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Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500mm — ¹/500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fading

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I have no idea why I like this shot, but I did at first glance, and I still do, so here it is. It's one of the first shots I took on a visit to the most fabulous Yoshiminedera Temple (善峯寺) in southern Kyoto last year, with Paul Barr. (As an aside, Paul is likely at this very moment on a flight from The States to make another visit this year, but that's a post for next week).

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in “Kyoto Fall-Color Preview With Impact: Impressionism in Lightroom”, I found thousands of photos in my Lightroom catalog from last autumn that I hadn't even looked at. This morning when I opened up Lightroom and visited the set of photos from the Yoshiminedera trip wth Paul, I got sidetracked by the polorization-filter examples that I came across, but I had intended to post some of the nicer shots. I did manage to post a few the evening after our visit a year ago, but most still waited for even a first look.

At this point I'm only about 15% of the way through the shots, and haven't reached anything really spectacular, but I hold hope it's still waiting. I'm posting now what I've accumulated so far, though I do wish I had done this during the spring, as I'd intended.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Naked
Opposing mountainside, styalized in post processing

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/4000 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Natural Vignette
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 wide open

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/3200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tiltshift Effect
Without the tilt or the shift

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — ¹/320 sec, f/11, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Full-Color Eaves
Looking straight up, without any leaves in sight

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fuller-Color Eaves
on the other side of the building

It's been the same buliding in all the photos so far. There's nothing partiuclarly special about this building... it's just the entrance gate to the shrine complex, and there are many more like it (or much more grandious) elsewhere on the grounds. But for the purposes of this post it's special because it's the first one you come aross when you visit, and as I said, I've made it only about 15% of the way into my shots from the visit.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Same Building
From the other side of the parking lot

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Op
I tend to like taking pictures of others taking pictures
( for reasons I can't fathom )

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — ¹/1000 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Popular Tree
among a forest of them

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — ¹/320 sec, f/16, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
So Cliché
But with reason... it's pretty!

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/3200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Paul and the Popular Poplar
(yes, I know it's not a poplar; I'm using poetic license :-))

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/4, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Overhang

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If you've seen any of my stonecarvers posts, you know I'm a sucker for a well-aged, well-curved stone lantern.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Unusual Perspective
Looking straight down onto the top of a shaded canopy

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Depth

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Slightly Tilted Vigilance

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bare Branches
I seem to be a sucker for them when they have a nice backdrop

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kusaridoi
Little did I know it would be put to use in very short order
( the skys positivly opened up for a while )

Even though they're found at temples all over Japan, few know the word for the rain-of-cups downspout like seen above. This includes me except for when I remember to refer back to this post, and I'm reminded for a few moments until it again slips from my mind.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/3200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Go Those Ways
Post marking a fork in the path

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/320 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pleasant Slope

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Not Everything's Blossoms and Momiji

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Challenge
Paul ponders how to fit that much awesome into the Nikon D3's full-frame sensor

To be continued...