The Buds and Blossoms are Just Peachy at the Kyoto Imperial Palace
desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Peach I think -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Peach
I think
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I stopped by the Imperial Household Agency office today at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) to make a reservation to visit the Katsura Palace next month, and brought along my camera in case anything was blooming.

There are a lot of cherry trees in the park, but I think they're just budding so far. The blossoms are peach or, perhaps in some case, plum like those we sat the other day in “Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom at Kyoto’s Kitano Tenmangu Shrine”.

desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 8000 — map & image datanearby photos
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desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image datanearby photos
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desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/4, ISO 1800 — map & image datanearby photos
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Still Sparse Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image datanearby photos
Still Sparse
Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所)

I knew it was going to rain and so was better prepared than my last outing which ended in me getting absolutely soaked during a 20-minute ride home on my scooter without rain gear. This time my preparation was simply knowing it was coming and leaving the moment it started. (At least that was the plan.)

So knowing I didn't have much time, I just pushed my scooter in the park sort of aimlessly, stopping now and again for pictures.

I'm going to guess these are Cherry...

Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/4, ISO 4000 — map & image datanearby photos
Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 900 — map & image datanearby photos
Big Bundles -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 900 — map & image datanearby photos
Big Bundles

The varieties never cease to amaze me.

These buds, of whatever kind of tree, were huge...

desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Seriously Plump -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/200 sec, f/8, ISO 8000 — map & image datanearby photos
Seriously Plump
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I eventually came to a nice area that will be teeming with thick crowds in a couple of weeks, but rain aside, it was absolutely delightful today.

“Peach Orchard” says the post in front of the lady ( FYI, she's likely wearing the mask due to ceder-pollen allergies ) -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 — map & image datanearby photos
“Peach Orchard”
says the post in front of the lady
( FYI, she's likely wearing the mask due to ceder-pollen allergies )

This orchard is where I got the most delightful shots in last year's “Cliché Incarnate: Lame Formulaic Pictures of Plum Blossoms and Those Enjoying Them”. The title is a joke about a conversation I had that led me there (explained on that page), though I had apparently not noticed the “Peach Orchard” sign last time.

I had the place mostly to myself, but a few folks wandered in and out...

Common Sight -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image datanearby photos
Common Sight

I went in and did the same myself...

desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 8000 — map & image datanearby photos
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Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4000 — map & image datanearby photos
desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 — map & image datanearby photos
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desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 8000 — map & image datanearby photos
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desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
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In one sense it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but I put a lot of thought into blossom selection and composition... what's the background like, the lighting, the overall balance. That last one above fails on some basic composition levels, but of the millions of blossoms around, it was the only one I noticed with the subtle pink in the petals. It was at a really odd angle, with lots of branches in the way, so it was a challenge to get even this shot, which is perhaps why I like it more than it deserves.

Not everything had a bright future... these blossoms, whatever they were, were well past their prime....

Checked Out for the Season -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — map & image datanearby photos
Checked Out for the Season
Teeming Crowds as the rain starts coming down -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 — map & image datanearby photos
Teeming Crowds
as the rain starts coming down

I normally put the not-weather-sealed Voigtländer away at the first sign of rain, but every time I did I felt the need to pull it out for “just one last shot” almost right away. Pushing along a path toward the exit, I came across yet another kind of blossom that was, at the risk of overusing the word today, just delightful....

desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Full of Delight Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image datanearby photos
Full of Delight
Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所)
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Some areas had more than just a smattering of blossoms...

Thick Mess of Blossoms -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Thick Mess of Blossoms
But It's Still Raining and I should get out of here -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image datanearby photos
But It's Still Raining
and I should get out of here
desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Just One More Shot -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image datanearby photos
Just One More Shot
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desktop background image of a peach blossom at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所), Kyoto Japan -- Just One More Shot -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Just One More Shot
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Just One More Shot -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image datanearby photos
Just One More Shot
Better Prepared -- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (京都御所) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2013 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/ -- This photo is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (non-commercial use is freely allowed if proper attribution is given, including a link back to this page on http://regex.info/ when used online)
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 — map & image datanearby photos
Better Prepared

All 2 comments so far, oldest first...

I’m going to visit Kyoto to see cherry blossoms from Osaka. See you!

— comment by Masa on March 19th, 2013 at 4:14pm JST (11 years ago) comment permalink

Jeffrey,

you have a lot of people in your photos, not your friends, but other folks. I’m curious if you have or need their “ok” to publish images, where they are prominently visible? Here in Germany your personal rights state that it is prohibited to publish photos without your consent, unless you are just “decoration”…

You don’t need their permission…. they’re in public. Your laws over there sound pretty crazy. —Jeffrey

— comment by Jürgen Christoffel on March 27th, 2013 at 11:50pm JST (11 years ago) comment permalink
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