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E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 32mm — 1/4 sec, f/10, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still On The Way
photo by Nicolas Joannin
This post picks up from where “Discovery On The Way to The Waterfall” left off the other day. After venturing through a cluster of buildings, I had stopped on a little bridge to take some shots of the water, and Nicolas snapped the photo above.
In the picture above you can see a large tree growing out of the rocks to the left of me. Between that tree and the rocks to the foreground, the stream came pouring through in a little waterfall at eye level that I tried to capture. (The stream then continued under the bridge I was standing on, tumbling down the mountain as we saw in that “on the way...” post.)
I tried a number of hand-held shots of the eye-level waterfall, none of which came out, but this was the least objectionable:
The water seems fine to me (it's got enough blur that I like it, but enough detail to perhaps satisfy those who don't like the milky-smooth waterfall cliché), but the composition just does nothing for me. I think I was just too lazy to switch to my 50mm lens.
E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 32mm — 1/10 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying To Be Steady
photo by Nicolas Joannin
The view up the stairs was nice, with the shrine gate and all...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/40 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Inviting
We still had no idea what was beyond the steps or how far the path went, much less that there was an amazing waterfall patiently waiting for our cameras.
But I did see that the aforementioned tree had some interesting bark illuminated by some really gorgeous light, so I moved my attention that way...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/60 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Oddly Textured
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/320 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Alien Crop Patterns
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/80 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Really Wishing
that I had used my polarizer filter
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/125 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Scooped
scoop patterns like in the top of a large tub of ice cream
Despite the appearance of a trough left by an ice-cream scoop, it seems clear that these weren't made by mechanical means. Perhaps some kind of tree virus? Hopefully Peter, my staff botanist, will chime in here.
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/200 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Now This Is Getting Ridiculous
makes last week's tiny orange and tiny white mushrooms look huge
E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6 at an effective 28mm — 1/8 sec, f/8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Context
photo by Nicolas Joannin
Eventually we made our way up what turned out to be the last set of stairs...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
空也
I didn't know anything about it at the time, it's this guy born in 1,109 years ago
At the top of the steps, still not privy to the waterfall just around the corner, the light in the little valley was just gorgeous, and I got this kind of “layers of leaves” shot that I really love, but looks flat when it's not totally filling the screen (so be sure to click through to a desktop-background size if you're also into this kind of look)...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Layers and Layers
And then a few steps and our jaws dropped.
You do like to set the staff botanist a good challenge, and this is as good a “what am I” as any. The only real clue is that it’s a pretty big tree, which rules out a few possibilities, and I can only guess that it might be keaki (Zelkova serrata), a lovely, large tree in the elm family, much used as a park or even street tree in Japan. In the open, it often branches from low down, but in forest, would be expected to have a tall clear stem. The younger bark is fairly smooth apart from short horizontal lines of lenticels (as at top of “Oddly textured”), but the older bark flakes in odd ways – though I’ve never seen the ice-cream scoop formation. I wonder whether Nicolas has any suggestions ?
How helpful do you find the chest-pod in use in the third photograph ? I do not have your very steady hand, and occasionally have wondered how practical they are; looks as if it might be a bit constraining.
For me (in my minority of one, it seems) your eye-level waterfall is spot-on for amount of blur and detail, though I agree it’s not your usual standard of composition – sadly, it looks more like something I might produce. But I love the look of this piece of forest, and await further posts eagerly.
Well, I guess that’s somewhat of an accomplishment, to have stumped you. Nicolas commented here that he thought it might be extra terrestrials. 🙂 The thing in the third photo is not a “chest pod”, but just the strap hanging loose from the camera. —Jeffrey
Hi Jeffrey,
That photo CONTEXT is a very good ‘in-action’ shot of you. A great composition:
1 The tree down the left side. Nice distortion.
2. J. Friedl, hard core photographer in action.
3. The large pointing up ‘arrow’ of a house structure.
4. A tiny red snippet of the torii gate to draw your eye across the page.
Also your friend did a great job of displaying that shadowy forest lighting where its both light and dark at the same time. This shot could be right at home in National Geographic. You really get a sense of being in the forest, hearing the bug sounds, the water, the wind, etc.
Nice photos as usual, Jeffrey. If I might make a request, would you be able to add 2880 x 1800 to your desktop photo resolutions when you have a chance? I recently got my first Mac, and your photos would look lovely on it.
17:12 local time Burlington Ontario, temperature 29C after two weeks of temperatures up to 38 with humidity even higher.
The status are unhappy simply because they are all wet!
If you’re wet all the timme you never have a chance to become less wet/more dry.
You are still using the D700? And all is still well??/
Cheers
Yes, still love the D700. —Jeffrey
In “Trying to be steady” you look like Pierce Brosnan 007 – you should consider a new career! 🙂
Anne