A Cold, Wet, Photogenic Visit To The Ryoanji Temple
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 — map & image datanearby photos
Random Moss Lawn
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It's been about six years since I've been to the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺) in north-west Kyoto, but I think of it fondly because Fumie and I went there twice in the early years after moving here (once in the summer of 2005, and again in the fall), and because I've used this picture from there on my namecard for years.

I stopped in again the other day with Paul Barr, but it was a miserable day. It was the first day of real winter cold, but I was still dressed for autumn, and misty rain (ice/snow?) was blowing in at times on strong gusty winds. It made for dynamic lighting, but I couldn't use the camera easily when it was raining, and at all times I was freezing due to lack of proper preparations.

Still, in between the gusts of precipitation I could grab a few shots, and when it rained I warmed up my hands in my coat, so I came back with a few shots.

a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 250 — map & image datanearby photos
Locals
Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
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Ryoanji is known for its rock garden, but I prefer its regular garden out front, which includes a small lake with a small island near one edge. There's a small bridge onto the island that can be seen in the shot above of some of the lake's ducks.

The lake offers plenty of the photogenic susuki grass that I'm partial to..

a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Nature in the City
with a subtle smoothness coming from Lightroom coming from Lightroom's “negative clarity
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
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As I noted, the lighting was dynamic, as illustrated by these two shots in quick succession...

a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — map & image datanearby photos
Shaded
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Sunny
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Even away from the lake were picturesque tufts of the susuki grass....

a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 800 — map & image datanearby photos
Flowing Grass
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Viewed From Below
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 220 — map & image datanearby photos
Reverse Angle
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image datanearby photos
Can't Decide
what color to be
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/4, ISO 4000 — map & image datanearby photos
Wet Rock
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image datanearby photos
Moss Bench
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Neverending Job
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — map & image datanearby photos
Restraint and Ostentatiousness
pine and maple
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a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image datanearby photos
Appreciating the View
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Those steps lead back from the inner temple and its rock garden, an area we didn't visit on this trip.

Rather, we continued on the path that eventually leads around the lake...

a fall-folliage scene from the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺), Kyoto Japan
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 640 — map & image datanearby photos
Out With Friends
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At this point in checking out my photos, I felt that I had enough for a post, so I haven't looked further yet. I also realized that almost all of them would make nice desktop background images, so I just went ahead and gave them all that treatment.

To be continued...


All 3 comments so far, oldest first...

Thanks for the great shots. Ryoanji is one of my favorite temples. Having been away from Kyoto for a couple of years, your photos help keep it close. (btw, I think Ryoanji is misspelled in the title.)

Doh! Thanks, I fixed that little bit of dyxlexia. —Jeffrey

— comment by Michael Glaesemann on December 13th, 2011 at 1:55am JST (12 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink

As always, a pleasure to follow your eye around your corner of the world. And every post makes me lust after the Voigtländer 125mm more and more (which is a compliment as to how you use it).

— comment by Gary Sutherland on December 13th, 2011 at 4:24am JST (12 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink

Wow! Love the deep vibrant colors.

— comment by Che-Cheh on December 13th, 2011 at 6:41pm JST (12 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink
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