Coral Conservation Art Show & Fundraiser 2018 – Okinawa, Japan

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Admin11

coral conservation fundraiser

Coral conservation fundraiser

For all that will be in Okinawa Sunday, October 28, 2018, visit the Corals Art Show & Fundraiser! This year is the International Year of the Reef, and that’s why the 3rd edition of Okinawa’s Art Show & Fundraiser (started by Julia Janicki) will be for CORALS!

Enjoy this great mix of art, artists and scientists, live music, nice beers, and a ‘touch table’ to play around with some real science. The auction of the art is until 5:30 PM, this is your chance to find some unique local artwork and donate to a good cause.

Flyer Design – Photos by Shawn Miller, Calligraphy and Illustration by Nicolas Baldwyn, Japanese Calligraphy by Tetsuhiro Hokama, Design by Mirijam Neve.

The Purpose – To educate others about these amazing creatures and the major threats they are facing. To donate some of the profits from the art pieces to conservation organizations (Conservation International to support their CTI)

People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography? Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment.

I will be offering five high-quality underwater fluorescence photographs printed on metal for the fundraiser. A percentage of the sales will be donated to coral conservation awareness.

Mpix metal prints for fundraiser

Coral conservation fundraiser prints

The event was a huge success. Thank you all for your support. Here are a few photographs of the event.

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Corals Art Show & Fundraiser

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

The science and education table for the adults and children by Maggi Mars.

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Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Corals Art Show & Fundraiser @OBC

Live music by CJ & Friends. Thank you!

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The band – CJ & Friends

A big thanks to all the artists and contributors. Mirijam Nerve, Sylvia Beauchain, and Julia Janicki did a great job organizing the art show and fundraiser. Have a great day!

MOTIONOGRAPHY – Creating motion in still photographs by Shawn Miller

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Admin11

As a photographer, there will be a time when you feel all your photographs look similar and you might lose interest for a while. Creating motion in still photographs will definitely give you a new challenge and purpose. The goal is to try to show some type of motion in a still photograph. The photographs emphasize the energy, power and or speed of the subject moving. Dramatic motion images will provide depth and variety to your portfolio.

Try panning or dragging the shutter

Move the camera in sync with the moving subject while the shutter stays open. Slow shutter speed will be necessary to achieve this.
Once you understand this technique try adding flash at the end of the exposure to freeze the motion of the subject.
Get creative and add a spin the camera

Motion + Photography = Motionography

Panning can be frustrating at times. Keep practicing and eventually, you will get a few selected photographs. Below are some of my favorite outdoor panning photographs.

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Koi Art

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Wings spread

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Ryukyu Tigers

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Birds in flight

The motion of flight © Shawn Miller

Egret on the move

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Swoosh

The landing! Black-faced spoonbill -

The landing! Black-faced spoonbill –

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Golden light

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Yanbaru forest

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Splash -Maeda flats

If certain colors are distracting in your photographs try converting them to black & white. This can enhance the mood and sometimes make the photograph more dramatic.

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Okinawa photographers

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Ie Island Lilly festival

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Surfs up

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The strider

Most importantly have fun and get your friends and family involved in your projects!

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Round and around

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The Race @ Round1

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Basketball

Araha beach race

Araha beach race

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Roller derby event

beach excavation

Beach excavation

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Slow down

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Searching for the Ryukyu Ghost Crab by Shawn Miller

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Admin11

Ghost crabs are one of the fastest terrestrial crabs on the planet. They live in burrows underneath the sand on the coastline. They are found scavenging for food early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid predators. These sand crabs can change colors to adapt to their environment. In Okinawa, we have two species of Ghost crabs, the Horn-eyed crab (Ocypode ceratophthalmus) and the Smooth-eyed ghost crab (Ocypode cordimanus).

Horn-eyed ghost crab at sunset

Horn-eyed ghost crab at Maede flats

Ghost crabs have three ways to avoid predators.

Stay close to their burrow and retreat into it quickly.
Escape into the surf zone and burrow underneath the wet sand.
Stay still and slowly dig into the beach sand

Ghost crab burrow

Ghost crab burrow

Ryukyu Horn-eyed ghost crab

Elusive ghost crab

These crabs have the ability to fold their eyes into grooves for protection.

Ghost crab - Fill flash and back-lighting Stella 200

Ghost crab & Stella 2000

This large ghost crab tried to intimidate me with its large claws and scary shadow.

The sand dwelling hunter

The sand dwelling hunter

These crabs were photographed on white for the Meet Your Neighbours Biodiversity Project. The project is dedicated to connecting people worldwide with the wildlife in their communities. All images are used for conservation awareness and educational purposes.

MYN Biodiversity Project Japan

MYN Biodiversity Project Japan.

Juvenile ghost crab

Juvenile – Ocypode sp

The Juveniles can be extremely colorful depending on their surrounding environment. I have been finding more and more trash washed on the shoreline. Could the crabs possibly be adapting to the colors of the sounding marine debris washed ashore?

the Smooth-eyed ghost crab ( Ocypode cordimanus)

the Smooth-eyed ghost crab ( Ocypode cordimanus)

All ghost crabs are scavengers, mainly feeding on seaweed, fruit, seeds, other crabs, turtle hatchlings, and insects.

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feeding on beetles

Feeding on a hermit crab

Feeding on a hermit crab

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Feeding on a shrew

These crabs are beautiful creatures and hopefully, you will get the opportunity to see one in the wild.

Pink ghost crab

Pink ghost crab

People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography? Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment.

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

House Dwelling Huntsman Spiders of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Admin11

Have you ever been bitten by a spider?

In 2014, I was bitten by a large huntsman spider (Heteropoda ventoria) in my apartment. It was completely my fault, I failed to check my clogs before putting them on. All spiders are venomous and I was fortunate not to have an allergic reaction to the bite.

Natural habitat

Natural habitat

The Huntsman spider is the most common spider on Okinawa. It is often found in houses, workplaces, gardens, parks and sometimes inside vehicles. They are fast moving and are capable of jumping at fast speeds.

Spiders have tiny hairs called setules. These hairs allow the spider to cling to slippery surfaces and vehicles traveling at high speeds. You can’t shake this spider!

Spider on the windshield

Spider on the windshield

I have heard stories of them being as big as a basketball, but these were all just exaggerations from people terrified of spiders. The largest specimens get about fist size.

Large huntsman

Large huntsman spider

They feed on a variety of insects, frogs, and other spiders.

Huntsmen feeding

Heteropoda simplex

The female huntsman handles her egg sack with extreme care.

Huntsman spider

Huntsman spider

Stayed tuned! I’ll share the best way to safely catch and remove the huntsman spider from your living space.

Spider shadow

Spider shadow

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

The benefits of changing your colors by Shawn Miller

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Admin11

How cool would it be to have the ability to change colors in a matter of seconds? In the beautiful waters of Okinawa, we have a few fish that are capable of changing color quickly.

The Arrow Bulleye (Priacanthus sagittarius) is a stunning dark ruby red when its hiding from predators. It stays close to the coral reef and blends in well.

Red Bigeye ( Pricanthus sagittarius )

Red Bigeye ( Pricanthus sagittarius )

When the Arrow Bullseye is threatened, it flees into open water and changes to a lighter color.

Red Bigeye ( Pricanthus sagittarius )

It eventually changes to silver in a matter of three seconds

Red Bigeye ( Pricanthus sagittarius )

Another example of color change happens at the cleaning station. A cleaning station is a designated location where fish come to get their skin, fins, eyes, mouth, teeth, and gills cleaned by cleaner fish. This is an example of Mutilism. The cleaner fish gets fed fresh parasites and the client gets cleaned. All fish swim into the cleaning station and patiently wait to get cleaned.

The blue-lined surgeonfish and rabbitfish (video below) pull into the station and immediately turn dark in color. The purpose of this is so the cleaner fish can spot the parasites easier and speed up the process.

Fish cleaning station

Fish cleaning station

They naturally change back to their lighter color when the exit the cleaning station.

Nice and clean

Check out this rare event in nature, that few will ever see in the wild.

Could the increase in tourism contribute to fish disease and parasites? Is it possible the cleaner fish can’t keep up?

Isopods and copepods are bloodsucking parasites commonly found at Maeda point. In the recent years, tourism has increased and some days thousands of snorkelers enter the water. Parasites occur naturally but with the increase in tourism, I believe they are becoming more abundant.

One possible reason is due to guided fish feeding tours. They often feed the marine life large amounts of fu (harvested wheat rolls) and other manmade items. In the past, it was popular to feed the fish processed sausage. I have been diving Maeda point since 1992. I have observed a decline in healthy coral colonies and other marine life. I have also seen more fish with skin disease and parasites in recent years. Below are some fish with parasites photographed at Maeda point.

Isopod- Renocilla bollandi

Isopod- Renocilla bollandi

Rhabdamis sp

Rhabdamis sp

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Filefish with tiny parasites

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Twin spot lionfish and parasites

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Pennantfish and parasite

Firefish with parasites

Butterfly fish

Butterflyfish and parasites

Infested with parasites

Parasite infestation

Damselfish

Damselfish with parasite

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

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