Visit the rain forest where you can see endemic flowers

June 8, 2020 / Kunigami Village, Okinawa

Photographer / Shinya Imaizumi

In June, the forests of Yanbaru, Okinawa, are blessed with rain after the new green leaves have died out. This year, the rain has been more solid than usual. I have been taking photos of the forests for many years, but this year I have been taking photos again with a new camera, the LUMIX S1R. The cameras I used up until then were not bad, but the photos taken with this camera have a sense of dignity that they are "photos themselves" rather than just data, and I can't help but look forward to working with them after shooting. The feeling when taking photos is also wonderful, and for me, it is a great camera, the best since the Nikon F3 and PENTAX LX I used a long time ago.

Well, one of the major features of the S1R is that it is dustproof and water-resistant, and it meets the basic requirement of professional equipment, "keep moving" even in the forest, and I think the same can be said about the Markins head. Most of my shooting locations are on uneven ground, and I have been using a ball head for a while, so I immediately noticed the good construction of the Markins after purchasing it. I will not go into details because there are heaps of others who have written about it, but since then it has been a good companion, accompanying me even in difficult locations.

The location for this photo shoot was Mount Ibe on the east coast of Yanbaru. I entered the forest to investigate the Noguchi woodpecker. When the US military tried to turn the mountain slope into a live-fire range, the village chief and other residents sat down at the impact site and stormed into the launch site to prevent the exercise. This is one example of how nature and peace cannot be protected without effort in Okinawa, which is in a unique political environment.

The target of this shooting location is the Ryukyu Konterigi, a plant endemic to Okinawa Island. It can be seen in many mountains, but I confirmed last week that the flowers here would be blooming soon.
And when introducing this place, I would like to point out that the Yanbaru forest is also a treasure trove of painful and itchy creatures such as mosquitoes, black flies, and midges. I tried using an insect repellent shirt, but it did not work on the Okinawan black flies, and they came towards me without caring about insect repellent spray. I admire the actions of mothers who want to leave offspring. There are also vipers and there have been cases of them getting lost, so please request a guide when entering the forest. In the case of Ibe-dake, there is a guided tour service in Kunigami Village.
Just to be safe, the forest ecosystem protection area where we shot this time requires permission from the forest management bureau, but if you go with a guide, that is also an advantage. Also, roadkill of wild animals has been a problem in the Yanbaru region for some time. Please be careful not to drive too fast in your rental car.

As I climbed through the humid rainy forest, the forest called out to me here and there. It felt like I was being forced to take pictures, rather than "going to take pictures." So it was hard to go up. When I finally reached the stream I was looking for, the flowers were blooming! Even though they were being violently shaken by the wind and rain, the small flowers were looking up at the sky and blooming intently. Large hydrangeas do not grow naturally in Okinawa, so these flowers the size of a fingertip are a welcome gift for cherry blossom viewing during the rainy season.
Although it was dark inside the forest, it was not so dark that I could not hold the camera by hand with the S1R, which has good image stabilization. However, I did not hesitate to set up a tripod with a marking. The reason was the wind. The flowers did not stay still for even a moment. The lens was my favorite MF lens, so there was no AF to begin with. Looking through the viewfinder of my mirrorless camera, I took the picture at an angle that best conveyed the atmosphere of the forest. The markings conveyed the subtle movements of my fingertips to the camera, so they did not get in the way of the shot. With the L-plate, I could instantly switch to vertical shooting without changing the tripod position. This head is heavy duty and can withstand muddy conditions, but it is also delicate.
I would like to mention the release cable here. The socket on the S1R is located at the top side, so it can be used with the PLV100170 without any problems. However, I personally almost never use the release unless it is absolutely necessary, such as for ultra macro shots. This is because I like the feeling of releasing the shutter with my finger.

My Markins always end up covered in mud. I hit rocks every day, and I'm surprised they don't break. Everyone has different preferences for knob position, but I like to use them closer to me.

Also, the quick shoe knob came loose when I was wading through bushes. Since I can't remove the camera every time, I made a part that can protect the knob with one touch. When you like a tool, you want to make various modifications to it.

I walked with the forest until dusk, and at the end, I took a selfie as my profile picture and went down the mountain. If there is one thing I want from a marker, it would be to have a "white marker" that stands out even when left in the forest at dusk or at night. In a forest with poor visibility, I often leave my equipment and go scouting empty-handed. And as for the "gold marker," I probably won't use it.

Shinya Imaizumi

Born in 1970. Photographs the nature and people of Okinawa from the perspective of the climate and ecosystem. The theme is "the connection between people and nature." Books include the photo picture books "Tsuki-chan" (Sankeisha) and "The Day I Met a Dugong" (Kobunken). Currently photographing the entire Yanbaru region.