Tuxedo and the Hunt for Pretty Girls

Things Can Get Hectic

The blog hit 2 million views and it's time to arrange the photo giveaway.

When I told the wife, it would be a good idea to get the tux ready she smiled.

She said, "Honey, speaking of tuxedos, I want you to do something for me."

She dug out my tux and, gave me this photo she wants enlarged. That will come later.

The past few evenings, I've been busy preparing for my photo giveaway.

This gal's fiance is like a giant, way over six feet tall and, has humongous shoulders.

The wife, placed my tuxedo, neatly folded, on the kitchen table.

It's been raining a lot and, I didn't want it to get wet so, I rolled it up and stuffed it in a bag.

Here I am, barhopping and carrying my camera and tux in a canvas sack.

The outfit got wrinkles all over the place and, I need it stretched. I don't have an iron.

The thing wouldn't fit the giant so, I asked the lady, to wear it for awhile.

And, I promised to give them this photo, for assisting me.

She got the wrinkles out for me and, this time I folded the thing neatly so, I should be alright.

How to Enlarge a Photo

Look what the wife gave me, to be enlarged.

It's a freakin' Polaroid snapshot, no larger than a pack of my smokes!

Carefully, I rolled up a piece of Scotch Tape and, stuck the picture on the wall.

Not sure if this would work, I decided to experiment just to keep the missus happy.

The Pentax K1 was mounted on a tripod and, I shot as close as I could get with the lens.

Full frame images, come out of the camera at 7360 x 4912 pixels.

A few photos were taken using different lenses and exposure settings.

When I got the photo cropped, large enough for printing, more work needed to be done.

The beauty wearing a kimono is Mrs. Ryukyu Mike; she still hangs out with me.

A long time ago, the cleaners lost my tuxedo bowtie.

Rather than make a big deal out of it, I just quit trimming the beard.

Before saving the image at high resolution, for printing, I cleared away some of the junk.

The little lady will be happy, to get her enlarged photograph, tonight.

Next, I'll probably get orders to buy her a picture frame and, an iron!

Detail Photos of Sabani Boat Construction and Other Stuff

It's No Big Secret

 

 

The sabani boats and everything about them are a hot topic for me.

The history, building, rowing and sailing of the traditional Okinawan boats is fascinating.

Whenever I get a chance, I shoot some photos of them.

If you look closely, you can see how the boats are put together.

Different types of hardwood are joined with these dovetail keys.

In Okinawa, the dovetails would be called huundu.

But, some people, speaking English, just call them butterfly keys.

With the popularity of sabani boats these days, these wooden keys are fashionable.

People have started hanging them from key chains and cell-phones.

And, women have them strapped to their handbags.

That's Enough to Get Me Thinking

Consider me a redneck, if you like but, with the right color bootlace and some ingenuity.....

.... a person could make one heck of a spiffy bow-tie out of one of them.

 And, be much more comfortable wearing a tuxedo.

Dontcha think ?

The Son-in-Law Came Thru: Yah Hu Hu Hu !

This is a photo taken at an Okinawan Wedding back in February 2008 and that's what I'm Yah Hu Huing about today. This morning I found two CDs, that contain of all my daughter's wedding photos, sitting on the kitchen table. I'm talking about over a gigabyte, over 300 wedding pictures that have been missing, hiding in a black hole somewhere, for the past two years. My pictures !

The son-in-law,  the guy giving the speech and making the wife and daughter cry, must have dropped by the house and delivered the wedding photos last night. I've been needing them desperately for the past year, if not longer. I have articles to do and need those photos.

The guy in the tuxedo, that'd be me. I really do get dressed up, sometimes, shoes, socks, silly little bow tie and all. I leave my flipflops in the car so I can change on the way home.

While the women are sniffling at the mushy speech being made, you know what the old man is thinking, right?  Well, I'll tell you, just in case you don't think like I do. I was thinking something like "Would you please, hurry up and get done so I can go sit down and drink my beer before the shelflife expires."

Now, I'm no wedding photographer but, I do take wedding pictures for important people like members of the family, even when I get stuck dressing up like a clown and wearing flowers.

Of course, to shoot a photo like this, with me in it, I have to give my camera to an assistant. In this case, it was the only other Irishman in the building. I knew he wouldn't run off with my camera while there was still beer sitting on the tables. He really did a fine job taking pictures. Thanks, Mario.

A wedding in Okinawa is a big event and it's one like I've never seen before, anywhere on earth.
What I do after developing all my photos is burn them to CDs or DVDs and give them to the newlyweds. The professional wedding photographer, who makes megabucks, gets the wedding photos to them sometime within the next few months. Mine are done within a few days.

But, I don't want people photos clogging up my photo collection, I need room for wildlife and festivals. So, after I give the bride and groom their wedding pictures, I DELETE EVERYTHING.

Fast forward to 12 grandkids later. I feel like Archie Bunker with that guy, Meathead, only worse. I have a bunch of sons and son-in-laws. They all get their wedding photos on CDs or DVDs.

After I promise someone like POCKET CULTURES I'll submit an article about an Okinawa Wedding, ALL OF A SUDDEN,  NOBODY HAS THE FREAKIN' PICTURES I TOOK ! 

That all changed for the better today. Yah Hu Hu a Son-in Law Came Thru. Standby for more...