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I borrowed a Nikkor 105mm AF Micro f/2.8 lens from a coworker and decided to try some macro work for fun this weekend. I ended up going with a matchstick setup so I could capture smoke and a matchstick as it is ignited.

I used a black backdrop, SB-600 Nikon speed-light, and a Lumiquest softbox III for my off camera lighting setup.

Here are some of the pictures from my little experiment.

It rained for about an hour and I thought my Saturday was ruined again. Luckily enough the rain cleared up and I decided to pack my camera and take a little trip to the Futenma Shrine located in Ginowan.

Futenma Gongen is a Shinto shrine that was built roughly 500 years ago by King Sho Kinpuku during the Sho dynasty. Today the Futenma shrine is a place of worship for many Okinawans. An interesting fact is that the Futenma shrine is one of eight major shrines on the Ryukyu Islands. Behind the main building is another smaller structure that only the priest have access to and have been trusted not to reveal the contents.

In addition to the beautiful shrines are some historical caves. The caves are said to be very sacred and date back thousands of years. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit the caves but you can gain access by asking a priest or female attendant for admission.

There is no entrance fee to visit Futenma Gongen but donations are welcome. While you are there you can purchase charms, amulets, and fortunes in both Japanese and English.

If you are looking for a way to spend 45 minutes to an hour and you are in the Ginowan area, stop by the Futenma Shrine and enjoy some local history.

Check out all of the photos from the Futenma shrine.

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Directions:

The Futenma shrine is located on RT 330 in Ginowan outside of Camp Fosters gate 6.

To get there from Kadena’s Gate 1 you will take a left and head down HWY 58 past the Camp Foster commissary gate. After passing the commissary gate you will take a left when you see a sign for Futenma and RT 81. Drive straight and 81 will turn into RT 330. The shrine will be on your left side. If you make it to Camp Foster’s legion gate then you have passed it.

From Camp Fosters Gate 6 (American Legion Gate) take a right and head down RT 330. Futenma shrine will be on your right side. It is roughly a ten minute walk from Camp Fosters Gate 6.

What I meant to say is that the Chunichi Dragons are here in Okinawa.

The  Chunichi Dragons are one of several professional baseball teams that will spend a month in Okinawa for spring training.

If you were unaware, baseball is a very popular sport here in Japan. At the Dragons most recent practice I went to, there were several hundred people just waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite star. The Dragons will actually begin the pre-season with an exhibition game against the Yakult Swallows at 1 p.m. at Chatan Town Ball Park. You can find out more about the Dragons here.

It was very exciting to see people of all ages out watching just a practice session. I have played baseball nearly my entire life and can understand why so many appreciate the game.

Needless to say, I brought my camera and snapped a couple of photo’s.

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The latest and greatest addition to the family is my new Nikkor 80-200m f/2.8 ED AF-D lens. I got mine from one of my favorite online retailers, B&H Photo .

It has been only about three hours but I just love how sharp the images are. I have it coupled with my Nikon D80 and everything seems to be working just beautifully. I bought the newer two ring version with the tripod collar, but if you were curious about the different versions check out this link .

Because this is my first professional grade lens, I am very excited about getting out and using this as often as possible.

One problem that many people have with this lens is that it does not have Nikons VR (Vibration Reduction) like the newer 70-200 f/2.8 VR . Although I think this would be a huge benefit, the 70-200 f/2.8 version costs nearly double the price of the 80-200 f/2.8. If you plan on buying this lens, be prepared to get a great workout whenever you shoot with it. It is pretty heavy weighing in at nearly 3 pounds!

I haven’t had the lens for a full day, but I will post any updates or findings I have with the lens in the future. Overall…I am very impressed with the speed and sharpness I get from this lens.

Here is a sample image

In Japan cherry blossoms or Sakura would definitely be categorized as a “NATIONAL OBSESSION.” I mean, the Japanese love Sakura so much that they flock by the thousands every year to get a chance to see them up close and personal. I don’t blame them…they are absolutely beautiful!

Because Okinawa is such a tropical island, their Sakura bloom a little earlier compared to mainland Japan. I recently had a chance to take a trip up north for the 47th annual Nago Cherry Blossom Festival. Nago is one of the best places on Okinawa to see cherry blossoms because it hosts nearly 20,000 cherry trees.

Directions:

From Naha Airport take the Okinawa Expressway, exit at Kyoda the last exit. Continue north toward Nago. Once in Nago, turn right onto Route 84 under the walkway. On your right you will see Orion Brewery. Turn left at the brewery and take an immediate right. During cherry blossom season and on the days of the festival it is advised to park well away from the park both for cost and to allow for an easy escape when leaving..

Here are a couple of shots from the festival.

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You can view all of the Nago cherry blossom photo’s by going to my Okinawa album then select the Nago gallery.

So, I finally made it back to beautiful Okinawa and was reunited with my beloved camera.

My first full day back I went out and started shooting. I really didn’t have any goal for this adventure, I just wanted to get out and snap some photo’s. I usually shoot landscapes, so I really wanted to get away from that and try something new. I really want to start learning and applying new techniques I have read so much about so I can grow and develop a style of my own. Anyways…

Here are a couple shots from my day of wandering around with a big grin on my face!

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Earlier this year I bought my first DSLR camera, the D40x . From that day I have been obsessed with learning as much as I can about digital photography techniques. I would have to say that one of my biggest photography accomplishments of 2008 was getting the opportunity to have two of my photo’s published in a local calendar here on Okinawa.

Since then I have sold the D40x and replaced it with a D80. Most importantly, I look forward to pushing my creative limits in 2009.

I wanted to share my top 10 favorite photo’s of 2008. Let me know which one is your favorite!

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My wife and I went out to American Village and decided it would be fun to test out my new 50mm 1.8d lens that she got me for Christmas.

American Village is a popular hangout area for Americans and locals. It is centrally located around Kadena Air Base, Camp Lester, and Camp Foster in Okinawa, Japan. Generally, any day of the week you can find some type of performer doing their thing!

My wife even decided that she wanted to take a couple shots with the new lens. You can check out some of the shots below.

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Here are some photo’s that Britt took

You can check the rest of the night photo’s from American Village here . If you feel like checking out all of my Okinawa photo’s, check out my Okinawa gallery page.