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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stark

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At the end of my previous post, I showed an odd tree... very tall without branches, except at the top a rat's nest of tightly bunched twigs and cones. Futzing around in Lightroom with a shot of the top of the tree, I came across a fairly stark monochrome version that struck me as interesting enough to give it a try as a desktop background.

Prior to happening upon that, I had a “stylized” version that I sort of liked...

Stylized

I don't often venture into these non-realistic versions unless I'm doing something specific (such as this, this, this and this), but I often run into interesting results while testing my various Lightroom plugins: I sometimes need to quickly generate a version of a photo that is visually distinct from other copies I've tested with, so I'll haphazardly slap around the develop-setting sliders to create something wacky, like this, this, and this.

I've got a few such freaky/interesting items in my (way too long) to-post-about list.

For reference, here's the original...

Original

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
'Bout That Time Of Year Again

On the family outing to some nearby still-snowy mountains the other day, we noticed that the maple trees are starting to bud, with an odd rust-colored fringe...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1000 sec, f/8, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fringed In Rust

Up close, it was easy to see what was happening...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dreamy Buds

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 cropped — ¹/1000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Extreme Closeup
¼ of a 1:1 macro shot

Elsewhere along the drive we found a tree with big, pink buds.... likely plum.

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/8, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos

I don't know for sure whether they're plum, but it's likely because we're well into plum-blossom season. Even two weeks ago another Kyoto blogger posted about plum blossoms in Gion, and in prior years I've posted about them as early as late January.

The plum-blossom season winds down early, just in time to make way for cherry blossoms to have center stage.

Plum blossoms are usually pink... depending on the variety, anywhere from a faint whitish pink, to deep, rich, retina-searing day-glow pink. But perhaps there are true white plum as well, as I saw a tree with white blossoms at Shouzan during yesterday's outing with Vaughn.

While on the subject of trees, here's one more item from the family outing the other day, I noticed one tree that definitely stood apart from the rest...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4.5, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lake Biwa and Weird Tree

Lots of trees have no or few branches for most of their height, but this one got crazy with the branches once it decided...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lots of Nothing, then Crazy-Packed Branches
with, by the way, the susuki grass mentioned yesterday near the camera in the foreground

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arboreal Rat's Nest

Continued here...

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/8, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trying To Capture The Elusive Susuki Grass
Vaughn Hart in Kyoto

World-traveler Vaughn Hart was in Kyoto today, and we got together to enjoy some of the photographic delights of Kyoto. He's a user of one of my plugins and so had contacted me when he realized our paths might cross, but it turns out that he hadn't read my blog, so had no real idea about who I am or what it's like around here (and so had no specific ideas about what he preferred to see while here). So, I thought a random drive in the mountains might be nice, to see what we discover.

The susuki (“Japanese pampas grass”) ubiquitous in the mountains in winter is starting to fade, but still as pretty and elusive as ever...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — ¹/3200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Susuki Grass

I've tried to photograph it on many (dozens of) occasions, but little comes of it... it's so hard (for me) to capture. It seems this is the first post where I even mention the name. I do recall it's appeared on this spectacular shot, but mostly what I get looks like this.

Anyway, the stems were getting un-fluffy, and perhaps that made things easier...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/22, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Delicate

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/8, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Starburst

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Curly

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/800 sec, f/8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gossamer

Driving some more, we stopped in at one of the many temples dotting the mountains. Like the “Ice Room” Temple I posted about earlier in the month, most of these temples are simple and unassuming, not for tourists, but to serve the local folk.

The one we stopped by today, the Toufuu Shrine (道風神社), is no exception. Wikipedia notes that it dates back to 920.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Entrance Path
Toufuu Shrine, Kyoto Japan

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pond, Moss, and Stone Frog
and Vaughn

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — ¹/4000 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sliver of Direct Sun

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos

My post “Simple Wood Carving on a Rural Shrine’s Gate” also came from this visit.

When I realized that our random path would bring us near the “Yama no Ie Hasegawa” restaurant I wrote about late last year, I was excited to visit again, but it turns out that they're closed on Tuesdays. Bummer.

Still, there are logging trails in the area, so we left the car at the restaurant and took a walk...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/1000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Impromptu Backlit Portrait

If you ever wondered what happens when those ceder wrapped in wire and plastic have the wire loosened, I have the answer here:

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/4, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Discards

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/4, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Loosened Wire

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Further Up the Mountain

We eventually were treated to what would have been a great view of a very distant spread out Kyoto, but it was very hazy, so I didn't bother with a picture.

We had time to head across town and swing by Nishimura Stone Carvers for a look...

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos

In one far corner they were working on setting up a new piece, including the 72-year-old third-generation current patriarch of the family (wearing a hat in the background of this picture).....

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos

I've chatted with him on occasion, and thought I had written a post about him specifically, but I don't see it now, so it must be still on the to-do list. I have posted about his oldest son working a stone in the shop. In fact, the stone lantern he was working on in that post was now in the back garden, still looking too new to be desirable...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/1.4, ISO 560 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shy

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/1.4, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fat Buddha
originally seen in this post

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/1.4, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Workshop

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Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 170 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Snow Play!

We went for a drive yesterday on the Hieizan Driveway, a scenic toll road through the mountains north-east of Kyoto that's a mere 20 minutes away. It gets quite up there, offering some spectacular (albeit hazy at the moment) views....

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 210 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Part of Lake Biwa
with 1,377-meter Mt. Ibuki rising out of the haze 65 kilometers away

Some places along the road still have quite a bit of snow, so we stopped at times for Anthony to play. This particular place is over the prefectural line (in Shiga prefecture), which is why this post's title has a “sort of”... it's not really Kyoto. Anyway...

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 380 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
On the Move

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 460 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Targeting Mommy
who is safe in the car, but a tempting target nevertheless

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 460 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Happy With his Aim

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 95 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/5, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Leaping Off the Huge Snow Pile

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 140 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Crash Landing

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 290 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wet Butt

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 340 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still No Haircut
( referencing this post and this post )

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 290 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Happy About Something
probably having gotten me with a snowball

Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/3200 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Digging

There's just something about sticks and snow that little boys just can't pass up. It was like that even years ago, and it's like that today.

This last photo reminds me that I've still not followed up on this shot from a year ago. Must bump that up on the to-do list...

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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — full exif

When we got Anthony new clothes for the winter, we happened to get him some turtleneck shirts, and (of course) I think he just happens to look really good in them :-). This photo is from a month ago, a month after his last haircut (which appeared in “Shorn”).

He still hasn't had it cut since, so it's been two months and his head is currently a shaggy mop of cuteness.