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Archive for September, 2009

Yakitori Alley in Shinjuku Tokyo

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Yakitori Alley, also known as Omoide Yokocho, or as the locals delightfully call it “Shonben Yokocho” is one of those hidden treasures that you accidently stumble upon.  It’s what you expect when you go to Japan, small eateries in tiny alleys.  Yakitori Alley, is just that, a winding alley filled with small yakitori stalls, where most can only accomodate about 5 to 6 people at most.  There are other Yakitori streets in Tokyo and most are clustered near major train stations, but this one is tucked away in Tokyo’s busy Shinjuku district, a district of bars, electronic shops, massive department stores and the luxury Park Hyatt (the hotel featured in the movie “Lost in Translation”).   What a great find!

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Koenji Awaodori Festival in Japan

Friday, September 18th, 2009

In Tokyo, at the end of August, is an amazing festival call the Awaodori festival which takes place in Koenji.  I’ve attend the event before and it never fails to amaze me.  If you can tolerate the large crowds you will see thousands of dancers perform the Awa dance to lively music and parade through nine routes setup along the shopping promenades in Koenji.  All the groups seem similar but if you watch enough you can see the various flavors and the personalities of each group. The more “professional” groups tend to stick very closely to the dance conventions while other groups just seem like they are there to have fun.

I got there early on the first night and decide to take some pictures inside the promenade instead of on the street.  I lucked out because the second night it rained.  Most spectators cheer on their favorite team and the event gets quite loud.  Maybe it was due to all the alcohol everyone was drinking.  What I find interesting about the festival is the costumes worn by ladies.   Women dress in special style kimono and wear a straw hat or “kasa” and dance on the tip of their toes wearing “geta”, while men dress in a happi coat and tabi.  I can’t wait till next year.

2009.08.25.Koenji Awa Odori Tokyo-147

Koenji AwaOdori Festival

Koenji AwaOdori FestivalKoenji AwaOdori Festival

Koenji AwaOdori Festival

Koenji AwaOdori Festival

Photographic Workshops in San Miguel de Allende Mexico

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

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The Santa Fe Workshops offer year round workshops on just about everything from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom instruction to a safari in Tanzania.  I’ve always wanted to attend one of their workshops.  For the 9th consequtive year Santa Fe Photographic Workshops hosts 12 week-long workshops in San Miguel de Allende, a charming colonial town set in the northern highlands of central Mexico. Veteran photographers such Sam Abell, Joyce Tenneson, Greg Gorman, Ralph Lee Hopkins, and Eddie Soloway, inspire all levels of photographers in pursuit of personal vision, portraiture, documentary storytelling, and travel photography.

Website: Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

Santa Fe Photographic Workshops Press Release:

Photographers of All Levels Join Renowned Instructors in San Miguel de Allende

In response to high demand, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops offers travel photography workshops in Mexico for the ninth consecutive year.

Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB)—Photography enthusiasts ranging from beginners to professionals can immerse themselves in a photographic journey in San Miguel de Allende this fall. For the ninth consecutive year, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops hosts 12 weeklong workshops in this charming colonial town set in the northern highlands of central Mexico.

Veteran photographers such Sam Abell, Joyce Tenneson, Greg Gorman, Ralph Lee Hopkins, and Eddie Soloway, inspire all levels of photographers in pursuit of personal vision, portraiture, documentary storytelling, and travel photography. Participants explore the soul of San Miguel amid the vibrant culture, rich heritage, private gardens, and Day of the Dead festivities.

Page Bertelsen, an emerging documentary and wedding photographer, observes, “The wonderful thing about the Workshops is you have the freedom to experiment and play around with photography. It’s an amazing community where you’re surrounded by others just as excited—whether they’re an award-winning photographer or an enthusiast. We are all open to new ways of seeing and growing together.”

The three-week program, occurring October 25 through November 15, is hosted on a private campus within walking distance of the main plaza of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. San Miguel remains a safe refuge for participants to grow creatively while capturing fireworks illuminating the gothic spires of the Parroquia, listening to strolling musicians in El Jardin, and making personal connections with local families. The photographic experience is extended to the local community during the free instructor images presentations on Monday nights at Teatro Angela Peralta.

Virginia Catherine Fairchild, participant in a San Miguel workshop with David Alan Harvey, sums up the Workshops’ goal, “Of all the marvelous things in my life, this experience tops them all. The instructors were so wonderful and everyone was so compatible. The whole week was amazing.”

For more information on workshops in San Miguel de Allende, or other workshops offered by Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, visit http://www.santafeworkshops.com, or call (505) 983-1400.

About Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, based in northern New Mexico for 20 years, is an inspirational and educational resource for all levels of photographers. Over 200 programs a year are offered in lighting techniques, personal vision, printmaking, storytelling, landscape, travel, nature, and portrait photography. Participants range from photography enthusiasts to professionals and are inspired by some of today’s most influential photographers on campuses in Santa Fe and San Miguel de Allende. Partnerships, such as National Geographic Expeditions, extend offerings to locations around the world including Tuscany, Provence, Oaxaca, Ireland, Peru, and Africa.

Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival on Photoshelter

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

One of the cool things about Photoshlter is that it allows you to embed one’s gallery into a blog. Here is my Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival gallery. If you click on any image it takes you to my Photoshelter web page where you can view and purchase any image. You can also embed this gallery into your web site or blog. Just click the little triangle at the bottom right of the gallery and copy and paste the embed URL. Click away!


Ubon Candle Festival Thailand – Images by Jeffrey Henig

Buddhist Lent in Thailand

Monday, September 7th, 2009

The candle festival at Thung Sri Muang Park in Ubon Ratchathani provence Thailand is spectacular.  It marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent where all monks must remain confined to their temples or place of residence for a period of 3 months during the rainy season.  The candle symbolizes offerings from the community for appreciation of their sacrifice.  These  pictures from the night viewing of some of the candle floats, the Candle Festival procession and the Miss Candle beauty contest.

Candle Festival Procession in Ubon Ratchathani Thailand

Night bazaar in Thailand Ubon Ratchathani Thailand

Candle Festival Procession in Ubon Ratchathani Thailand

THE GRAND CANDLE PROCESSIONCandle-Carving Competition

Web Site Redesigned: Bigger and Better

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

I’m not responsible for my photographs.  Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience.  It’s drowning yourself, dissolving yourself, ad then sniff, sniff, snff, – being sensitive to coincidencre.  You can’t go looking for it, you can want it, or you wont get it.  First you must loose your self.  Then it happens.  - Henri Cartier-Bresson – September 1997 American Photo

I’ve done a major re-design of my web site.  I would like to thank Moore Consulting who helped integrate all the pieces together, i.e. Photoshelter, Wordpress and Evrium Flash Gallery.

Sukhothai Thailand - Loy Krathong Procession

Welcome to the new site

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Welcome to the new website. We’re still adding content and tidying up loose ends, but we hope you like it