Fashion Photography

A few weeks ago I spent the afternoon shooting with Eboh a fashion photographer based in Okinawa.  I don’t normally shoot fashion, or do much studio work so it was a fascinating experience.

The setup was relatively simple. White seamless background, that was blasted with light from two strobes. The main strobe was a large beauty dish positioned in front of the model and about 2 meters high. A silver reflector was used to bounce a little fill light up.

The three strobes went to a single Norman battery pack which was then triggered by a Pocket Wizard.

I used my Pentax 67II with a 165mm LS (leaf shutter lens). The leaf shutter lens allowed me to use flash synched at 1/250 of a second rather than 1/30 of  a second. A flash cable connected the leaf shutter lens to a second Pocket Wizard which triggered the strobes.

The model for the shoot was Nikki who did a fantastic job. Eboh took a variety of images with different outfits and poses. I would watch Eboh work, and then we’d switch and I’d take a few shots.

The film was processed and then another friend, Photoshop guru Annya, helped show me the basics of crafting the final image. (It turns out the Photoshop can do far more than my usual dust removal and cropping.)

Fashion shoot with model Nikki Wright.

Eventually you end up with a final image, or a version of the final image before you start tweaking it again. Many thanks to Eboh, Nikki, and Annya!

Kadena Market Day / Foster Craft Show

This month I will be at two bazaars on Okinawa. I will have a wide selection of prints including the larger limited edition prints (that are also available through the website) and some smaller open edition prints.

Kadena Market Day

November 21, 2009 at  Schilling Community Center  10:00 – 15:00

F0ster Craft Show

November 28, 2009 at  Foster Community Center  10:00 – 16:00

There should be many fantastic vendors at each event, so If you’re in the area please drop on by and say hello.

Christmas 2009 Print Orders

If you are planning to buy a print through the Travel 67 website please place your order before December 10th to ensure that the item will be with you (or the recipient of the gift) by December 25th.

 

Goodbye Honda Sports Cars

In 2005 Honda ceased production of the fantastic NSX super-car. In December 2008 the company announced that plans to produce a new generation NSX had been cancelled.  In the same month Honda also announced it was leaving F1 racing.

This summer Honda ceased production of the S2000 sports car. This was another truly great sports car, and that’s not just my opinion,  it was ranked number 1 three years in a row on the BBC’s Top Gear Survey (2004, 2005, 2006).  Honda no longer make a true sports car. The company’s Japanese website still carries the above sketch of  two Honda S-cars on the homepage, but it’s just a little sad that, when it comes to sports cars, nostalgia seems to be the only thing that remains.

AIBO

I was just making a print of this AIBO shot. AIBO are  Sony’s autonomous robot dogs, and are fantastic pieces of engineering. In this photo there is an AIBO ERS-111 (silver) and an AIBO ERS-210 (gold) with the special AIBO pink ball which they can play with.

AIBO was discontinued in 2005 as a cost cutting measure. It is a shame because AIBO was a great flagship product for Sony.  AIBO remains however  as a fine example of synergy between  high-technology and “kawaii” cuteness.

The Traveling Photographer (3)

The November edition of Okinawa Living is now available.  This month my “The Traveling Photographer” page is all about the rule of thirds.

Harley Riders in Okinawa

Along with the presence of Dr Pepper, A&W and Spam, the military presence in Okinawa has led to the popularity of another American icon – the Harley. On weekends there are often groups of bikers cruising up route 58 towards Cape Hedo, and once a year many of the riders parade along Gate 2 street as part of the local festival.

Fantastic bikes, but as a Brit, I’d rather have a Triumph.

Eco Police

Earlier this year I wrote a post titled Police Performance about the use of high performance Japanese sports cars by police.

It turns out however that another Japanese motoring icon, the electric Mitsubishi I-MiEV, will be soon helping the boys in blue.

The Future of Light?

For several years I have had LED flashlights. They produce a bright white beam of light and use far less power than a regular incandescent flashlight. (I even found a flashlight that uses the same Lithium CR123A batteries as my Pentax 67II and Sekonic Light Meter.)

I was most impressed therefore when I saw LED lightbulbs on the shelves of my local store.

Toshiba LED lightbulb

The great thing about them is that they use even less power than a compact fluorescent bulb. The bulb I got produces 565 lumens of light (similar to a regular 60W bulb) while using only 6.9W. The main disadvantages is that they are still quite expensive, for example the bulb I got was 3,880 yen (US$40) but this should pay for itself over several years due to the lower running costs.

Household lighting consumes a huge amount of electricity. The introduction of LED lighting provides a simple way to reduce the amount of energy we are using. Manufacturers of green products need to be supported by consumers, so next time you are at the store consider getting an LED lightbulb. It may not be a panacea for environmental problems, but it is another step in the right direction.

Printing umbrellas while it rains

It’s pouring down with rain outside. A typhoon may be heading this way and it’s bringing with it nothing but dark clouds, wind and rain.

I meanwhile am sitting in front of  the computer printing off an umbrella.

Wagasa - Traditional Japanese Umbrella

A Well Preserved Specimen.

Went to the import food store. Bought ridiculously priced jar of Mackays Spiced Ginger Preserve so that I can have freshly brewed coffee and ginger jam on toast for breakfast.

Opened jar…

Mackays Spiced Ginger Preserve - with a wee Scottish midge as a bonus.

“made in traditional open pans with 100% Natural Fruit to create that special “home-made” taste and flavour.“

I have a cunning plan… this midge may have landed on, and possibly sucked the blood of the Loch Ness Monster. Unfortunately for the midge it did this just before landing in one of Mackays traditional open pans. I shall extract the blood from the preserved midge, extract the DNA from the blood, and then splice the DNA with that of the Japanese giant salamander to produce a new creature the likes of which the world has never seen. I shall call the creature Ginger as a clever nod to its humble beginnings. I shall keep Ginger a secret until the next time Tokyo is attacked by Godzilla. Ginger and I will save the day then return home for tea and toast.