Early morning dive

On a recent morning dive, this morning actually, I experienced something unusual. My sinuses have been acting up, but that's mostly because I haven't been diving in a few weeks. At least not in the volume before now.

The short sightedness of local management has "blessed" me with being in charge of my own scuba shop temporarily. It's really cramping my style.

I can't really teach because I work in the shop on the weekends, and most people plan to dive at this time, because they work during the week, when I'm off. So I'm making due with what I can, but then a domino of 'things' keep occurring; pools closed, another pool manager is a jerk, people can't drive that far, people don't have cars, people don't care...

Regardless, I still have to get in the water. Did a shallow exploratory dive a few days ago, and the sinuses acted up a little. Today, I could 'feel' bubbles moving through. A little blockage now, and kinda sore. I'm also tired.

Rest is not on the menu however, as this morning it was 0500 and driving to dive in the water; after the dive, rush off and go open the store. (Timing was good though, so now I think I can do this again, and again, and again...)

I love early morning time. I'm one of those sick morning people. I remember being awake before the whole house when I was a kid, eating cereal and watching cartoons, sometimes out in the woods before the house is up. Now I drink coffee and go diving with my best dive buddy in the world. (Sorry, a little sappy, but still.)

Mr. 328359

Took a different angle on things today. There's tons of plankton and small fish right now, everyone  is complaining about visibility, not realizing that right now it's food they see for all the sea life they get to enjoy.

Anyway, below are some pictures of our dive buddies from this morning, I really missed them and was happy to see so many friends around. Took some liberty with creativity today as well, not something I commonly do. Hope you enjoy.

Goals...and time.

Wow. That was a busy week of nothing done. Ever had one of those weeks where you look back, and see nothing accomplished? I mean, things were done, tasks completed more than the day-to-day chores, but it feels like nothing was done. Frustrating.

There was a seawall cleanup. I worked with our 'competitor' and helped with the event. Mostly I brought a few people and helped pick up trash. Alternatively, I got to talk to a couple people and show myself and mingle...and listen to people talk about how we should all just get along, even when they have said otherwise in my presence (not knowing who I was).

We weren't able to dive, which significantly reduced overall participation, particularly on my end since most of the company I keep is divers and photographers. Water was not our friend that day, unless you were a surfer!!

The surf was beautiful. I've never seen the surf so clean on a day where the wind was light, and there was no rain.

Got to go to the Museum of the Ryukyus (Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum), and they happened to have the Marie-Antoinette exhibition. There were paintings and money and pillboxes and clothing and...hair pieces... yeah..

Secret shots, shutter noisy...

The one thing that occurred to me was, we were looking at letters, art and dresses that was over 200 years old, and looked beautiful. I wish I could share, but some of the areas were no cameras allowed and my hip shooting was crappy, but I will practice...don't worry.

They're working on the last portion of the Sunabe Seawall modernization project. I'll have an entire photo essay on this one. I missed a good portion of the work, but the impact it's making on the diving area is significant. The primary site where 90% if not more of NEW divers enter is currently closed, so diver traffic is being diverted to area that normally don't see that much activity. I'm noticing more broken coral and less natural settling of bottom substrate.

Finally, I continue to explore and see new things. I have traveled all over the southeast US and haven't seen as much concentrated culture as there is here. The spectrum from new to old is extreme, only comparable to the early 1990's in Charleston SC where you would have an abandoned house across the street from a beautiful new Charleston Single House.  

No diving this week, but as usual, pick up that trash both on the surface, and down below!!

Pick it up, leave only bubbles!

Graffiti or Street Art?

Okinawa is quite beautiful this time of year...or everyday for that matter. And there's one thing that stands out, the street art or graffiti. Whichever, regardless I'll be doing a series on these and have a master portfolio on http://flic.kr/ps/8J1JU as I build a library, so be sure to view the set once you find it up.

Graffiti - writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.    As per the online Oxford Dictionary. There seems to be a distinct line drawn between Street Art and Graffiti, with Street Art as everything else BUT graffiti, but once you see some of these, how are they not art?

There's obviously talent, composition, a statement being made.

I will shoot as much as I can, geotagging while I'm at it. There are a few obvious artists around the island that have made their mark.

So, the debate is over art? or not? Some are primitive while others are incredibly elaborate, and placement based on seclusion or high-traffic. The time and effort put into these is stunning for some of the ones I have coming up, so stay tuned!

Oh yeah, and if you see this:

Pterois sp. (Lionfish)

DON'T touch!!

Pick up your trash, and leave bubbles!!

Uneventful week, well, for me maybe...

Not to much happened last week. Usual playing with the weather, waiting to dive. Finished a solo student who left for Sydney Australia on vacation. Now he gets to dive the Great Barrier Reef!! Score +1 karma point for me!!

Took some surface photos on Tuesday around Oyama Port. A little shack where they serve some delicious bento...and have a plethora of cats. I'll be returning there for another shoot to document the street-art (grafitti). The local government seems to have gotten funds to paint over everything very recently, so I've been trying to capture it before it is 'corrected'.

The new camera is making me picky about my underwater camera. The last few weeks I've been having strobe/flash issues. Things are washed out, double exposed, underexposed....not exposed. It's frustrating considering how difficult it is in the first place to capture some of these images.



The 'business end'

Took a moment to catch the last of the Sunabe Seawall that I had failed to shoot after we first arrived here. Still, it's rather timely considering 'progress' is being made. There will be a full publication of the seawall eventually, I have all the old street-art before one section was completely renovated.

'New' seawall on the right

The most popular beginner entry point for scuba



Can't wait to see the final results, I'll be shooting this site during construction, so stay tuned!!

Remember:

Take out the trash, and leave only bubbles!!