Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110mm — 1/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dr. Katrin Philippar
she knows her plant proteins and stuff
In the 80s my folks hosted an exchange student from Germany. We've kept in touch since, and she stopped by Kyoto last weekend on her way to give a talk at a plant-biology conference in Okayama.
The pleasant walk along the Kamo river that I posted about yesterday was on my way meet Katrin for the day's outing. We'd arranged to meet in front of a clock on the south side of Kyoto Station....
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm — 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Reasonable Hotel
Reasonably Close to Kyoto Station
It's a popular time to be in Kyoto, so the hotel at the station is ridiculously priced (~US400/night!), so I was thrilled when Fumie found a much more reasonable option, the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto - Hachijoguchi. It's new, clean, and not even a five minutes stroll to the south... in the photo above, taken from Kyoto Station, it's the building to the right of center with large lettering running up and down. Recommended.
You can visit Kyoto for 10 years and not see everything, so it's a challenge to pick what to offer someone in town for just a couple of days, but she had a guide book and said she wanted to see the temple just north of the station, so off we headed. It's huge and famous, but I'd never visited.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 86mm — 1/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 140 — map & image data — nearby photos
Doing the “Ritual Cleansing” Thing
at the Higashi Honganji Temple (東本願寺)
Kyoto, Japan
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Quiet Time
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Bell
409 years old
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 180mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bell Detail
In an amazing coincidence, Katrin ran into a colleague from another institution, who happened to be in Japan, but not for the conference Katrin was attending. I think they chatted about enzyme transports or something.
Anyway, the Higashi Honganji Temple, though huge and venerable, lacks any sense of nature and feels quite sterile, so we (Paul Barr was with us) took her to a more visually appealing spot, the Kiyomizu Temple. It's crowded and touristy, but for good reason, it's nice.
But instead of going there directly, I thought we walk through the huge cemetery on one side of the hill leading up to it, a cemetery that I've seen many times from a nearby overpass, but had never been to.
We arrived at the entrance I've driven past so many times...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 95mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Entrance from the Street
the Ootani Honbyo Temple (大谷本廟)
(also known as the Nishi Otani Temple, 西大谷)
from the corner of Gojo and Higashioji Streets
This relatively little temple is in front of the huge cemetery...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170mm — 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Cemetery
dating back about 900 years
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 175mm — 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mottled
A the time the color of this stone really struck me as being interesting, but it seems much less so now, even though I've got the color as accurate as reasonably possible...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120mm — 1/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — 1/160 sec, f/22, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Paying Respects
one person among a field of graves
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm — 1/320 sec, f/22, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 110 — map & image data — nearby photos
Crow
it's difficult to see the crow perched atop the highest monument, but he's there
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — 1/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stairs to Kiyomizu
清水寺
The graveyard leads up the hill toward the Kiyomizu Temple, so I always thought that it was the graveyard associated with that temple, but it seems that they're unrelated. It's actually the graveyard for the Higashi Honganji Temple that we'd been to earlier, two kilometers away.
The graveyard was as deserted as, well, a graveyard, but things changed considerably once we got near the World Heritage Kiyomizu Temple, but I'll save that for another post.
I really like the BW shot. Not a common perspective and great composition/contrast. <3
From Brookville, Ohio, USA
I never made it to Kyoto. I did get to Kamakura but only learned that you could go around to the back of the Buddha and walk inside. I saw that on television just a few years ago on the Discovery Channel. I must has assumed it was solid when I was there but it is only sheets of bronze held together by iron straps similar to the Statue of Liberty. Have you been inside of the Great Buddha?
No, I’ve never been to Kamakura (but I know what to look for if I ever go). —Jeffrey
Hello Jeffrey,
I’m really enjoying PAYING RESPECTS part 2 (B&W pic.) I think you may want to visit that shot again. I just noticed that the tombstones look awfully reminiscent of the city buildings behind them. You may want to explore just the right angle to really juxtapose those two items. They look eerily similar in the B&W photo. That would make for a really nice artistic shot.
By the way, in your recent post about visiting Ohio you took family photos and mentioned an ‘intervalometer’. I just recently purchased a wireless model from a company called Vello. (Google: Vello Wireless ShutterBoss Timer Remote) Its surprisingly helpful for taking self portraits. I was able to set the timer and then have my camera take maybe 10-20 shots in a row… in a similar fashion to what we all used to do in those mall photo booths. All while being 20-30 feet away from the camera.
Now its just a matter of getting in good shape, honing a non-cheesy/frozen motif and I’m on my way to self-portrait gold. I remember your posts about exploring self portraits and thought that may be helpful in your pursuits. All the best.
She was lucky to have such a knowledgable guide. I go to Kiyomizu nearly every week now, so I am getting to know the area well. Let’s meet up one day for lunch at the tofu restaurant there!