
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Entrance from Afar
Honen'in Temple (法然院), Kyoto Japan
The view above, of the entrance gate to the Honen'in Temple (法然院) in eastern Kyoto, is from the outside looking in, as opposed to the views in yesterday's post, which were from the inside looking out.
The path leading to the entrance gate is in two parts... the first being an exceptionally-well-done cobblestone path with what seems to me to be a decidedly modern feel...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Path onto the Property
eventually leading to the main gate
Frankly, I find the modern feel to be a bit jarring in the rustic traditional temple setting, but I like the cobblestone path a bit better than what follows directly in front of the main gate: plain dirt.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Standard View
of the famous, photogenic gate
The duo-nature path includes some cobblestone steps rising toward the gate, and in the lead photo I placed myself such that the lens was just slightly below the level of the dirt part of the path, thereby rendering it invisible in that scene.
The thatched gate roof had lush moss, which I always love but can never do justice in a photograph...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 8000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lush Moss Roof
From just inside the gate you can look down on the path and sand sculptures that we saw yesterday...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ferny Northern Slope
of the entrance-gate roof
Better view of the ferns, which I love:

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ay Be a Pirate
at least me boots be

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 560 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sand Detail

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gate Sans Sand

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Damien and Gate

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
One More Try
all in all, the one posted yesterday, at 24mm, is probably the best

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Different Angle

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mossy Lawn

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
Back Pathway
behind the mossy lawn

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Building Detail
Normally you can not enter the temple buildings nor see the private gardens, but they are apparently opened for a few days every few years, and due to Dameon's encyclopedic knowledge of Kyoto temples, our visit this day was not a coincidence.
You are not allowed to take photos in the buildings, but I was permitted to take them of the garden areas...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Curved Stone Bridge
made from a single piece of stone
When going through these photos last night I came across one in black & white; apparently I'd fiddled with it soon after loading the photos in November. I'm not sure it's worth sharing, but FWIW, here it is....

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Slightly Off Kilter
with a pretty engraved deer

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lake of Moss

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/13, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Private Inner Garden

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/13, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Vertical View

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Unweathered
I think the stones provide a sturdy area for roof runoff to hit the ground

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/6.3, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Courtyard Tree
in groomed sand

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/1.8, ISO 110 — map & image data — nearby photos
Garden Basin

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/80 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gargoyle Detail
( it looks like he has a splitting headache )
I love how a leaf is used for the spout. The only other time I've ever seen that was in an outside basin at this very temple, the first time I visited it 8½ years ago:

Canon IXY DIGITAL 600 — 1/125 sec, f/2.8 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shot in 2005 with a Point-n-Shoot
before I got much into photography
Back to the Nov 2012 visit, here's someone else taking a picture of the basin/gargoyle...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
In Silhouette
doing a fedora right
These are some beautiful photos, and it looks like it was a really serene place to be. That everything has a slightly damp look to it makes it seem even more inviting, and I think it made the photos even more appealing as well. For the black and white photo, I would imagine that the reflection of the bridge in the water is brought out compared with the color version.