from this event and, I'll be on the road early tomorrow.

This story will have to sit in the pending files for awhile.

More later.....

Travel Photos: Paragliding in Okinawa

Passing Through Nanjo City Okinawa

 

The highway winds sharply, left and right up steep hills and down in valleys.

All of a sudden, bright colors go flying around in the blue skies.

SKREECH, went me and the brakes and tires.

This was worth getting off the road and grabbing some cameras to shoot.

Other folks got the same idea.  It was a sight to see.

Imagine literally getting your head in the clouds and flying with the birds.

Doesn't that look like fun ?

Nobody crashed while I was watching them.

They would get real close to the ocean then, catch a breeze bringing them back up the mountain.

Just out of curiosity, I did a search on Paragliding, Nanjo, Okinawa.

It seems, they have a school for this sport.

Thanks to Okinawa2Go, I can give you a link.

Look for Wind Bird Sky Sports School

The first question I would ask the teacher is this:

How do you go to the restroom when you're up in those contraptions ?

Sports Photo: The Gal with the Baton

 

This just happens to be one of my favorite photos from the past week.

It was taken at an Undokai (Sports Day) in Okinawa, Japan.

The baton was just passed in a family relay race.

Normally, I wouldn't post a gal's picture here without her consent.

But, I'll stick my neck out, hoping I can get her to sign a model release.

That way she can get a free print from me, probably framed, too.

If she squawks, I'll  just take this photo down and replace it with another gal's.

Like, that girl who gets away with murder.

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