5 Photos of Blue Skies and Dragonboats in Okinawa

2013 Kin Town Dragonboat Races

 

The fair weather spirits smiled on my hometown, Kin Village in Okinawa, today.

A cameraman could get burned-out shooting  a few thousand photos of these boats in a week.

 So, I play with the camera lens to squeeze some scenery into the frame.

The blue sky with white clouds was a relief, to see, after months of rainy season.

Once in awhile a cloud carrying some moisture blew over.  But, it never rained.

The team members, wearing orange life vests gave some terrific color contrast to these images.

There will be hundreds of close-up dragonboat photos processed next week.

For now, just kick back and enjoy the scenery I saw over Kin Town today.

Life's a beach !

June 13, 2013 Crescent Moon and Sunset Near Ie Jima

Sometimes the Sun Won't Cooperate

 

Last night a break from processing Dragonboat Race photos was in order.

The Map It Okinawa dude came by and wanted to go somewhere for sunset photography.

We drove from one island to another trying to make the best of the situation.

Low hanging clouds can sure ruin sunsets.

The plan, was to get a beautiful, bright sun, going down behind Ie Jima.

Scouting positions around Sesoko Island we figured it wouldn't be possible, from there.

Back on the main island of Okinawa the sun was already dipping below the horizon.

That's alright for silhouette photography, if you like the colors in the sky.

The scene didn't thrill me.

So, I shot the crescent moon.

Then, backed up all the way to 18mm and got the moon, along with the sunset.

 Map It Dude had no idea what I was doing next.

Off the seawall and out in the street, I went and squeezed his silhouette in the frame, too !

The above photos taken with a Pentax K5 and 18-250mm lens.

Location:  GPS N 26 39.528   E 127 53.098 on Motobu Peninsula.

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: Itoman Okinawa Dragonboat Races

Just back from a long day in the hot Okinawa sun, tonight I'll show you one photo.

Hundreds more will be processed and uploaded over the next few weeks.

For those who don't already know, these races signal the end of rainy season.

So, I'll be getting out of the office a lot more with the cameras.

There's no place I'd rather be than outdoors.

The smart thing, for me to do, would be go downtown and rehydrate.

More later.....

5 Views of a Sacred Site on Sesoko Island Okinawa

There are hundreds of sacred sites (Utaki) on the island of Okinawa.

The stonework of the walls and steps here resemble that of a castle so, this one is very old.

With no one worshiping, it was a good time to take photos from several angles.

Notice, there are two separate structures.

The building in the back has an unusual ornament on the tiled roof.

 Here is a view, looking through the first building at the locked entrance to the second one.

Down the road, to the right, you can see both buildings are up on a hill.

The Ryukyu Islands have a fascinating history and culture.

It could take a non-native 100 years to understand it all.

Be patient.  I'm working on it.

Related Posts:

Forest, Rocks and Salt: The Less Traveled Path in Okinawa

Utaki the Sacred Sites of Okinawa