Chasing the May 2017 Full Moon Over Kin Town

Limited Visibility

Here's one of the reasons, I plan on shooting the moon, three nights a month.

The weather and cloud conditions can be tricky and sometimes, make it impossible.

Yesterday, I was awake before sunup and had an extremely busy day.

In the evening, I downloaded the camera and began processing a few hundred photos.

As the sun went down, I checked the skies, every few minutes. Things didn't look good.

Heavy black clouds, kept drifting across the sky. I figured, the moon would never appear.

Having taken photos of the near-full-moon on the previous two nights, I was alright.

The seventeen hour day began wearing me out. I was beat and, ready to call it quits.

Too tired, to put the camera away, I left it on a tripod and, placed the lens cap on my desk.

That would remind me, to charge the battery and, lock the camera up in it's storage container.

Around 10 PM the Moon Began Showing

Heavy clouds were blowing and portions of the moon, peeked through them.

If that moon showed up and I, didn't catch it, things would be mighty miserable around here.

A quick U-turn back to the office. Grab the camera and tripod and get back to work.

Twenty minutes to half an hour, might get the job done. The moon's gonna show !

Some Sample Shots in a Slideshow

Normally, I would use the camera timer, to get the sharpest images.

But, those clouds were moving way too fast, for such a luxury.  And, it was windy.

The best thing to do, was use continuous firing mode and, take 3 rapid shots at a time.

Once, I was satisfied, two or three sharp images were captured, I went back inside the office.

The camera battery was removed for recharging and, I locked it up.

A little trick: Store the camera upside down, until morning. Lens cap, on my desk.

That would remind me to download the images and replace the battery.

Close to 100 photos were on the SD card and, 60 of them were deleted.

The photo at the top of this page, was one of three, I really liked.


Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300, 1.4 converter - Focal Length 420MM

Exposure:  f/16   1/100   ISO 100

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  May 10 2017  10:01 PM



See my Photography Tips for Shoot the Moon

Getting Lost in the Hills of Kunigami

It's Getting to Be a Regular Routine

 

 

 About once a month the good Doc and I, get on these winding, one lane roads.

There are so many twists and turns, you would think, it was part of West Virginia.

And, there are plenty of intersections, to help you get confused, along the way.

Sometimes, I pull out the smart-phone, to take a shot with Google Translate.

But, there are places, up in the mountains, where the gadget, won't work.

So, what I wind up doing is, shoot signs, with a real camera.

Then whenever, I get home, I can get my wife translator, to tell me where I've been ! 

A L'il Video of Our Trip to Kunigami

After a Hard Day at Work It's Time for Some Peace

It Should Be Quiet Tonight Too

 

 

A new smartphone and some other gadgetry has been keeping me occupied, lately.

Just when, you think you've mastered the stuff, all hell breaks loose.

Today, I walked around snapping pictures with the android, instead of a real camera.

Then, got the bright idea to upload a little movie, it made for me via YouTube.

The thing is still  being repaired by the fixer-uppers, as I type this blog.

Whoa.  Here it comes !

Now, it plays a little fast and, doesn't give you much time to read the text.

All I can tell you if, you want to read the words, is stop the damn thing and, read.

Or, you could just listen to the music I swiped and, forget about the reading part.

Now, you know, why I need to get some peace and quiet !

Testing the Pentax K1 Full Frame on a Bug in Flight

Dragonfly Landing

 

 

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300MM F4

Exposure:  f/11   1/6400   ISO 12800

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  MAY 4 2016  11:26AM

Moving a Little Slow Today

 

 As much as I need to learn all the functions of this new camera, I took yesterday off.

It's Golden Week and, some time had to be spent with the family.

Another high-tech gadget, I've been learning to use, came along to the beach with me.

Unbeknownst to me, the thing makes movies, whenever it feels like.

Totally unedited, here's a minute movie, showing some of yesterdays events:

 

A Free Movie on You Tube ! What Will They Think of Next ?

This Could Be Legitimate I Suppose

 

Here's something you won't catch me doing often.  I watched a movie on my computer.

A little typhoon, soaked me twice in the last 24 hours so, I decided to stay close to home today.

Out behind my office, I have a small back porch.

And, I was conducting some tests on a lens I'll be doing a Mad Mike Review on.

It has already been used in some bars, on beaches, flowers and wildlife.

But, I need to play with it awhile longer to give everyone an accurate assessment. 

       

    Adjusting the aperture settings to show the difference in background was what I did here.

Snails, gardens, red tiles, all became subjects, besides these banana leaves.

Processing my photos on one computer, I made the mistake of checking the morning mail.

Somebody had a link on Facebook to Hachiko: The Most Faithful Dog in Japan.

A Whole Hour and a Half Free Movie on You Tube !

 

 

Not a real big fan of TV, movies or, that character Richard Gere, I sorta watched.

See, I was running in and out, whenever it stopped raining smoke and take more photos. 

That Richard guy stinks in the movie but, the dogs were great actors.

I almost fell out of my chair, laughing when he got sprayed by a skunk.  What a dummy !

Between doing business and goofing-off, watching the movie, I missed him dying.

If you like dogs, this movie could bring tears to your eyes.

If you like Richard Gere, don't cry.  He was just supposed to be acting. 


There's no telling how long this will last but, the free movie is here:

Do Not Be Disturbed by the Silence of the Drums

August May Be Ending But Eisa Dances Go On

 

The village streets in Okinawa, become quiet again at night, when Obon is over.

But Eisa may be viewed and, listened to, throughout the year.

An invitation to attend the Orion Beer Festival this weekend was politely declined.

Eisa groups from throughout the Ryukyu Islands perform so, I was tempted to go.

However, I still have hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos waiting processing and delivery.

There's really no need to go driving to the big city, at night to see Eisa.

Sitting in the comfort of an air-conditioned office, I watched this video three times. 

 

It was produced by a good friend and, an award-winning film maker, Robert Avery.

If the silence of the drums is bugging you or, you have never witnessed Eisa, check it out.

Flower Photo: Plumeria with Way More Information than Normal

How-to Stuff Always Comes in Handy

 

That's why many hours are devoted to researching plants and flowers around here.

Once an ID is made, on some flower that's new to me, I like to get all the information I can.

If someone wants to grow the plants or, eat them, they should be able to click a link and go.

Today, it's raining so, I dug-up lots of how-to stuff for you in my endless search for truth.

 The day I shot this Plumeria photo, I was loaded for bear.

Two Pentax cameras, two tripods, three lenses, three flower identification books, tripods and, the wife.

We were on a mission: Shoot as many exotic flowers as we could find.

That gives me plenty of blog material.

And, she can't complain about me never taking her anywhere.  Hah !

We did good.  A new flower could appear here once a week, if it keeps raining.

About the Plumeria

 

 

 

It's really a tropical plant but, people around the globe are growing them these days.

If you know what you're doing, you could plant them in pots.

Then, when it gets too cold in the garden, drag them into the house, until it warms-up again outside.

Watch your kids and animals, though; the sap is poison. 

The pretty flowers are used to make those necklaces called Hawaiian Leis.

Checkout: How to Grow Beautiful and Exotic Plumeria Flowers

The Plumeria flowers come in many colors and you can see non-copyrighted photos of them at:

About.Com Hawaii Travel

That's where I learned, in Hawaii, they call the plant Pua Melia.

And, in Australia, they are named Dead Man's Fingers !

There's a Plumeria Society video on YouTube if you want to see how to care for them.

The Way More Than You Need Information

Once I found about these flowers being used to make leis in Hawaii, I had a flashback.

Just a young kid, stepping off the boat in Hawaii, I was totally shocked, back in the 1960's.

Some Hula-looking girl threw these flowers around my neck and gave me a hug.

I must have been a real redneck and blushed.  WTF ?

Some older folks told me, "You just got leid." So, I learned something that day.

Anyway, I typed "Get leid" in a search just to see what I could find for you.

You must watch this Grandma's video and give her a thumbs up.

She says, "I got laid nine times in the first hour."  And, winks at you !

Tell me that gal doesn't crack you up !

Well, I have to get going.  I watched the video 10 times and keep forgetting to write the recipe down.

March 4th is Sanshin Day in Okinawa Japan

One of the Best Days of the Year

 

It almost slipped my mind but, when I turned on the radio, I knew, immediately.

Today is Sanshin No Hi and I'll be listening to the music until well after dark. 

Here's a photo of a sanshin it a dimly-lit bar.

It was taken one night when I was dimly-lit and decided to use the camera flash.

But, it shows you the three strings and snakeskin of an Okinawan sanshin or, samisen.

Thanks to a guy from Australia, Wolfsleepwalker, I have this treat for you.

Playing the song Sanshin no Hana (三線の花) is Eisho Higa, along with the band Begin.

There isn't a better video of anything on YouTube, if you ask me.

So, before I practiced stealing screenshots of this, I asked for permission.

And I got a reply.

"Hi Mike,  Take as many as you want.  
My best regards,
Wolf."





Now, my plan is to take the rest of the day off so I can enjoy Sanshin no Hi.

All you have to do to celebrate Sanshin Day, wherever you are, is go listen to this band.

If you're anything like me, you can't resist giving them a Thumbs-Up.  Enjoy !


Follow Begin on Facebook




Related Posts:

Today is Sanshin Day in Okinawa and the Islands are Rocking !

Okinawa Sanshin Day: A Photo Essay

A Buddhist Church That Tickled My Fancy

That You Tube is the best thing that came along since they invented canned beer.

Just a few minutes ago, I found this Buddhist Church video.

It made me run and grab a six-pack of beer out of the refrigerator.

A popular song in Okinawa, Japan is Ojii Jimanno Orion Beer.

They were singing the song, on stage, at the Gardena Buddhist Church.

Shucks.  I've drunk enough (lots) of that stuff in my lifetime.

I may have been declared a saint, three or four times over, already!

 Where the heck is Gardena, anyway?

Learning About the Dance Called Ushi-deeku

Ten More Photos from an Ushi-deeku

 

 Researching this cultural event in northern Okinawa, Japan has been interesting.

Depending where you are on the islands, the name of the dance may be different.

 Usudeku, was the search term I used initially because that's what I was told the dance was.

 And, I learned that women, only, perform the ritual, while I was shooting the event.

 A local newspaper had a, Oct 2012 article on Chibana Usudeku.

They say the purpose of the dance is to kick out evil spirits and have a good harvest. 

 

Chibana is a long way from this village, located in Nago.

So, I pulled my Okinawan-English dictionary off the shelf and looked for "Usudeku".

It wasn't there.

Back up north, I went to see what more I could learn about the ritual.

The friendly people in the village office gave me some printed information.

That's when I noticed (ウシヂーク) Ushi-deeku is what they call the dance.

Thanks to the University of Hawai'i Press and the

Okinawan-English Wordbook we have this information:

"Ushi-deeku, n. A woman's group dance, with hand drums and singing, to express gratitude for a 

rich harvest, usually held on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month".

The words Usudeku and Ushi-deeku may be interchangeable, or not.

The more you research, the more you find.

Today, I found a YouTube video of Usudeku on Kudaka Island.

There is a lot more to be learned about this dance.

We will go out there and getterdun, one of these days.

Nakabaru Vestige Photo: An Early Okinawan Dwelling

This photo was taken on Ikei Island Okinawa, Japan April 10, 2012.

It shows what some of the earliest Okinawan dwellings looked like a few thousand years ago.

There isn't much to be found researching these structures online.

Not in English, anyway.

But, I did find a video posted on YouTube.

Check it out, if you'd like to see the inside one of these homes. 

Meanwhile, I'll keep digging until I get the whole story for you.

Photography Tip: How to Clean Your DSLR Sensor (Photo Essay)

One of the most frightening things for someone switching from a Point and Shoot camera to a DSLR (besides price) has to be the words, "Dust on the sensor".

This photography tip will show you how to get dust off your sensor.

Camera manufacturers want you to send your camera back to them to remove dust and clean your sensor.  
For some people that's OK, I guess.  But, I'm not a millionaire, yet.

So, I do it myself.

First, take a look inside the DSLR when the lens is removed.  What you see is the mirror.

The sensor is hiding behind it.

On the camera Menu, you should find Mirror Up or similar words.  The mirror needs to be locked in the UP position for you to clean the sensor.

With the mirror locked up, the blue and green computer chip-looking thing you see is your DSLR's sensor.  
And, that baby is sensitive.  Do not touch it or, use a brush on it.

A Master Blaster air blowing bulb is the strongest thing I ever use to blow dust out of the camera body.

One time, I did hear of a lady who thought her hair dryer would be a great thing to use.

She melted the sensor and had to buy a brand new camera.  DUH !

There are all sorts of kits available for cleaning DSLR sensors and I won't recommend any one brand over another.  They all do the same job and all have similar tools with instructions.

This kit just happened to be in my backpack and I had what was needed to shoot a how-to demonstration for today's blog.

The orange-handled swab has some super-absorbent material on the end of it.

A little spill-proof bottle of magic sensor cleaner is what you use to, lightly moisten the swab.

Then, gently place it on the sensor and wipe, from one side to the other.

Next, I twist the thing around and give it a second swipe in the opposite direction.

That's just in case a chunk of my beard fell in there the first time I was doing it.

The final stage of sensor cleaning is a few good blasts of air to make sure the sensor is completely dry.  Normally, the camera would be held up in the air with the opening facing downwards.  That way, any other dust inside the camera body would fall out on the floor and not be free to hang around the sensor. 

For some informative YouTube Videos on cleaning DSLR sensors, a Google Search provides specific procedures for almost all brands and models of cameras. 

Now that you know How-to, when you are Ready-to clean your DSLR sensor

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