
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Picturesque Path
at the Hokyo-in Temple (宝筐院)
Kyoto Japan
Fall-foliage season, long over with in most of the Northern Hemisphere, is just getting into full swing in Kyoto. Throwing common sense to the wind, I dared to venture to the Arashiyama area of Kyoto yesterday (Friday), where the density of tourists during this season threatens to form a singularity. Adding to the mass of folks, I went with Paul Barr and Damien Douxchamps.
We limited ourselves to a few temples on the northern fringes of Arashiyama, and so we avoided the most oppressive crowds.
The first stop was my first visit to the Hokyo-in Temple (宝筐院), which includes a picturesque path that naturally attracts the camera. The shot above recalls last week's “Why Does Photography with an iPad Look so Silly?”, though the lady wrapped in understated class also calls to mind the followup article, “iPad Photography: This Guy is Doing it Right”.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/50 sec, f/9, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Veranda
of the main temple building
at the Hokyo-in Temple (宝筐院)
I'd planned to post two shots from each place we visited yesterday, but it seems that while playing around in Lightroom this shot of the same temple building also got included...
We then moved next door to the much larger Seiryoji Temple (清涼時)...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/25 sec, f/16, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Covered Walkway
with rich wood ceiling beams
Seiryoji Temple (清涼時)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/250 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Harsh Sunlight
makes for a challenge

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/50 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Chicken Watches
We then moved over to Heiankyo, which seems to be a private residence/park-ish kind of place not normally open to the public except during rare special openings, one of which was going on yesterday.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Winding-ish
grounds at Heiankyo (平安郷)

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tuft

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/800 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tea Service
anyone who showed up got tea and sweet served by kimono-clad ladies
The next stop was the almost-impossible-to-find Enrian Temple (厭離庵) whose frontage on the street totals about four feet. A long narrow path connects the street to the temple grounds...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/50 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Path To The
Enrian Temple (厭離庵)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Outlying Building

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/50 sec, f/1.4, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Garden Photo Op
Finally we found our way to the Takiguchi-dera Temple (滝口寺), next to the Gioji Temple that has been on my blog so many times. I'd never actually taken the extra 10 steps up to the Takiguchi-dera Temple, so today we did...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/50 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Narrow Path
Takiguchi-dera Temple (滝口寺)

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/2.2, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Slightly Jostled
The Takiguchi-dera Temple, much less popular than Gioji just below it on the mountain, was a quiet respite from the crowds.
Damien and Paul then went to Gioji and elsewhere, but I was feeling a bit out of energy by this time so I called it a day. But it was a photogenic day, to say the least, so there's much more to post when time allows.
‘Winding-ish’ is ethereally beautiful 🙂 Thank you!
I stumbled upon your website when i was googling for wallpapers of the Bamboo grove in Arashiyama. What an amazing collection of photos!!! It is absolutely a treasure trove. I went to Kyoto for the first time last year, and frankly, I couldn’t get enough of that place. It was great to see a blog full with pictures of the place I love. Thanks!!