Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ornamental Bridge
at the Shoren'in Temple (青蓮院), Kyoto Japan
Revisiting last fall's ikebana (flower arranging) event at the Shoren'in Temple, previously seen in these posts:
· Serene Photos to Calm the Nerves
· Cute and Colorful Scene at the Shoren’in Temple
· More Pleasantness From The Shoren’in Temple Ikebana Event
Photography is not normally allowed in this temple, but it was for this event.
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Ops Everywhere
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Every Kind of Camera
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 110 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pro Photo Shoot?
I ended up chatting with the American guy taking the photo above. It turns out that he had just met the lady in the kimono and done a quick picture, and when she happened by as we talked, he introduced us. She accepted my request to take a quick portrait; not wanting to keep her waiting, I suggested that I'd do it right then and there standing (coincidentally) about where I took the shot above from, in a walkway between two buildings.
She protested that the background was not conducive to a good shot, at which point I gave her a “trust me” look, directed her to a pose, and fired one frame:
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Aoi
I had actually fired off a couple of shots before I finished directing her for the shot I wanted, just to get her used to it, but the whole “photo shoot” from start to end lasted perhaps 20 seconds, half of which was me finding the best angle in the immediate vicinity for the background.
The portrait wasn't planned, but I'll file this under “Portraiture Practice” because this was just about the time I was starting to get interested in portraiture. This was about a week after I'd posted “Portraiture Post-Processing in Lightroom: How Many Faces Can One Portrait Have?” and “More Portraiture Post Processing: Stéphane Barbery’s Interpretations of That One Shot of Me”.
This time the “trust me” confidence was real, unlike the fake confidence I tried to exude in my previous post. Maybe it's because it was unplanned and because I didn't know her... the worst I would have to do if she followed up for a copy of the photo was say that it didn't come out.
Most people don't follow up when I tell them I have shots of them that they might like, to the point that I'm genuinely surprised when someone does. The photographer two shots up didn't. This dad didn't. Maybe one for every twenty that I offer. I don't know why I bother anymore.
But I do because I love to share; I'm most happy that the guy in this series did follow up, and he loved the shots I sent. Aoi, above, did as well, and she said she liked the shot. How could you not... she looks great.
Anyway, more random shots from the day...
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lake
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arrangement
by an adult
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arrangement
by a sixth grader
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arrangement
by a second grader
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lots of Kids' Arrangements
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arrangement
in a tsukubai
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Largest Arrangement
in front of the closed-off entrance used only by the Emperor
( who had actually visited this temple 10 years prior )
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Checking Out the Lake
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Colorful Reflections
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Web
in the ancient temple
( I'd focused on the web, but it's a stronger shot if I had focused on the spider )
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/125 sec, f/2.5, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Well-Worn Hallway
I'd camped out for a while at the end of this picturesque hallway for a while, in hopes of getting a nice shot (perhaps along the lines of the lead shot in “A First Visit To Kyoto’s Koutou-in Temple” two years prior).
I didn't quite get what I wanted, perhaps because it was quite busy and there was always lots of two-way traffic, but I like these shots nevertheless.
This is the same lady who appeared on this post, though that shot was from a different hallway. I guess she (and I) moved around a lot.
Love the shadows on the table top in JF4_005749.jpg (Arrangement by a Second Grader)! Also, enjoyed your Aoi portrait story.
Interesting comment on the low number of people who want copies of their photos. Maybe they have been ‘saturated’ with point and shoot images taken by friends and family.
@Tom in SF – I was about to add the same comment about the shadows. There is something very soothing about the shadows especially in contrast to the vibrant background.