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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/5, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Inviting
Entrance path to the Renge-ji Temple, Kyoto Japan

I got together with long-time Kyoto resident Nils Ferry for the first time in more than a year, for lunch and a photo-walk. He introduced me to an out-of-the-way temple he likes, Rengeji (蓮華寺), not far from the river where Anthony and his son Greg played the last time I saw Nils, last summer.

(Nils was the premier Kyoto photo-blogger prior to becoming a daddy. Now that Greg is in kindergarten, he's thinking of getting back into it...)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Op

The temple is small, but pretty, and very quiet. During the two hours we were relaxing there, just one other pair of people visited, so we essentially had the whole place to ourselves.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Old Storage Building
very thick doors and walls, for before there was refrigeration

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Garden-Viewing Room

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/5, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Garden

The garden somewhat reminded me of the Enkouji Temple (see this photo for comparison), which Nils brought me to on our first temple photo hunt in the fall of 2006. In some ways I expect that Enkouji is more beautiful, but since it's an easily-accessed well-known tourist spot, the crowds can kill any advantage it might have. I'll definitely try to revisit Rengeji to see its colors this fall.

One difference is that while you are allowed into the garden in both temples, you may not take photographs from the garden in this one. Bummer.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
End Cap

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Joints

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tea and Sweet

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mini River Garden Area

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nils Photographing Seiza Style

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Somewhat of a Pest Problem

Some of the wood pieces in the temple showed a severe termite problem. The temple dates from 1662, and is still standing, so maybe it looks worse than it is.

Back in the entrance-path garden area, there were a few hints of autumn...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just a Touch of Color
( some leaves are red all year... I don't think these have recently turned )

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gingko and Moss

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gingko and Moss and Nils

The entrance path starts at a little wooden gate, which has the most severe termite damage that I noticed. As Nils said, if they don't do something about it, it won't last more than another hundred years....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yikes

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Thus began our third photo hunt. I mentioned our first above; the second was two years ago to the geisha district, where his mother-in-law lives.