Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/750 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Couple 'a Rocks

Continuing in a series about Sunday's snow in Kyoto, and the Heian Shrine, following after yesterday's Snowy Gardens of the Heian Shrine, Part I, we move over toward the north-east gardens....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fringe of Color

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Snowy Roof

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stepping Stones

The stepping stones seen above are apparently a big draw, but they didn't seem particularly interesting to me on this day. I was more interested in how the lattice roof (as mentioned yesterday) made for an area that looked like a little porch area for enjoying the gardens.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Covered Bridge

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stone Lantern

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ducks

The shot of the ducks had some green in the trees, but overall it just looked drab until I turned it into monochrome and pumped up the contrast. I wish the ducks were more prominent, but I like it anyway.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Foreground and Background

This is one of the few shots were I actually captured the blue sky. I was exposing for the snow, so the sky was blown out in most shots (that is, the sky was recorded as pure white because the sensor couldn't handle the photo overload). The “Covered Bridge” shot, for example, has quite a bit of blue sky and cloud detail that appears when I lower the exposure way down (one of the benefits of shooting in raw mode). I may try some HDR processes on it when I'm not feeling so sick nor so busy as today.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Random Quaint Bridge #27
(compare to the summertime view seen in Second-Tier Photos from June 3, 2007)

This was another that had a touch of color that detracted from the image, so I rendered this one as monochrome as well.

Of course, Anthony couldn't care less about the beauty, at least not when there was ice to be poked and broken. Here, he found a bucket of water (kept by the wooden covered bridge for fire emergencies) that had a thin layer of ice...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 30 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
With This Umbrella I Thee Poke

About the time of the ice poking, the snow, which had started a minute earlier, really ramped up, so that the Random Quaint Bridge was getting harder to see...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Two Minutes Later

But that was just the start. A few minutes later, it really started to snow....

Continued here...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Water is Meant to be Poked

I'm still sick, so today's post is a simple continuation of yesterday's snowy visit to the Heian Shrine, today focusing mostly on the gardens, except for this next picture:

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Arriving at the Heian Shrine

You can see how little snow there was, compared to the amazing shots last week.

The rest of the pictures are from inside the gardens, which costs 600 yen (US $6) to enter per adult. Anthony got in free. We were the first to enter, the two photographers behind us immediately ran to the far gardens, while we took a more leisurely pace.

Many areas of the gardens have bamboo lattice that support the “crimson weeping-willow cherry trees” that populate the grounds. (I don't know their name in English, but the Japanese is benishidarezakura – 紅枝垂桜.) In a few months, these lattice will be supporting a heavy burden of intense pink. Today, they supported only a layer of snow.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/180 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bamboo Lattice

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 38 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Not all plants were totally covered; some were in more protected areas...

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Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 50 mm — ¹/40 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Chilly Fern

But overall, most plants had a nice layer of snow....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Private Gardens

It's hard to believe when looking at pictures like this – just as it's hard to believe when you're there – that this shrine is right in the city. There's a major street 60 yards away, the huge intersection of Marutamachi and Higashiooji is just two tenths of a mile away, and my own house is less than four tenths of a mile away. When you're there, you feel like you're a million miles away from it all.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Footprints

I was disappointed that the two photographers who had run ahead of us had marred the snow in this tiny bridge. At five years old, Anthony's natural inclination is, naturally, to indulge in anything that involves smashing ice or snow, but especially in the gardens, we've encouraged him to preserve the beauty as is. It's a balance between letting a kid be a kid, and respect for nature and for others' enjoyment of it, but in gardens like this, “respect” certainly wins.

So, to not make it worse, we had him step into the footprints that were there, and we made sure he understood why.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/50 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Life Lessons

The little bridge was the start of a long path the runs across the back of the property, connecting one area of gardens to another. On it, we met a shrine worker with a broom and dustpan...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Morning Chores

The long path lets out at the main set of gardens, none of which have shown up in pictures on my blog yet. All those from yesterday and today are from the minor western gardens. We'll see some of the main gardens tomorrow, if my cold allows...

Continued here...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/3.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos

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Gardens at the Heian Shrine This Morning
Kyoto, Japan

With a forecast for snow all night, I was disappointed to wake up to find less accumulation than we had the other day (Amazing Snow at the Heian Shrine), which itself wasn't really all that much. In fact, it was sunny out. Still, we all went for a walk, and despite no prognosis for good photography, I brought along the camera and tried to make the best of it.

It was clear that it was going to be an unphotogenic time when we arrived at the bridge featured in yesterday's Snowy Bridge in Kyoto to find only a light dusting of snow.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 18 mm — ¹/350 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Northern View from the “Snowy Bridge”

There wasn't much traffic at 8am Sunday morning, so I could stand in the middle of the street and look through the legs of the Main Gate of the Heian Shrine, down to the shrine's main entrance (the one seen in this Photoshop and New Year's Cards post). Luckily, an ugly delivery truck was parked right where it would spruce up this otherwise boring shot:

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Road to the Heian Shrine

Anthony and I had headed out a few minutes before Mommy, so when Anthony saw her coming, he ran back to greet her. (The sun was coming and going behind clouds, so the lighting was ever changing, and was more wintery-gloomy in this shot.)

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 45 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Running Back to Greet Mommy
who is in the pack of people in the background

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kid at Heart

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/4, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Leaving a Wake of Destruction

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Clearing Skies

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/4, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Corner of Reisen and Cold

Growing up in the snow of Ohio, I am used to seeing snow plastered on signs by snow plows, but I'm not used to seeing it stick to vertical surfaces on its own, so it was odd to see this morning that pretty much all west-facing surfaces had a layer of snow.

We went into the shrine area, and this time we could go into the gardens; we were first in line, followed by a professional photographer, and another guy with an SLR.

The photos from the gardens will likely occupy my next dozen or so posts, so for today I'll share just the one seen at the top of this post, and this shot that Anthony took of me on one of the paths between gardens...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 23 mm — ¹/180 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Me in my Puffy Yellow Jacket
(Photo by Anthony)

Having recently lost my nice winter hat, I was forced to use earmuffs and a floppy summer hat, which pushed my normally high dorkiness factor through the roof. Thus, you'll appreciate that unlike the photo leading this post, the one of me is not available as a desktop background.

While we were in the gardens, it started snowing again. Back on the street, here's another view of the main entrance...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Road to the Heian Shrine (Part 2)

We couldn't stop but lick our lips at the sight of this Baikal delivery truck:

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tea Time

Baikal is a high-end sweets and cake shop, so we could easily imagine what delicious joys the truck was full of. The driver was parked at the side of the road, enjoying something hot from a thermos, taking in the snowy view of the shrine entrance seen above.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/350 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pampered Pooches

Back at the “Snowy Bridge”, we saw this lady taking advantage of a lull in traffic to set up a shot of the shrine gate in the middle of the crosswalk.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos

The photographer in me could only commiserate, and I quickly jumped to get a picture of her taking a picture...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Been There, Done That

Returning to the warmth of home, my camera lens immediately fogged up and I couldn't see a thing through it, but I think this picture nevertheless captures the essence of a cold, tired boy returning from playing in the snow.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 23 mm — ¹/8 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — full exif

I felt wonderful while I was out there, but half an hour after returning, I started feeling a cold coming on quickly, and so the rest of the day has been unfun. It doesn't take too much energy to sit like a couch potato in front of the computer, and hence, we have this post.

Continued here...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/350 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Checking out the Snow

It's snowing like gangbusters this evening in Kyoto, and the forecast is more through tomorrow afternoon, so I'm hoping to wake up to a wonderful blanket of snow, a better version of the light snow that made for some wonderful pictures at the Heian Shrine earlier in the week.

The shots on today's post are from that same outing last week, of the Jingu Michi Street bridge over the Kyoto Biwako Canal, which is between our place and the shrine. The bright orange sides of the bridge offered the first thing for Anthony to push snow from once we left our place, and believe me, for a five-year-old boy, pushing snow off things is the pinnacle of fun.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
View from the Bridge
(winter)

The water level in the canal is about six feet lower than normal, due to construction and repair elsewhere along its length, so it's not very pretty. At least there are a few ducks. It's hard to see in the shot above, but the lower water level has exposed a bicycle that, sadly, someone dumped into the canal.

But, the snow helps things look better, perhaps because it helps make it look like cherry-blossom season. Here's a shot from Easter evening, last April:

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — 20 sec, f/22, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
View from the Bridge
(spring)

That was from a group of evening long-exposure cherry-blossom shots. A different group of night exposures leads with a photo looking at the same section of canal, but from the opposite end, toward the bridge. The same goes for this post, and probably a bunch more that I don't recall at the moment. It can be a photogenic area.

Anyway, back to this week and the snow....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos

I'm not sure what Anthony was thinking when I took the shot above, but I love the pensive look on his face.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 28 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sorta' Bland

The shot above seems remarkably bland to me, but I include it here to show how the metal post cover is part of the bridge, to offer some context for it in the show below, which I think is a little less bland.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — ¹/350 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Less Bland

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Artsy Fartsy Reverse Angle

Finally moving along with Anthony toward the shrine, I got a shot back toward the bridge. The scene beyond the bridge in the other direction is not very good, including a gas station and other random urban blight, so I thought it best to leave it out of focus.