Amami Superman Photography

Do you ever feel like your life isn't in your control? I've been feeling that way for quite some time now. At the beginning of this year, I decided to make some changes. It's not quite a New Year's resolution, as the thought has been in my mind for a while. It just happened I got the gumpf to do something about it then.

I need to take more time to spend with the family during the week and on the weekends. Not so much just being with them, but going out and doing things together. I feel our family activities have slowly dwindled to nonexistence over the past year or so. Sure we get out every once in a while, but not like before.

I also need to get in control of my health. I think I fall in the severely obese category now. It's weird to think that just 8 years ago I used to play basketball 3 times a week and compete in off-road bike races around southern Japan. I used to pride myself with how strong and in shape I was. Now I'm just a fat tub of lard that has a hard time putting on his socks. I think in the past 8 years I put on over 50kg (over 110 lbs). No more.

I'm going to take some time to get back and do something fun and interesting for myself. I haven't taken very many photos over the past 3 or 4 months. Maybe a handful of times. I want to change that too. I'm going to make some time for me.

I decided to stop teaching some of my evening classes I teach during the week. I mean to stop teaching all evening classes eventually. Last month I started to coach my daughter's mini basketball team. I've posted a few posts about that in the past. I decided to do this for a few reasons: 1. Running drills with the kids gives my fat butt a chance to do some exercise. 2. I get to spend a little time teaching my daughter basketball as well as a whole team. Sure coaching basketball takes up some time, but it's something I like and want to do.

Last month I started to watch what I eat, literally. I started counting calories and what I was actually eating in my meals - lots and lots of fat. My wife bought a healthy recipe book and has been making some very delicious meals from that. I've made some nutrition goals for a daily calorie intake. It's not that difficult once you figure out what kinds of foods have loads of fat in them. I read somewhere a quote that goes quite well with how I feel, "I'm not on a diet, I'm eating healthy." There's another quote I saw that I also like, "I'm not losing weight, I'm getting rid of it! And I don't want it back!" So I'm eating healthier and drinking lots of water.

With these changes I also want to get back to taking photos again. This last weekend I grabbed the camera bag, dusted off the tripod and loaded the family into the car to go take some sakura photos. We didn't have that much time as we had basketball practice in the afternoon, but I was able to take a few OK shots.

Nikon D60, Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 24mm, 1/250 sec, f/4.2, ISO 100 -- EXIF

Nikon D60, Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 48mm, 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 -- EXIF

Nikon D60, Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 22mm, 1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100 -- EXIF
Am I Making a Funny Face?

I was getting Jade off to school this morning when I realized it wasn't raining that hard. After she left, I grabbed my gear and jumped in the car to go see if I could get lucky and take some sakura photos. Well, it didn't change much. It was still raining but not enough so I needed an umbrella. The sakura trees were littered with mejiro birds so I took a few shots of them as well. (mejiro means "white eye")

They have over 100 varieties of cherry blossoms here in Japan. The variety they have here in Amami usually starts blossoming around the beginning of February to middle of February. Last week we had had a few days of gorgeous weather which in turn brought the temperature up a bit. Some of the cherry trees here in Amami got a bit faked out by this and started blossoming early. I took the family out yesterday to look for some of these and we found just one tree with blossoms (and not that many I might add).

We haven't had that great of weather lately. I've been antsy to get out and take some photos. Today was relatively nice so after a bit of work in the morning I took the afternoon off and went out to find some places to shoot.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 18mm, 1.0 sec, f/20, ISO 100 -- EXIF

We have a flying insect here in Amami called a "BUTU" in the Amami dialect. It's pronounced "boo-too". It's a small bug about the size of a fruit fly but packs a punch much worse than a mosquito. When bitten by one, you bleed from the spot you were bittin. Then it gets red and swells a bit anywhere from the size of a Dime to a Quater and the temperature of the skin in that area goes up. This redness and temperature last for a day or two. I've heard cases of people getting bit multiple times over their bodies and had to go to the hospital for it. They can be pretty nasty if you don't have any bug spray around. These little pests were out in force today and I was bitten 8 times. I'm rarely bitten by mosquitos and when they do bite, I'm mostly unaffected. But these guys do a wammy on me. I was itching like crazy all over my legs.


So as I was driving around in the mountains, I came to a park they have in the middle of no where. I've been here many times but I've never taken any photos. As I drove down in to the parking lot, I noticed these white flowers on some trees. I was excited to get out and take some photos. As I drove up closer, I noticed they were SAKURA! Most of the sakura here in Amami are dark pink and bloom in January. But these weren't pink. The only thing I could think of why they were blooming now is they maybe a different variety than the ones they have planted around Amami. I've never seen any other sakura blooming here in Amami this time of year.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 34mm, 1/800 sec, f/5, ISO 100 -- EXIF

Nikon D60, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 45mm, 1/800 sec, f/5.3, ISO 100 -- EXIF

I went hiking down a trail in the woods taking of photos of whatever I saw.

Nikon D60, 30mm f/1.4, 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 -- EXIF

I was having fun hiking around but I was getting tire of being eaten so I decided to head home. I wanted to take some night time photos of the city.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm, 30 sec, f/29, ISO 100 -- EXIF

This shot was taken from a spot called "Ogamiyama". It's a pretty nice hike to this spot. There's a fair bit of stair climbing you have to do. My legs felt like soft spaghetti noodles on the way back down. All in all, it was a good day.