This piece begins to take shape under the watchful eye and tender loving care of a master artisan doing what he does best.
With the aid of an assistant, this artisan adds to his work in progress by adding more molten glass to his work.
Using compressed air, he cools certain areas to give the color effect he desires.
As he blows gently into one end, he shapes the other end in this template.
An artisan shapes the bottom of his creation.
The colored tiles on the wall of this building are not ceramic, they're glass. All of them were blown, shaped and made right here.
The steps lead up from the retail shop to the glassware factory above. One of the oldest and more successful glassware factories in Okinawa located in Itoman City.
This platform out on the reef is a popular dive spot for first time divers. Never gone diving before, Local resort hotels on Okinawa give wannabe's the chance to go down one on one with a trained dive sensei for the experience of a lifetime.
On Okinawa the locals believe that everything has a spirit. We happened to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to catch this photo.
Not only are shaman priestesses rare to find, they tend to be less than happy about their pictures being taken by strangers. You can imagine our surprise when we asked and they agreed.
This is at the very beginning of a ceremony where this priestess channeled the spirits for a local seeking guidance.
It would appear that this rock formation is believed to hold some mystical power.
Just happened to have a beautiful sunny day and the spring temperatures had everyone out and enjoying the day.
Keith Graff has been a member since 7 April 2008 and goes by docgraff.
Currently in Okinawa.
A retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer living as an expatriate in the "Goya Republic." I love this place for it's rich history, culture, and natural beauty. Presently, I do freelance writing and photography for local publications.
A writer first and photographer second, my passion is the photo essay. I select the photographs I post on this and other sites to tell a story. Hence, even though I'm still a hack wannabe, you're better off reading my stories first and viewing the pictures second.
You can also find Keith at www.goyarepublic.com.