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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Quality Time

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We had a nice sunset in Kyoto this evening.

Continued here...

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — image data
What am I?

It's been a while since one of my “What am I?” quizzes, so here we go with a new one.

As always, I'll hold comments from public view until I post the answer in a day or three.

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 4500 — image data
Receiving One's Order
under the big yellow “M”

It's been a while since I've posted one of Anthony's LEGO creations (the most recent having been on “Battle at an Abandoned Castle, Made Possible by Warehouse19.se”). This one is a recent McDonald's restaurant scene...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 5000 — image data
Fries and Drinks for Two

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/4, ISO 5000 — image data
Supersized Fries
with drink and shake

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 12800 — image data
Big Meal

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/11, ISO 12800 — image data
Animated Conversation

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/4, ISO 10000 — image data
Burger
lettuce and tomato, but light on the beef

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2200 — image data
Takeout

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/8, ISO 12800 — image data
Wider View

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — image data
Plan

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — image data
At The Order Window

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — image data
Burger Flipper
ensconced behind the counter

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lotus Flower

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In yesterday's post about my first summer visit to the Kajuji Temple (勧修寺) in Kyoto, I mentioned that it was much more “Alive” than in the bleak of winter. It's got a lot of animal life, but this post highlights some of the botanical life.

As far as I can tell, the lifespan of the lotus brings its flower through a few visually-distinct stages, but it's difficult to be sure exactly what's going on...

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

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/2000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Middle Stage

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Late Stage

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Various Stages

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
In The Thick of It
the Kajuji Temple lets you get right in there

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/11, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sharp

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/160 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Reflections
of the funky tree mentioned in the first post

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Maple
are not fiery in summer, but they will be

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Razor-Wire Plant
is the one thing that seems less alive than it did in winter,
at least as far as the “corky wing” things go

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Mid-Stage Lotus Flower

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lilies and Lotuses
The white water lilies were unfortunately only at a distance

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sort of Quaint

E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 45-200/F4-5.6 at an effective 90mm — ¹/3200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Me Taking the Photo Above
photo by Nicolas Joannin

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/640 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Freshly Opened

The pink bud opening in the photo above is the same one seen at the top of this post, and in the next image, which looks in through the top to focus on the makes-your-skin-crawl seed pod...

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

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/11, ISO 5000 — map & image data — nearby photos
What It Becomes
Looking at these make me feel decidedly uneasy

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Much Nicer
from the side

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Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Busy as Bees
at the Kajuji Temple (勧修寺), Kyoto Japan

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As I mentioned the other day in “Kyoto’s Kajuji Temple at its Most Bleak (is Still Very Nice)”, it was indeed rather bleak (but still rather nice) when I first visited in the winter, but a recent Japan Times article about its summer beauty reminded me to make another visit, so this morning I did.

最近の記事は勧修寺（かじゅうじ；京都市山科区）の冬の景色けれども、今朝もう一回行きました。夏は全然違う。「生きてる」雰囲気です！

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lotus Flowers
pleasantly alive, unlike when I came in the winter

E-P2 — ¹/200 sec, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Me Among the Lotus Flowers
photo by Nicolas Joannin

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — ¹/400 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Feeding (and Photoing) the Carp
kid's admission came with a bag of cut bread crust for the carp

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 — map & image data — nearby photos
Feeding Frenzy
for an ornamental fish, carp are really ugly up close

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — ¹/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO 560 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Lake
wide angle view

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Common Scene
though entirely unhurried and uncrowded

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/400 sec, f/8, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
From Behind the Lake
In the full-on harsh sunlight

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Counting
(we can confirm that there are 209 circular stepping stones)

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Self Portrait
in the window of the main hall
(the sign says “main hall”)

E-P2 + LUMIX G VARIO 45-200/F4-5.6 at an effective 90mm — ¹/2000 sec, f/10, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stability
this stance doesn't have it
photo by Nicolas Joannin

I'm at a loss to explain the odd stance... my best guess is that I knew that the ground was uneven, so rather than risk misstepping when I wanted to move back a bit, I just leaned back. I dunno. I look silly so I post it.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — ¹/400 sec, f/8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Exceedingly Pleasant
in the middle of the city
(the lake is beyond the benches and the two kids)

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
(the people are on the near shore; the heron on an island)

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Closed for the Day?
do these leaves close up for the main heat of the day, or is this rolled-up leaf still unrolling?

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gray, Pink, and White
heron, lotuses, and lilies

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/2500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Off To Daddy Duty

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/2000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

He (she?) arrived at the nest immediately following what appeared to be the other parent, and such a racket arose that I thought there was a heron massacre going on. Or mating. Only after I saw the fuzzy “little” ones did I realize that it was parents feeding two or three “babies”....

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 severely cropped — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fuzzy Babies
サギの赤ちゃんたち
after the parents had gone off again

Continued here...