Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Matsuo Shrine (松尾大社)
Kyoto Japan
Having recovered from a mild but lingering cold, I went out for some lite temple/shrine exploration in western Kyoto with Paul Barr yesterday. The autumn colors are late and weak this year, but it's always fun to explore new nooks and crannies of Kyoto, so I enjoyed it.
There's a tradition of sake (rice wine) companies sending donations to shrines in exchange for prominent display of their patronage, and the barrels on display at this particular shrine we came across were particularly large.
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
It's the season for children's “7-5-3” celebrations (as described here, and as seen with my own kid here)...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Child celebrating the “7-5-3” holiday
I'm not really sure what the above thing was about, but I suspect it has to do with fortune telling. The girls were giggling the whole time. She missed, but they clearly got their presumably small fee's worth of fun.
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
a touch of color
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
After leaving that shrine, we putzed around the back roads looking for lunch, and happened upon a simple cafe with good food. I snapped a picture of the entrance just to mark the location (because my photos are geoencoded, as per the map link under each photo)....
We could see on the map that a large temple was not far, so we headed over, but it turns out to have been the Moss Temple, which I have no interest in seeing and requires a reservation a week in advance anyway, but nearby we happened across the fairly-hidden “Bamboo Temple”, still apparently undiscovered by the hordes of tourists buzzing nearby...
Then we thought to head up towards the main area of Arashiyama and seek out the remote temple seen in this picture that I posted two months ago, from a lookout on a mountain-top park.
From the main road it's a pleasant 1.1km walk along the river to get to the stairs that lead up to the temple, though in our case it was a pleasant 1.1km scooter ride. 🙂 Then we left the scooter and started up the mountain...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
on the way to the Senkouji Temple (千光寺)
In the photo above, Paul is taking a shot of a lively roof....
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
These are common in rustic temples and shrines, and I love them and have posted photos from them many times, but this one was particularly low so that I could get easy access with my macro lens...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
growing on a roof that's been allowed to grow close to nature
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
There wasn't much in the way of fall colors, but a few bland tinges here and there made for a nice backdrop from time to time...
If you look carefully at the photo above, you can see people at the top center. It's from there that I took the “remote temple” photo two months ago, and now this photo is the reverse angle of that one.
The “remote temple” is pretty rustic, in a pleasant way...
... and offers a very nice view of the river, the mountains, and northern Kyoto, though the view of the city is washed out in this shot...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
From the Senkouji Temple
Back down at the bottom of the steps where I'd left the scooter, we saw employees standing on a dock waiting to meet a boat carrying customers to a place with the name 星のや (hoshinoya), which I assumed to be a pricey restaurant....
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hoshinoya Inn, Spa, and Restaurant
It turns out to be an inn, spa, and restaurant, and that “pricey” was an understatement. Its web site lists dinner starting at $200 per person, and the three-day spa course runs $2,200, though that doesn't include a 10% service charge, nor even accommodations, which one supposes must be equally spendy.
Riding the quiet, mostly-empty path back to the main road did not prepare me for the scene once I arrived. It hits the main road at the western end of the famous Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋, seen here and more recently here). The whole area was positively swarming with people and traffic and unfun. I much prefer out-of-the-way places that my scooter gives me access to.
Today I'm off to Yoshiminedera. I still haven't looked at most of the photos I took last year, but it's nice to have them in reserve because this year's colors are so weak, I may not end up with anything today. We'll see...
That “Born” is really “Bon,” (梵) which is that character, which means Sanskrit (and which has big Buddhist connotations in Japan).
Seems you have an overload of opportunity for fabulous shots. Think you could made and sell dozens of different calenders or photo books with your work.
BTW, under “Taking Aim”, you had “where” instead of “were.”
Thanks, I’ve fixed the typo. As for sales, I’m not really the entrepreneurial type, but I appreciate the vote of confidence. —Jeffrey
Glad you are not the entrepreneurial type as then maybe you would not be so generous posting up full resolution versions of your really great pics. 🙂
Have just spent a happy half hour working out which of these lovely shots is going to be the desktop background for the next few weeks.
I sooo enjoyed the bamboo temple shots…
Meanwhile, I’m hoping you won’t completely write off the Moss temple even though it is pricey to get in and you have to sit through a prayer experience as by the photos I have seen in the Gardens of Japan book, it is indeed very special.
Keep up the great posting work!
Your fans are very happy!
Annie