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Nikon D3 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/4, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Water Basin Carved From Solid Moss
Photo By Paul Barr

I mentioned in “Stone Carvings: Curves, Crowns, an Ouchie, and More” how drawn I was to the curved shapes among the many items in the gardens behind the Nishimura Stone Lanterns stone-carving workshop. I recall several moss-covered basins, but I seem to have neglected to take pictures of any. I'm really drawn to them while reviewing the day's photos, but I apparently didn't pay much attention while I was there because the only photos I have of them are Paul Barr's, who went with me on that trip.

One of my favorites is the plain curved water basin that I featured in my “Paul Barr + Stonecarver’s Garden + Lightroom” post...

Nikon D3 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
In Its Proper Light
Photo By Paul Barr

The unprocessed shot at the bottom of the “Paul Barr / Stonecarver's Garden” post truly had no post-processing except for resizing, so its white balance setting remained at what the camera guessed at. The one above was set after using a netural card for reference, like this and this.

In looking at the two above – moss vs. stone – I very much prefer the second. I vaguely recall a really great moss-covered basin, but I can't find it in the photos. I guess I'll have to just head back to check it out. The current forecast is for a touch of snow tomorrow night (New Year's Eve), so maybe a trip back to the gardens on Jan 1 will be in order.... a little frost-dusted moss might make for a pretty sight.

Like I said, I barely noticed these things while I was there, so I'm very glad that Paul gave me a dump of all his shots, and the permission to share them. He's an excellent photogrpher with a great eye, so it's too bad that he doesn't have the time/energy to share them in an online gallery himself. He just enjoys taking pictures. I can't say that I blame him... to share them takes a lot of effort, even with great tools like Lightroom.

On the other hand, keeping in mind my blog while I'm out with the camera – what I might want to share, and how – really adds a lot of enjoyment for me.

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/10, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Inspecting a Tiny Hermit Crab

At the end of my previous post, about Taketomi Island in the far south of Japan, we'd stopped at a cafe for cake and coffee.

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Mmmm, Chocolate Cake

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Drawn to the Shore

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Shell With Legs?

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Close Inspection

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Crab Trails

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Here's One

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Whoa!

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“Hello!”

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Let's See Him Walk
This is only seven months ago, but Anthony looks so much younger than now

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Add Some Friends

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Hey, Where Are You Going?

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Very Tiny Crab

I felt bad that we inadvertently chased him out of his home. When he returned to the beach, we put his shell back near him, and left him alone.

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/11, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
Modern Conveyances
Taketomi Island, Okinawa, Japan

So, picking up from yesterday where I recapped our spring trip to Ishigaki Island in the far south of Japan, and our side excursion to the culturally unique Taketomi Island....

Taketomi's tourist draw, besides the quaint little town, are tours through it in carts pulled by water buffalo. (Why water buffalo? No idea.) There were maybe a dozen water buffalo we could see, two or three in active service.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
During Our Ride

I don't have many pictures from our ride, but wish I did because our tour guide (and caretaker of our buffalo, whose name he told us but I've now forgotten) was most excellent. He had a wonderful aura of kindness toward the animal and the passengers, was an excellent storyteller, and played a mean shamisen. He seemed to communicate with the buffalo on a plane we weren't part of... he'd be in the middle of telling some story about the history or character of the village, and without breaking gaze or cadence, he took a large bucket from the side of the cart and placed it under the rear end of the buffalo, who then proceeded to fill the bucket. The driver then returned the bucket to its storage spot, and we continued, all the while some story being told.

K001 — ¹/950 sec — map & image data — nearby photos
"Water Buffalo Cart Check-In
Inside
Photo by Anthony Friedl

One of the zany guardian things described yesterday, displaced from its normal spot on the roof.

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Touristy Photo Op

We then went for a stroll through the village...

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Flying George

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Coral-Lined Lanes
pedestrians, bikes, and watter buffalo

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Modern Urban Blight
bicycle parking

Actually, there was plenty of urban blight any time you looked up...

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Typical Japan

... but they were in the long process of burying all the cables...

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Under Construction

They started a similar project near my place four years ago, and have still yet to complete it. They completely redid the road and sidewalks, but left the wires and poles, telling me that the actual removal would follow “in a few years”. Still waiting )-:

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/11, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
High Point on the Island

The island is very flat, so a little outcropping of rock makes for a notable landmark with a view. Add to that a lookout tower kind of thing made a hundred or so years ago before zoning, and you have the highest point on the island whose status is now protected by law.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/11, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lookout

The stairs were the steepest I'd ever taken, somehow feeling even steeper than a vertical ladder. Some people could not navigate them, opting to give up (slowly and carefully) after the first few huge steps.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/11, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Village

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Recent Roof Repair
sort of distorted due to having been cropped from the corner of a 24mm frame

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Leading the Stroll
along the prettiest lane, where we eventually took a family portrait

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Okinawan Roof
Incredibly Solid

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Veneer of Modern Traditionalism
local post office

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Testing
anti-gravity parachute parasol

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Fixer-Upper
comes with its own rusting steam roller

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George Flying Again
approaching takeoff speed

We eventually took the 15-minute boat ride back to Ishigaki Island, and stopping by a cafe for a coffee, found to our delight that we could see Taketomi Island off shore, in all its flatness.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/14, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Should Be Called Pancake Island

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Roof on Taketomi Island
replete with twin rabies-crazed guard devil dogs
Taketomi Island, Okinawa, Japan

Last spring we made a short trip to Ishigaki Island in the far south of Japan, just this side of Taiwan. I posted about the trip there and the amazing first sunset and first dinner, some zero light night photography. And more. And that was just from the first day of the trip.

The second day generated nine posts, including some beautiful vistas, a secluded beach, some dynamic weather at a lighthouse, a sunset dip in the pool, a lively “flame & rain” dinner, and a retrospective through Anthony's eyes.

I barely started posting about the third day, having only shown our boat ride to nearby small Taketomi Island and some pretty coral- & flower-lined roads there.

Anyway.... it's been ages since I posted from that trip, so now that you're caught up, I plan to continue, starting today with this recap and the picture above.

Taketomi Island is a small island a few miles off Ishigaki Island, part of the long string of islands known collectively as Okinawa, but 400km south-west of the Okinawan mainland. Taketomi and Ishigaki are culturally quite distinct from “Okinawa” (the Okinawan mainland), but their traditional roofs are similar. They feature heavily-cemented tiles — better to stay put during a typhoon — and are usually adorned with a pair of statues of some kind of guardian lion or dog or whatnot. (The guardian animal doesn't change... I'm just not sure what it is.)

On Okinawa the guardians were imposing, commanding, somewhat fierce and sinister, and, like many things on Okinawa proper, with a strong Chinese cultural influence. Here in Taketomi, though, the guardians tended to be comical, with big bulging eyes.

At least I think they're supposed to be comical. I certainly found them so. I enjoyed them much more than their Okinawan counterparts. Look at the full-size pic above for the full zaniness.

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/6.3, ISO 2800 — full exif
Bonk! Bonk!

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Robot Arm Pieces Parts
from Santa gets Grandpa's attention as well

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The Main Event
his self-picked but-not-guaranteed present from Mommy and Daddy

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Exquisitely Happy
with stylish red socks, no less

After getting ready for Santa, Anthony went to bed at about 8:30pm. I happened to wake up a bit before 4am and noticed that Anthony was already up, had already confirmed that Santa had visited, had already opened the small present he's allowed to open when he wakes up, had played with it, grown tired of it, and was entertaining himself with a video. At 3:55am.

With effort, against his protests of “I'm not tired!”, I got him back to bed, and soon he was sleeping again. Me too.

We had a nice little presents time, with Fumie's folks stopping by as well. I went easy with the camera, grabbing just a few shots here and there.

I'd been joking for ages that his present from Mommy and Daddy should be socks and underwear, since he needs both. He did not like this idea, and instead requested a particular Lego® Star Wars™ toy.

I did get him some socks and wrapped them up as a joke, adding in there the wild striped red ones as a further joke. When he opened them and realized what they were, he played along with the “wow, socks!” theme nicely. It was fun.

One benefit to Christmas in Japan is that it's a normal business day (it's a benefit, at least, if you don't have to go out to a day job). Around 6pm this evening, a package arrived.... a bread maker that I'd ordered from Amazon Japan two days ago. My present to myself. The first loaf is cooking now, the timer telling me it'll be done at five minutes past midnight. That's in about two hours, and it's already starting to smell nice.