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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Simple

Or, You can get there from here... but not this way.

While waiting for the bus to arrive on the dizzily morning last week that Anthony rode the bus to school all by himself, I snapped this picture of a fence across the street, along the park-like grounds of the municipal museum of art. I think it's pretty.

(Be sure to see the large version for the full effect... it's sort of arresting, but in a nice way).

Doing an image proximity search on the area beyond the fence yields a lot of results from my blog over the years...

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artsy-Fartsy 1
Gardens of the Heian Shrine, Kyoto Japan

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This post continues from my previous post, “Cherry Blossoms in the Rain at the Heian Shrine”. Even more so than in that post, a lot of the pictures this time have a sort of distinct (distinctly annoying?) feel, with multiple planes of focus (or the lack there of).

Also, as with some of the photos in last month's “Kyoto 2009 Cherry-Blossom Preview”, some this time have had a touch of Lightroom's “negative clarity”, which I apparently am enamored with. The shot above, of course, has had a lot of negative clarity applied, to give it a glowing pastel feel. I guess it qualifies as “art”, which means that I don't care whether you think it's contrived and affected. 🙂

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 58 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Cherry-Blossom Petal Pond Scum
is there a synonym for “scum” with a pleasant nuance?

The first picture in last year's “Snowy Gardens of the Heian Shrine” is a nice shot from almost the same vantage point, with Anthony and Fumie reflected in the glassy surface of the cold, winter pond.

That little lake has stepping stones that were closed off this time, but I think I've seen people on them before...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos

That little shack in the background is new... I wonder what it's for.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 50 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Common Photo-Op Spot

The guy in the picture above had a big pro-level Canon SLR and a big lens of some sort. Would like to have seen his results.

As another winter/spring comparison, here's a shot from the same position, after a snowstorm back in 2005.

Here are a few more artsy-fartsy multi-plane touch-of-negative-clarity shots...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/4, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artsy-Fartsy 2

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/4, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artsy-Fartsy 3

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/4, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artsy-Fartsy 4

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos

As many guessed correctly to the Geometric “What am I?” Quiz from the other day, the pattern in the dirt is from rainwater dripping from the bamboo lattice. You might recall that the paths seen in Part I of this pair of posts showed no signs of these patterns, and that's almost certainly because those paths are well traveled, but the path in the photo above is normally a dead end. (It leads to a closed gate, which leads to the bridge seen in Artsy-Fartsy 4 above.)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Not Sure Where to Focus
a touch disconcerting, but somehow pretty

Back outside the gardens and into the public square of the shrine, there were some fluffy pink “trees” that I briefly considered making into a “What am I?” Quiz...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pink Trees

I decided against making it a quiz because those who knew what it was would recognize it immediately, and those who didn't would never be able to guess.

They're twigs with papers tied on like leaves...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pink Paper “Leaves”
it says “Heian Shrine”

These are common at shrines, although normally they're white and on strings strung between two posts. These were apparently set up specially for the cherry-blossom season; the normal white ones on string were nearby.

It's my understanding that individuals buy the papers for some small amount (a buck or five) and writes a wish on them before tying them to the string. (Update: I finally asked Fumie about these; they're called Omikuji, and are fortunes/predictions. You pay a few bucks to get a random one, and if it's good you take it with you. If bad, you tie it to the string, leaving your bad fortune behind.)

I'm not sure what happens after that, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were later subject to a Shinto rite involving fire, such as those described in “Intense Burn: Shinto Rite at the Heian Shrine” and “Rare Shinto Shrine-Closing Ceremony”.

These kinds of papers have been seen before on my blog – likely several times – but the only one I can find are some green ones at an out-of-the-way shrine in Kibune.

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/6.3, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Puffy, Pretty, 'n Wet
yaezakura cherry blossoms at the Heian Shrine, Kyoto Japan

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Last Tuesday, after Anthony went to school on the bus all by himself, I thought I'd take advantage of the rainy weekday morning (no crowds!) to check out the cherry blossoms in the garden of the Heian Shrine. The most common variety of cherry blossom around here (the pure white yoshino) are almost completely gone, but the Heian Shrine's justly famous garden is full of other varieties that were still pretty much at full bloom.

By the time I started over (the shrine didn't open for an hour and a half after Anthony had gone), the rain had started up again. On the way there, I noticed that the cherry tree in the middle of the park Anthony likes to ride his bike in was full of pink blossoms, but tempered by the rain..

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Cherry Tree in the Middle of a Park

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 190 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still a Nice Background for a Snapshot

The shrine holds a lightup event in the evenings during cherry-blossom and it's absolutely beautiful. Or, it would be if it weren't absolutely packed to the gills with people, such that you can't walk, you can only shuffle. We've lived within walking distance for five years, but have gone only once (five years ago, I think) because it's just not worth the crowds.

So, I thought that it'd be empty on a rainy weekday morning (just as it was one morning last year after an uncommon but beautiful snow)....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 98 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
I Was Wrong

Still, since I'd gone this far (a good four-minute walk! ;-), I continued in. The entrance to the gardens is on the left as you enter, so the view to the right was clear...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Subdued Cherry Blossoms Peeking Over the Building

(A shot from pretty much the same position leads off my “Amazing Snow at the Heian Shrine” post from early 2008.)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shidarezakura “Weeping Willow” Cherry Blossoms
Inside the Shrine Gardens

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Japanese garden design tends to be masterful. The moment you walk in, you may still be just a few meters from a busy street and the stresses of the city, but they all melt away inside because you feel you're a million miles from everywhere. (Another great example is the nearby Murin'an, which is much smaller but still makes you forget that you're a paper-airplane throw from the hustle and bustle of the city.)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/9, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wet Hanami

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
Carpet of Pink

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Scattered, Distracted, and Way Too Busy
but I really like this shot for some reason

Most cherry trees in the garden seem to be the late-blooming (long-blooming) yaezakura (extra puffy) and shidarezakura (weeping cherry). The former are very puffy, but nowhere near as puffy as these blossoms on a tree closer to my place.

I just wish I could remember the name of the latter, shidarezakura, because for some reason my brain keeps coming up with yo as the first syllable instead of the proper shi, yielding something that happens to mean “drool cherry-blossom”.

Anyway, other varieties could occasionally be found, usually well past full bloom...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Too Much Green

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Can't Follow Rules

Unlike previous years where tripod and monopod use in the gardens required a separate permit, this year there were big signs saying that all monopod and tripod use was forbidden. Period. Probably too many people coming through, or too much damage. I dunno, but I respected the condition of entry.

Some areas had bamboo lattices set up to allow the sometimes vine-like branches to hang down over and around the walkway...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rectangular Lattice

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arc Fan-Shaped Lattice

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Less-Populated Lattice

Some people suggested that rain dripping off these lattices is the answer to yesterday's “What am I?” Quiz, but as you can see in the photo above, the path has no hint of any of the markings seen in the quiz picture. Good guess, though.

If you follow one of the under-image “map & image data” links through to the Google Map satellite view, you'll get shockingly-high resolution images in which you can count the individual sticks of bamboo making up the lattices. Absolutely amazing.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 95 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/4.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Isolated Puffery

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Petal-Laden Stream

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking Back Toward the Entrance
after making the circuit around the lower-left lobe of the garden

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 58 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Path to the Bathroom

At this point I was perhaps a quarter of the way through the gardens, which has several distinct zones.

Continued here...

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 50 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Why Is This Pattern Here?
( hint: not part of an overgrown chess board )

Well, I fear this will continue the string of uninspired “What am I?” quizes I've had lately, but it's worth a try.

(Comments are moderated, so answers won't show up publicly until I get up tomorrow morning.)

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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 75 mm — ¹/50 sec handheld, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wheel and Bridge

On our way back from our short day trip to Awaji Island last week (about which I posted lotsa' flower pictures here and here), we stopped by the highway rest stop just south of the big Akashi-Straights bridge. I wrote about the rest stop before in Heavy Lifting: Supporting the Longest Suspension Bridge in the World.

This time it was dark, and the Ferris wheel (“the largest at a highway rest stop in Japan! if not the world!”) was lit up with pure green floodlights that made a dizzying sight...

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/60 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ultra-Wide Angle

The “dizzying” came not from its height (it's not really very tall), but from the plethora of green photons flooding your retina. Our brains aren't set up to handle this situation well, and it was somewhat disorienting and surreal.

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/60 sec handheld, f/5, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Entrance

Unfortunately, cameras aren't set up to handle this situation, either. As I lamented in Why Does “Brightness” Wash Colors to White?, colors start to get washed out to white as their intensity increases. Other than the lights illuminating the sign and entrance area, there wasn't anything at all white about the light in the pictures above. The Ferris wheel was intense, absolutely pure green without any hint of “washing out” or fading or white. As such, these pictures (which are pathetic on a photographic plane to begin with) give no real sense for the experience.

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8 @ 14 mm — ¹/20 sec handheld, f/5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Starting the 11-Minute Ride

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/5 sec handheld, braced, f/5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Picture Through a Dirty Plastic Window
the lights on the bridge are a beautiful purple, but show up here as white )-:

For the same reason that photos of the green Ferris wheel don't come out pure, intense green, the lights on the bridge don't come out in their proper colors. I run into this problem often, and I don't understand why tools like Lightroom can't address it. For example, consider the “Extremely Blue Light Display” that I posted a year ago. The pure blue got “blown out” to white, but spending some time in Photoshop, I was able to finagle a more realistic representation, as seen in the first image on this post.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27 mm — ¹/8 sec handheld, braced, f/5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wider View

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/8 sec handheld, f/5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking for our Car

I continue to be impressed by the low-light capabilities of the Nikon D700, and surprised by the low-shutter-speed abilities of my hands. The picture above was handheld, freestanding, in a moving, swinging Ferris-wheel car. Anthony's head is fuzzy because he moved during the glacial 1/8-second exposure. Nothing is really sharp and photographically speaking the picture is as bad as the others, but I think it adds to the story, and that it can even exist is an amazing part of the story.

When we were done with the ride, I tried taking a shot of the bridge from the ground...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 66 mm — ¹/25 sec handheld, braced, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Akashi-Straights Bridge

The lights on the bridge often changed, and were not necessarily always the same across the whole length. But I never actually saw the lights change.... we would just suddenly realize that they were different. The lights likely slowly morphed, making for an interesting effect over time. Unfortunately, whatever colors they were, they come out as white in a photograph.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27 mm — ¹/60 sec handheld, f/8, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Green

After being around the intense green for a while, I found it interesting to realize that it started to not feel so intense. As our brain got used to it, it started to inch toward doing what it does for most ambient light: interpret it as being white.

Before I left, I tried taking some shots that might be good for a “What am I?” Quiz, but as yesterday's quiz made clear, I didn't come up with anything challenging. (It was even less challenging if you clicked on the “nearby photos” link under the picture, and saw the big Ferris wheel pop up.)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/320 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Another Contender

While Fumie ran into the rest-stop stores for some shopping, Anthony and I played catch a bit. When Mommy returned, he was apparently still in a baseball mood, and showed Mommy his moves...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/40 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
And the Windup...

Those familiar with baseball will see that stance as a first class pitcher's windup. In this case it's entirely (and unexpectedly) coincidental. He has no idea what he's doing, which makes this snapshot all the more precious.

As for the look of the picture, that picture happened to be up on the screen when Fumie asked me about a photographer she'd seen on TV whose style she really liked, and so I started futzing with the controls and presets in Lightroom to show how that style could be mimicked digitally. The style here is not one she asked about, but is one I happened upon that I like for an otherwise drab presentation.