people of okinawa | Okinawa Nature Photography

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.

Koi Art

Wings spread

Ryukyu Tigers

Birds in flight

Egret on the move

Swoosh

The landing! Black-faced spoonbill –

Golden light

Yanbaru forest

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.

Okinawa photographers

Ie Island Lilly festival

Surfs up

The strider

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

Round and around

The Race @ Round1

Basketball

Araha beach race

Roller derby event

Beach excavation

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

The Strawberry conch (Strombus luhuanus) is a popular food source found on the Island of Okinawa. Locals know as uchinanchu (sea people) search for this marine snail during extreme low tides. The sweet tasting meat of the conch shell is sought after during the summer months.

The beautiful people of Okinawa © Shawn Miller

After harvesting and consuming the conch meat, the shells are giving back to the ocean in large piles. This will provide shelter for marine-based hermit crabs and eventually stabilize the sediment.

Thousands of conch shells © Shawn Miller

Marine hermit crab

Land hermit crabs are often found next to these onshore shell piles, scavenging on conch meat remains.

Hermit crabs of the Ryukyu Islands The beautiful people of Okinawa © Shawn Miller

The beautiful conch shells are commonly confused with the hazardous cone shells. The main difference is that conch shells have a stromboid notch. A small side slit or indentation which allows the animal to see while moving. The conch shells movement is much different as well, they travel using a jumping style movement instead of a steady crawling motion.

The animal has strange eyes located at the end of long eye stalks. The eyes color is usually a vibrant green, yellow and orange combination.

Take a close look at this strawberry conch below. What do you see? I see two extra eyes poking out of the stromboid notch. The marine snail naturally has two eyes, not four.

What is the cause of this? Could this deformity be caused by nutritional deficiencies, a genetic disorder or pollution?

Photographed on white for the meet your neighbours project

Regardless of the cause, I hope these images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive impact in the environment. We all depend on the ocean in some form. Let’s work together to make a difference.

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

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

– If you would like to use any of my photographs for a publication or website please contact me directly. Do not use any of my images without permission! Shawn Miller

Okinawa Nature Photography

沖縄自然写真 By Shawn Miller

Tag Archives: people of okinawa

MOTIONOGRAPHY – Creating motion in still photographs by Shawn Miller

Searching For The Strawberry Conch in Okinawa By Shawn Miller