Travel Photo: Where We Were a Year Ago Today

Take a Look Back and See Where You Were

 

 

Shooting digital cameras, every day, is a great way to record your personal history. 

There's no need to write the day's events down.

The camera, does all that stuff for you.

This photo of windsurfers was taken on today's date in 2013.

My shooting buddy Doc and I stopped by Senaga Island, just south of Naha Airport.

We had been farther south, checking on birds in Tomigusuku.

And, discovered that some Black-faced Spoonbills had migrated to Okinawa.

Who knows? 

 With all the global warming and chilling, going on, they could already be here again.

The year went by, incredibly fast and, reminded me of this song.

Now, I'm not sure it's funny. But time sure does, slip away ! 

Travel Photo: Onna-son Sunset

This photo was taken, about a year ago, as the sun was setting.

Sometimes, after the sun dips below the horizon, I wait and watch for scenes like this.

When the clouds are right, you can get all sorts of colors in the sky.

Living on the east coast of the island, we don't get sunsets, just sunrises.

 Camera: Pentax K5

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 18mm

Exposure: f/22   1/2sec   ISO 100

Related Post: Photos from Onna-son, Okinawa Summer Festival 2013

Travel Photo: Okinawa Gals Sabani in the Rain

It's been a long, hard, hot weekend in Okinawa, Japan.

Today, we were at a cultural event, called an Unjami, on Kouri-jima.

The last sanabi boat race took place around two, in the afternoon.

With the exception of one dude, steering, in the back of the boats, the teams were all girls.

Just before the race started it began raining.  But,  I  thought that was pretty cool.

People with Canon and Nikon cameras don't like rain because they aren't waterproof.

They run and hide their cameras so they won't get them wet.

Pentax, makes cameras that work in the rain.

The only thing you have to do, is keep the raindrops from spotting-up your lens.

Mine got water drops on it a few times today but, that doesn't stop me.

All you need is a soft cloth to sponge off the drops.

Then, look at the lens and see if there's any moisture left on it.

If it isn't dry, you know what I do ?

Turn around and look at all the Canon and Nikon people, hiding their cameras.

Then, hold the lens near my beard and I say, "Hah" real loud.

It dries my lens so it looks brand-spanking new.

And, I get back to the business of shooting gals paddling their sabani boats in the rain.



Travel Photo: Sometimes Waterfalls Just Appear

Today we went all the way to Naha City, in Okinawa, Japan.

With two cameras, fully charged, downtown we went.

While driving, with no real mission to accomplish, we got caught in a rainstorm.

We goofed-off all morning, had a big lunch and headed home early.

Doc Graff must think I'm getting senile.  I never took a photo, all day.

Got back to the office, put the cameras away and, I took a three hour nap.

There's been an awful heat wave hanging around here the past few weeks.

The rain helped cool things, for awhile but, it's still hotter than most people can tolerate.

Well, I woke-up freezing from the air conditioning and realized, I didn't have a photo for today.

Digging back in the photo files, I found this one.

It was taken, a few years ago, at Sueyoshi Nature Park in Naha.

There's normally, just a little trickle of a stream flowing through there.

So, I wouldn't recommend a visit if you are looking for waterfalls to take pictures of.

But, if you get caught in there during a flash summer storm, it's a different story.

Sometimes, waterfalls just appear.



Okinawa Travel Photo Plus a Travelers Tip and a Tune

This photo was taken at Hedo Misaki in northern Okinawa, Japan.

  

The mission, I was on, to capture a beautiful sunrise, didn't happen.  Grrrr.

  

The sun was coming up, over the horizon, covered with dark clouds.

Anywhere, in the world you go, sunrises and sunsets can be disappointing, at times.

Here's the tip:  Don't let that get you down.  Look the other way.

Find a scene with some colors and contrast and, shoot that.

  

Just in case it starts raining or, something like that, I found a tune you can listen to.

It doesn't have anything to do with cameras or, sunrise but, I bet you'll enjoy it.

.



Travel Photo: Could Use Some Help--Need ID on Gal

Getting Up There in Age

 

Not that I'm getting old or, anything like that.

Sometimes, I just forget little things.

Like, I promised this gal, I'd send her a photo if she consented to me taking her picture.

Now, I made a nice print and can't remember her name or, address.

They have some government people who watch Facebook all the time.  Don't they ? 

I reckon, they might know who she is.

Or, do you think they are too busy watching ships go through the Panama Canal ?

Anyway, I'll post this over on Facebook and see what my friends can do.

Give me a holler, anytime, if you can ID her.  OK ?

Travel Photo: At the House of a Priestess in Itoman Okinawa

 Rituals After Dragonboat Races

 

 

 

This photo depicts one of the events which occurs after the Dragonboat races in Itoman.

An entire chapter of a book could be written about Itoman City's Hare (Dragonboat Races).

Don't worry,  You won't catch me doing it.

The structure these men are in is the house of a Noro (Priestess) in Okinawa, Japan.

After the Hare races have been finished, the men who competed, go to their district's Noro.

Here, they make offerings, pray, dance and sing in rituals that are centuries old.

More about the Dragonboat Races and rituals.

Travel Photo Senagajima Windsurfers Okinawa, Japan

Just off the coast of Senagajima these brave souls were windsurfing.

April 7, 2013 late afternoon

Camera: Pentax KD10

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 120mm

Travel Photo: Prayer on the Mountain

This photo was taken during a ritual known as Shinigu in Okinawa, Japan.

The women of Gushiken, on Motobu Peninsula conduct this ceremony annually.

It is a form of prayer which consists of song and dance.

The lifestyle and religious beliefs of these people may be the secret to longevity.

See the article Shinigu  Ensures Long Life, Prosperity

Travel Photo: A Place on the East China Sea

What a day this has been.  Look at this gem we ran across in our travels today.

Picture some gals all dressed-up and dancing in traditional Okinawan kimonos out there.

Well, I've seen it plenty of times and always figured the location was on another island.

The problem is, I've been seeing it on karaoke video screens .

And, when I asked where it was, nobody could tell me.

It looks like some place far away.  Like maybe, Ishigaki island or, somewhere near China.

Well, it ain't.  It's right here, on this island and, it's sticking out there in the East China Sea.

There has to be a story about this place but, that will come eventually.

In other breaking news, I got this in an email, today:

 Emi Iwasaki, the winner of the million views contest sent me this photo.

The Panasonic Digital Photo Frame arrived in Tokyo and she hooked it up in her house.

Everything works and she can watch 170 photos of Okinawa, anytime.

She doesn't even have to turn the internet thing on ! 

See, I was worried about that package, I mailed, getting there.

The post office said it had to go by boat.

It sure is nice to know everything turned out alright.

Now, I have to go back to do some more of my research.

We found that castle-looking thing, right here in Okinawa.

But, still haven't figured where all those dancers, in kimonos went.

Visit my homepage for today's Feature Photo

Travel Photo: View of Ie-jima Island from Bise

Here is a photo taken at Bise on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa.

Every time we pass through the Village of Bise, I have to stop by and visit my sweetheart.

Map It Okinawa and I really went there to look for Seahawks.

The normal term, I use for them is "Ospreys".

But, Seahawks or, Sea Eagles will have to do because lots of folks are riled these days.

They have some contraption flying around, over here, called ospreys, too.

People don't like those ospreys so, I'm taking the word of the bird out of my vocabulary.

Sea Eagles, Seahawks or Taka, (Japanese word for Hawk) is what I'll be using.

Anyway, back to that travel photo.  The Sweetheart gal, left her shop.

She just leaves the place wide-open and follows us down to the beach.  What a gal.  Huh ?

One of the big bonuses we get living around here is honest people.

Nobody is minding the store when she walks away for half an hour and that's OK.

When she gets back there won't be anything missing.

She's a real nice gal and I like her.  She wanted some photos of Ie-jima from that spot.

The light didn't suit me.  I told her I'd have to shoot from there sometime in early morning light.

I didn't say "Scram" or anything like that.  She just knew what I was thinking.

So, off she went to see the Map It Okinawa Dude.

WHAT A SWEETHEART  !

More about this treasure of a lady may be seen in Then and Now

Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

Travel Photo: Scene from Komaka-Jima with the Sigma 10-20mm

This beach scene photo was taken August 12, 2012 from the island of Komaka-Jima.

The Sigma 10-20mm lens was at a focal length of 10mm.

Off in the distance is the main island of Okinawa.

What I never realized, until developing my photos from that day, is the fact that

Peace Park Memorial Tower is visible from Komaka.

Peace Memorial Park may be seen in my article published at Yahoo Voices. 

In that article, I made a link to Ernie Pyle, the war correspondent.

One of these days, I have to get back down there and see if I can find his name on the wall.

They just don't make writers like him, anymore.


Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

Travel Photo: Where the Heck is RyukyuRu ?

We were up half the night, last night watching the Japanese Wrestling gals

WHOOP EVERYBODY !

And, maybe having a few beers.

Then RyukyuRu came and picked me up this morning to do some traveling.

When ever you go out with the Map It Okinawa Dude, it's going to be a long day.

It's way past 9PM right now and I have a few hundred photos that won't get developed, today.

It's not good to be staring at computer monitors, this late, when you're tired.

So, I best head on over to a bar and watch more Olympics on a wide screen TV.

Maybe, have a few beers, too.

Guaranteed, when I get there everybody will be asking me,  "Where's RyukyuRu" ?

I'll just tell them to look at my travel photo.  He's in there, somewhere !

   

 Visit my homepage for today's Feature Photo

  

Travel Photo: Children Perform Traditional Okinawan Dance

This photo was taken back in 2009 when this blog was just getting started.

Still not wired, I'm at the WiFi Spot doing a quick post.

Then, I have to run and do some quick celebrating.  That meter hit 900,000 views, overnight.

So, I figure it's time to start planning a million views contest.

Er, ya reckon I should quit doing this blog thingy and just take some Okinawan Dance lessons ?

Visit my homepage for the PHOTO OF THE DAY

A Travel Photo: Whatcha Think You're Doin' Back There Mr ?

Today's Travel Photo Thursday shot was taken by RyukyuRu, unbeknownst to me.

But, I'm glad he emailed it today because it's a good example of something we forget as foreigners, sometimes, when we're out and about with our cameras.

People are watching you !

The photo was taken at an athletic field in Uruma City Okinawa, Japan.

A couple of teachers had a bunch of schoolkids out on a field trip.

They ain't exactly the kind of wildlife I was looking forward to shooting.

So, I went around behind the building where there was some shade.

There I was, facing the ocean, just getting ready to uncover my camera.

Not only was I clueless about the photo, I didn't know that kid was watching me, either.

He very well could have been saying, "Whatcha think you're doin' back there Mr ?"



Butterfly in Blossom a Thursday Photo

Even on a cloudy day with an 80% chance of rain predicted you can find something on the mountains of Kunigami Okinawa, Japan to take a photo of in the wild.

After spending three days this week in the city of Naha it felt great getting out of town and up into the hills along the northwest coast.

Some crickets, a snake, a spider and this butterfly landing on a pink blossom were my targets today and I figured LadyE would probably like this shot best for her series of worldwide travel photography titled

 

TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY.

In just a minute, I'll be over there checking out all the other travelers' photography.