
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Friendly Chat
during the Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭り)
Kyoto, Japan Oct 2012
Dipping into my archives from last October, I realize that I haven't yet posted much about the Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭り) that I briefly mentioned at the time, and a bit in my shooting-with-two-bodies post.
One reason that I haven't posted is that the photos are not very good (taken haphazardly handheld while not really knowing what was going on), but it's quite the different kind of festival, so it's worth a quick look.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Chatting with Visitors
prior to the start of the main event
The village of Kurama is long and narrow, wedged into a valley in the mountains of northern Kyoto. During this festival, fires and people are everywhere, both lining and filling the streets. Village men participating in the main event wear (so to speak) outfits as seen in the shot above.
This next guy walking by appears to be a fairly high-up Shinto priest...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Small Torch
old version of a flashlight?

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Some Kind of Procession
This was my first time at this festival, and I had no idea what would happen other than something about big torches being carried through the streets sometime after dark. It was oppressively crowded and so any attempt at movement was decidedly unpleasant, so I stuck in one spot and hoped for the best. It turns out that I was pretty lucky.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Torches Being Brought In
burning only small “pilot light” fires

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looks a Bit Warm
for the caboose

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fires Everywhere

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wider View

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fire and Moon

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Person In Front of Me

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Assembling the Torches
Apparently the big (18'?) torches were being lugged into the courtyard of this shrine and propped up to be lit. They are exceedingly top heavy, so this was not a smooth operation and occasionally they fell.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Straining

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Watching

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Good View

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Finally Up
and the fires being lit in earnest

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/40 sec, f/1.4, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Some Guy Doing Something
he was way up there attending to something on top of a pole

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Starting the Main Procession
big torches are brought back down, still ablaze, to be paraded through the streets

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Leading the Way

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Silhouetted

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Off they Go
The crowds were so incredibly oppressive that following along wasn't in the realm of possibility, so I lingered a bit but then went the opposite direction.
I will be going to Kurama in 2016 for the fire festival. I am an architect and am trying to scope out where would be great place to watch festival pass without being squashed. I am also nervous about getting to Train as I know it will be crazy stuffed at 9:00. I would appreciate any advice.
thanks,
Bonnie
I’ve only the one visit, so I’m probably not the best person to ask, but where I was, on big rocks across from the temple where lots of stuff is happening, seemed to be a pretty good spot. The train will indeed be crazy packed, I’m sure. Not sure how to get around it short of finding another way there, such as taxi (you can be dropped off at Kibuneguchi and then walk the mile or two there), or bicycle from the city (as far as Kibuneguchi, then walk). You could probably hike from Kibune as well. —Jeffrey