Computer Stupidities

Hilarious for people in my generation, but understandable for my elders.

Concert History Tour - Part 21

Greetings from the Akasaka district of Tokyo, Japan. Seawind's first two "Reunion" concerts were an amazing success and Rising Stardom was very honored to be present for this long-awaited "reunion" event. The Billboard Live Club was packed with Seawind fans who came out to welcome the band back to Japan. Although it was 28 years since the band had last performed in Tokyo, you would never have known it! It seemed just like old times as the crowd clapped and sang along to all the bands hits and many were already singing the brand new songs that were just recently released on Seawind's new "Reunion" CD. It was a historic concert and the band's performances were "classic Seawind". What a pleaseure it was to again hear Seawind's staggering high-level of musicianship coupled with Pauline Wilson's pristine voice! It was as though no time had passed, yet several generations of fans (both young and old) could be seen throughout the audience. Seawind is definitely "back on the map" and tonight's concerts will be filmed for a DVD. The band has never done any live video recording, so this too, will be a historic "first". Pictured above is Seawind on stage at the club, performing their encore with the stage's back curtains opened. The whole back of the stage is glass windows which allow the city of Tokyo to become a "backdrop". With the club being located on the 4th floor, there is a wonderful view of Tokyo's Akasaka, night skyline. Pictured below is Seawind with the very popular SONY Japan recording artist, vocalist Marlene. Seawind backed Marlene's 1982 recording, Summer Nights and her presence at the concert was indeed a surprise "reunion". After tonight's 2 concerts, it's on to the city of Osaka where Seawind will be performing four concerts and also doing another DVD recording. Stay tuned!

(All photographs by Rising Stardom's Blue Johnson)

Smoke Photography

Here are some examples of an often overlooked artistic technique for photographers.










How to make smoke photography: An often-overlooked photographic technique is called “smoke photography”. The technique is rather simple, but combined with other techniques can lead to a very artistic touch.

Camera, lighting, and personal style are the largest factors influencing the outcome of the smoke photography. Depending on camera capabilities, light settings must be altered to produce the proper or desired outcome.

First what you will need to create is a “lightbox”. This is quite simply an empty shoebox with any number of CFL lights attached to it. Around 90-140 watts of lighting will provide ample lighting for the smoke effects, so that a flash is not needed. Place this lightbox at an angle of 90 degrees to the camera. Next you will need a dark background for your photo. You may have seen pictures with light backgrounds; this is done digitally after the photograph is taken. It is important to make sure that none of the light from the lightbox falls onto to the background, otherwise the smoke effects will be washed out. A piece of poster board or a piece of fabric will suffice. And then the most important tool for your smoke photography is the smoke itself. Generally the best source of smoke is a stick of incense, as the stream is steady, uninterrupted, and doesn’t quickly extinguish (like a match would). Some types of incense produce thicker smoke; you can experiment with various brands to reach your desired effect. Always remember to use a dish or a base underneath your incense, as it will produce embers and ashes that can damage carpeting or potentially be hazardous. You are all ready to go, just adjust your camera’s settings at take as many pictures as you like.

Note: For artistic effect, you may want to manipulate the incense smoke. The best smoke photography contains very unusual patterns of smoke, and not a smooth, steady, uninterrupted stream. For smoke manipulation you might try introducing turbulence by whisking the smoke with a fork or spoon, or by placing a wire mesh over the top of the incense. Experiment and see!

Bruce Lee Plays Ping Pong

Concert History Tour - Part 20

Hello to all of our viewers around the world!

This post is coming to you from the exclusive Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan . Hawaii’s legendary jazz group, Seawind has landed in Tokyo to begin their 2009 Japan Reunion Concerts! Risingstardom is here on tour with the group. Early yesterday morning began with an American Airlines flight from LAX to San Francisco where the group connected to a JAL 777 flight direct to Narita Airport in Tokyo. There the band was met by Billboard Live Club representatives and the club’s special bus and taken into downtown Tokyo to Shinjuku’s classy 38-story Hilton Hotel. Seawind will perform two concerts tonight (Tuesday July 21st) and two concerts on Wed. Night. It is the group’s first time back in Japan since 1981 (28 years ago). To document and commemorate this historic "Reunion Concert Tour", Seawind will record "live" DVD’s in both Tokyo and Osaka. Pictured below : A Seawind fan, who was waiting for the group’s arrival at the Hilton Tokyo, has his new Seawind "Reunion" CD and vinyl copy of Window of a Child signed by the group’s vocalist, Pauline Wilson (and all other band members). Also shown is Seawind’s keyboardist/saxophnist, Larry Williams with artist manager Hiro Kajiwara, the group’s long-time friend since 1978, who will also be traveling on tour with them. Kajiwara-san is Seawind’s Japan representative and was very instrumental in helping to secure the band’s CD licensing deal with SONY Music Japan.

The prestigeous Billboard Live Club is located in Tokyo’s trendy Akasaka district, known for its exciting night life, great restaurants and world-class entertainment. The club has presented some of the world’s best stars and entertainers (it opened with Steeley Dan) and it is a state-of-the-art concert production venue, (which includes ProTools recording capability and video & DVD technology). The club is also known for its tasty gourmet restaurant and very slick decor.

Among those on the guest list for tonight’s shows are recording stars, Roberta Flack (Killing Me Softly), vocalist Marlene Lim, percussionist Arno Lucas and Kansaki, who is one of Japan’s best jazz saxophonist. Many other local musicians and fans, who have been waiting for Seawind’s return to Japan, will be in the audience tonight to witness and hear this historic concert event! Stay tuned for more of Risingstardom’s Concert History Tour’s international blogs from Japan.