Floyd K. Takeuchi

‘Pasefika’ Solo Exhibit Opens At University of Hawaii-Manoa

floyd — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:23:06 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that my solo exhibit, “Pasefika,” opened today at the University of Hawaii-Manoa’s Pacific Collection. The show, which features seven photographs from my book of the same name, will run through the end of July 2012.

The Pacific Collection is the finest research center for Pacific Islands issues in the world. The “Pasefika” exhibit is in the collection’s large reading room, which is located on the fifth floor of Hamilton Library on the UH-Manoa campus. There is no admission charge for the show. Paid public parking is available behind Kennedy Theatre.

This exhibit was shown earlier this year at The Gallery at Ward Centre in Honolulu.

The book and exhibit feature photographs of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts, the largest gathering of Oceanic dancers and cultural practitioners. The 10th Festival of Pacific Arts was held in American Samoa in 2008. The festival is held every four years. The next festival will be held during the first two weeks of July, 2012.

“Kanoelani” Accepted For “Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2012″ Exhibit

floyd — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:29:15 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that a photograph from my documentary series on the life of a hula halau has been selected for inclusion in this year’s “Contemporary Photography in Hawaii” exhibit. The exhibit is one of Hawaii’s largest photography exhibits, and the images included are chosen by a jury. “Contemporary Photography in Hawaii” is organized by the Pacific New Media program at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and is now in its fourth year.

The exhibit opens on April 6, and runs through April 27, at Frame Arts, 627 South Street, Honolulu. The opening reception is on April 6 from 6-9 p.m. at the gallery.

The photo that was selected is called “Kanoelani,” and features one of the halau’s alakai, or teachers, Kanoelani Rosenberg. She’s a gifted dancer, and over the many, many months that I photographed Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu, Kanoelani served as my photographic muse. It is interesting to think that this particular photo was actually one of the first I shot, literally on the first day, when I was trying to figure out how I was going to shoot. I’d never photographed hula before, certainly not a “behind the scenes” practice session. And the practice venue was lit by an extremely harsh late afternoon light, which provided a very strong back light. I’m not sure why, but I also was shooting that segment with a Nikkor 50mm F/1.4D prime lens, something I usually don’t do, as I usually rely on zoom Nikkors.

Perhaps the lesson is that there’s benefit in having no expectations about a shoot, and that I should use that “old style” prime more often.

This link will take you to the Portfolio section of this web site, to the portfolio called “Hula.” “Kanoelani” is the third photo in the portfolio.

“Kanoelani”

Travel Feature Package on Yanaka, Tokyo

floyd — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:09:17 +0000

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has run a feature package (story and photographs) that I did on Yanaka, the historic district in Tokyo. It is one of my favorite sections of Tokyo, a city that keeps pulling me back and always surprises me. The newspaper’s Sunday Travel Section gave the story a fantastic run — the entire cover page of the travel section, with a jump to a two-thirds open page on the inside.

I’ve posted a link to the story package, though it might not always work, as the newspaper’s web site has subscription-only content. For those who can’t get to the story, I’ve also posted below a link to a small album of some of my Yanaka-area photos.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser Feature Story

Album of Yanaka-area Photos

‘Photo Exhibit Honors Culture Of The Pacific’

floyd — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:41:41 +0000

The following story appears in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser. It is by arts writer Joleen Oshiro.

Though Floyd K. Takeuchi’s photography exhibit, “Pasefika,” centers on performers at the Festival of Pacific Arts in 2008, most of the images aren’t of graceful hands and swaying skirts or dramatically twirling bodies. Rather, they’re close-up portraits of dancers off stage, some pensively waiting to perform, others sharing a song, saying a prayer or talking story.

“I wanted to do a project that celebrated the best of the Pacific, and since this festival truly has the best of the region for culture and dance, it was a good fit,” says Takeuchi. “There’s a quiet pride in the Pacific, not boastful. I hope the portraits show the pride and dignity people have for their cultures that are hundreds of thousands of years old. I hope the images convey the sense of joy they have at sharing their culture.”

Takeuchi’s show, which also includes video by Oscar Betham, runs through Jan. 26 at the Gallery at Ward Centre.

Since 1972 the free two-week festival has been presented every four years by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, a regional intergovernmental organization, to promote Polynesian dance and culture.

Takeuchi traveled to American Samoa to document the proceedings, which included more than 2,000 participants from more than 20 countries and territories — top dancers, carvers, fashion designers and writers among them. Hosting duties are rotated among the countries, which provide participants with food, transportation and lodging. The next festival will take place in July in the Solomon Islands.

Takeuchi calls the event “one of the most visually exciting events in the world on indigenous culture.”

“It was photography heaven,” he says. “Everywhere I looked, there were great shots.”

Takeuchi took more than 60 rolls of film on the trip and “burned all of it — that’s 60 rolls times 36 shots.” A photographer for more than 40 years, “Pasefika” was his last major film-based project. (Takeuchi is also author and photographer of “School on the Hill: Micronesia’s Remarkable Xavier High School,” available on Amazon.com.)

“I got photos of dancers from places most of us have never heard of or will never get to, like Tokelau, a New Zealand protectorate that you can only get to by boat. It’s very remote,” he says.

Representatives from Taiwan also attended, since DNA and language links trace a possible connection between Pacific islanders and the Chinese territory. Hailing from Hawaii was Halau Mohala ‘Ilima, led by kumu hula Mapuana de Silva.

Takeuchi has spent much of his life in the Pacific, having been born and raised in the Marshall Islands and working in journalism in such locales as Fiji, Guam and Hawaii, where he now resides. Among the countless festivals he’s attended, he says this one is incomparable.

“It’s simply stunning,” he raves. “This the kind of event I hope more Hawaii people would take part in. The links of the Pacific are so strong. When you attend, you can see the linkages and start to understand the cultural ties between the islands.”

ON EXHIBIT
‘Pasefika: Portraits from the Festival of Pacific Arts’

» When: Through Jan. 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays

» Where: The Gallery at Ward Centre, Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd.

» Info: 597-8034 or visit gwcfineart.com

FESTIVAL PHOTOS
Takeuchi’s exhibit is based on his recently published book, “Pasifika: The Festival of Pacific Arts” (2LDK Media), available for $35 at the Gallery at Ward Centre and $36.99 on Amazon.com. The book features 88 photographs. An ebook for the iPad, available at iBooks for $9.99, includes 33 performance videos, filmed and edited by Oscar Betham.

Latest Book, “Many Voices, One Dream,” Off The Press

floyd — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:50:45 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that my latest book, “Many Voices, One Dream,” will shortly be available for purchase. It is a contemporary history of Palau Community College, the national institution of higher education of the young Republic of Palau in the Western Pacific. The book is comprised of an overview history that I wrote, an article on the college’s predecessor institution, the Micronesian Occupational Center, which appeared in a 1970s regional magazine, plus photographs taken by me, the college’s public relations manager, Adora Nobuo, and from the college’s archives.

It was a terrific project, and I’m very thankful that PCC President Dr. Patrick Tellei asked me to put together the book project. Thanks to the college, I was able to spend two weeks earlier this year in the beautiful Palau Islands. I used the time to interview people, visit college programs, and photograph places, people and academic and community activities. The result is a 160-page book, 8.5 inches by 11 inches, which has just come off the press in Hong Kong. Copies of the book will be at the college by the end of December 2011, or in early January 2012, depending on how quickly the ship gets to Palau from Hong Kong!

Special thanks to Adora Nobuo. She helped me in thousands of ways while I was in country, and then a thousand more when I returned to Hawaii and began to write and compile photographs. The project couldn’t have been completed without her help, which she always offered with a big smile. And it turns out she’s a very good photographer!

This link is to a small album featuring the book’s cover and seven photographs from the book. It is at my Facebook page.

See “Many Voices, One Dream”

Free Sample Of ‘Pasefika’ eBook Available For iPad, iPhone, iTouch

floyd — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:23:13 +0000

Apple is offering a free sample of the “Pasefika” eBook. If you have an iPad, iPhone or an iTouch, you’ll be able to view the sample on your mobile device.

The ebook includes all of my still photographs from the print version of “Pasefika,” plus 33 videos of performances at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts. The videos were shot and edited by Oscar Betham of American Samoa.

Use this link to get to the free sample. (Clink on the View in iTunes button.)

Link to Pasefika eBook

American Legion Feature Package Now On Web

floyd — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:47:06 +0000

I’ve had the honor of doing freelance photography and writing for the American Legion Magazine, which reaches 2.3 million readers a month. The magazine supports the activities of The American Legion, one of the largest U.S. military veterans organizations.

The latest multi-media package includes a major feature story and sidebars, with photographs, of the four museums at Pearl Harbor that honor the service and sacrifice of U.S. forces in the Pacific during World War II. The package includes interviews with veterans who either volunteer or are employees at the museums. The feature package is in the December 2011 issue of The American Legion Magazine, which is marking the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. bases on Oahu in Hawaii.

In addition, the feature package includes two videos that are being shown on The American Legion web site. One video has my photos and is on the four Pearl Harbor Museums. The other includes interviews with five veterans who were stationed at either Pearl Harbor or Schofield Barracks during the attack. The veterans recount the first few minutes and hours of war.

These are links to the various parts of the package:

Feature Story

Sidebar Story

Veterans Remember Video

Pearl Harbor Museums Video

“Pasefika” eBook Now Available For iPad!

floyd — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:08:11 +0000

I’m pleased to report that the companion eBook for “Pasefika – The Festival of Pacific Arts” is now available for the iPad at Apple’s iBookstore. It is US$9.99 (and the equivalent in other currencies; see below).

It includes all of the photos and text of the print book (which is still available at Amazon.com), but also has 33 video reports by my friend, American Samoan videographer Oscar Betham. The reports range in length from 2 to 5 minutes, and include audio. This means that, say, if you’re enjoying the photos of the Tahitian troupe that wowed the Festival audience, you can now play a video embedded in the eBook that shows the Tahitians dancing, and hear their music.

The eBook comes very close to replicating the experience of attending a Festival of Pacific Arts — without the cost of getting to remote Pacific Islands, finding a hard-to-find hotel room, or dealing with the heat and humidity!

Oscar and I spent the entire Festival of Pacific Arts shooting — it ran for two weeks. So eBook buyers will get a rich overview, including videos of nearly every group performing, highlights of the island fashion shows, a video report of Aua Village on Tutuila (American Samoa) hosting the large Guam delegation, and, a special performance done specifically for the eBook of the then Miss American Samoa performing a Samoan dance (and being dressed for the performance).

I’m very happy to note that if you’re in Europe, Australia or Canada, you can now buy the eBook in Euros, as well as Australian or Canadian dollars, along with the currencies of Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The eBook is designed specifically for the iPad; it will not work with other eBook readers, nor will it work like a PDF on a computer. You’ll need the iPad to download it or read it. Access to Apple’s iBookstore is via the iBooks APP, which is available for free from Apple’s APP Store.

Get the PRINT Version of Pasefika from Amazon.com here.

New Hula Portfolio Posted

floyd — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:38:58 +0000

I’ve posted a new portfolio. It is called “Hula” and includes photos from my long-term documentary project on Kumu Sonny Ching and Halau Na Mamo O Pu’uanahulu. The photographs are from practice sessions; the halau was preparing for a major competition in Honolulu, Hula Oni E.

Marshall Islands Book Sold On Majuro

floyd — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:09:35 +0000

My book “Majuro – Essays from an Atoll,” which I did with Olivier Koning, is being sold at the Marshall Islands Visitors Authority office on (appropriately enough) Majuro atoll. The office is a good resource for all things Marshall Islands, and has a wide range of resources for a visitor. So if you’re on Majuro, please stop by the MIVA office.

Marshall Islands Visitors Authority Web Site