Light at the End of the Jungle (Photo) and the 750,000 Giveaway

It will happen real soon.

There is really light at the end of the jungle.

That view meter has less than 5,000 views left, before it hits 750,000 !

Just a quick reminder to anyone planning on winning a free photo from my gallery.

There are two important requirements you need to meet in order to enter and win.

One of them is JOIN THE MAILING LIST

The other is LIKE MIKE'S RYUKYU GALLERY ON FACEBOOK

All the rules, plus how to take a screenshot of the 750,000 views event

MAY BE FOUND HERE

750,000 VIEWS GIVEAWAY: SHOOT THIS BLOG

Now, I've got to run and try to catch up with that maniac chasing the light at the end of the jungle !

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Poinsettia Plants (Euphorbia pulcherrima) Can Become Humongous

Today I was out on Tsuken Island off the east coast of Okinawa, Japan.

For a couple of years I've been meaning to shoot one of these Poinsettia Plants.

Not the little potted things you see on sale at Christmas time around the globe,  I'm talking about the ones that get over 6 feet tall (180cm plus).  This isn't the largest one I've ever seen but,  it came in handy.  That's me in the photo and I'm shooting a sacred site.  I'm just a tad under 6 feet tall (179cm) when I ain't wearing my flipflops.  I didn't have to worry about bumpimg into those flowers because the plant is humongous.  They have even taller poinsettia plants on these islands.

One of these days I'll find a bigger one for you to see.  That guy I've been calling RyukyuRu took this shot.  It was the only way I could get him to stay still for a few seconds.  I handed him my other camera, the CANON G12 and told him I need a picture of me next to a poinsettia for my blog.

He runs this blog called MAP IT OKINAWA that has us running all over this island and any other island that belongs to Okinawa and probably won't quit until he maps the whole Ryukyu Island Chain.

Now, I ain't complainin or nuthin like that.  Just, everytime we come across a humongous poinsettia plant I'll be asking him to stop and shoot a photo.  Just so my tired old bones can get a break !

LEARN MORE ABOUT POINSETTIA PLANTS

Sunday's Silly Sign (Photo) DEC 4, 2011: STOP AT ONE TIME

This Sunday's Silly Sign was taken with a cell phone camera during one of my morning dog walks.

A construction outfit is getting ready to build an overpass, for a new highway that will cross one of my favorite beach access roads.  So,  they set up this detour.  You have to make a sharp right turn, just beyond this STOP AT ONE TIME sign.

I'd like to shoot a photo with one of my real cameras for you to see the whole scene through a wide angle lens.

But, I've already stopped there at one time.

Not sure if I'd get in trouble with the local authorities if I go back and stop there again.

So, I probably won't.

FOR MORE SUNDAY'S SILLY SIGNS SEE THE DOOZIES

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Photography Tip: Experiment with Aperture Settings

This won't be a lengthy Photography Tip explaining the whole field of aperture control, just two quick photos and the camera specs used to shoot them.  Taking your camera out of the fully Auto Mode and setting it to "A" (Aperture Priority) is all you need to do for this experiment.

The above photo was taken at an aperture setting of f/11.  The camera was mounted on a tripod and I focused on the grain.

The second photo was taken at an aperture setting of f/5.6 without changing the focus or readjusting the position of the tripod.

Taking control of aperture settings allows you to sharpen, or blur the background in your photo.

Try experimenting with some different aperture settings than what your camera likes to use.

Before long, you'll be wondering why they put that crazy Auto Mode thing on there !

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Friday Photos: Just a Couple of Nudies But They Are Works of Art

Today's photos come from Kouri Island in Okinawa, Japan.

The picture with the children facing a full moon should be easy to figure out.

It was a mural on the outside wall of a small museum I took shelter at when a storm was heading my way.  

The same photo was in a children's book sold at the museum.

Before taking any photos inside the place, I asked for permission and was given the green light.

That's how I managed to get this photo of a dragon and some sort of goddess.

Then, the rain stopped and I left.

Thinking I could just do an online search and get the history behind these nudie photos was a big mistake.  They had some books at the museum that may have explained the artwork.  There's nothing available online to help me.  So, now I have an excuse to go back to Kouri Island, again.

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