Over the years I've posted many sunsets from the Shogunzuka Overlook (将軍塚) in eastern Kyoto, from spectacular to quiet but nice to the most common: downright bland. It's been a source of occasionally dynamic views for a long time, but the practical reality is that for every one time I show something from up there, I've visited and returned empty-handed many times.

Overall, the median experience is, basically, a waste of time.

I tend to keep track of the sky's potential for a nice sunset throughout the day, all while mentally juggling my schedule to see whether a trip up [...]

The other day in "Getting Back Out with the Camera a Bit" I mentioned that I stopped by the famous Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) on Miyajima Island (a bit south of Hiroshima, Japan). I arrived at sunset on a gloomy day that was already dark, and stayed for just half an hour.

Deer roam the area freely, and are quite docile. This is in stark contrast to Nara, where the deer are extremely aggressive, taking your food right out of your hand or shopping bag if you're not quick enough to protect it. I should write up a post about that.

I popped up this morning to the bamboo grove in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto (嵐山竹やぶ) for a little project with Aeron. I hadn't been there since last December, for the dramatic lightup event they have every year.

After we were done, I took advantage of having a wide angle lens with me so lay down on the street for some skyward shots. Here's another view looking up from the ground, without Aeron's head...

I'm still overwhelmingly steeped in Lightroom plugin development of late, but did get out with the camera a few times over the weekend. On Friday I met some friends visiting Kyoto, and in the shot above one is taking a photo of a stuffed bunny at the Heian Shrine (平安神 宮), as part of a project for a friend's daughter, showing the bunny in various situations around Japan.

Over Saturday and Sunday, I took a family trip to Iwakuni in western Japan to visit some relatives, and as part of the trip stopped by Miyajima Island (宮島) and its famous [...]

I paid a visit today to the Shouren'in Temple (青蓮院) in Eastern Kyoto for a repeat of the Ikebana (生花; flower-arranging) event that last year produced all these posts:

Today's visit won't produce so much, but this post is a first run at some of the shots I took...

The light was really harsh today; somehow, it was better last year.