Nikon D700 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/250 sec, f/1.6, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Here, Let Me Hold That For You

今日は僕の第三回目の比叡山の山登りハイキングをしました。登るのはやっぱり去年より早い（二時間半じゃ無くて、一時間半）。 以前はバスで帰ったけれども、今回は足で、往復で28½キロ出来ました。嬉しい。ジムのおかげさまで。

Today I did my third annual Mt. Hiei climb. The climb in 2012 is what got me started on the road to getting fit. Then it took me 2h 6m to make the climb and I was completely wiped out. Last year it actually took longer (2h 24m) because I was stopping so much for photography, but I felt much better in doing it than the extra time could explain.

This year it took 1h 36m and I felt just fine when I got to the top, so much so that I didn't stop to rest, and moved on farther to see some temples a kilometer or so down the other side of the mountain. So good did I feel, in fact, that I walked back home as well. Total hike was 28½km (17.7 mile).

It's on the way back that I noticed this sign being claimed by the tree. I think it's a “put out your campfires” sign, but I'm not sure.

Nikon D700 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/250 sec, f/2.2, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos

I passed it on the way up all three times, but likely didn't notice it because my head buried into the trail immediately in front of me. Also related is that it was next to one of the trail signs that governed a fork in the trail that didn't matter on the way up, but made a big difference on the way down. The sign was of no help so I just picked one of the paths, and as my GPS tracklog eventually showed, it turns out to have been different from the one I'd taken up, so that explains why for half an hour I had the “none of this looks familiar” feeling.

But as per the unhelpful sign, it did eventually wind up at the proper spot and I can confirm that I did get home alive.

Continued here...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35mm — ¹/2500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Steak on Fire
at Himorogi, in the Brighton Hotel
Kyoto Japan
京都ブライトンホテルの鉄板焼

We had a nice family lunch at the Kyoto Brighton Hotel's teppanyaki grill “Himorogi” (燔). With a teppanyaki meal, the chef prepares it on a grill in front of you.

This kind of meal at a Japanese Restaurant in The States often involves a big theatrical performance of spinning knives, flipping shrimp, and corny jokes, but that's an invention purely for the foreign market, and there's absolutely none of that in Japan as far as I know. Rather, real teppanyaki involves quiet, reserved, and exceedingly precise preparation with the main emphasis on quality.

Though it's not “theatrical”, it is a performance, one of perfection in movement and preparation. No movement is superfluous, every cut is precise and perfect. The chef doesn't speak except to explain something such as which sauce is what, or when spoken to.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 160 — map & image data — nearby photos
Appetizer
scallops and veggies prior to cooking

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Work in Progress

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Now with Sauce

I'm a big guy and like to eat, so this tiny appetizer scared me a bit that this would be one of those places where you got food that was good but not enough. My worries turned out to be misfounded.

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Veggies
precisely cut and returned to the plate to await cooking
( the pile of garlic chips was out of place on the otherwise unworldly-clean grill )

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Placement
neat and precise

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/400 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Stirfry
without the “stir”

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Touch of Spice

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Presentation
and the grill has already been returned to a pristine state for the next course

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tempura

Tempura is veggies and/or fish deep-fried in a light batter, so I wasn't expecting it in a grilled setting, but they did it. The chef dipped each item into the batter (which seemed a bit thicker than normal) and placed it within a large circle of ever-hottening oil.

The circle of oil would gradually expand as heat reduces its viscosity, but the chef's quick spatulas kept it pooled around the items being cooked...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Re-Pooling the Oil

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dripping Hot Oil
to cook the top

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Crunchy Results

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Quick Sear
this fish went from raw to fully cooked in about five seconds

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Main Dish
I could eat the whole thing, but this was for five

Preparation of the steak was somewhat involved. First the bottom and the edges were seared on the grill, then they were placed on a grill for a while...

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Grill?
or just a mesh to hold away from the heat until ready for the next step?

Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — ¹/320 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Next Step
seemed conventional enough

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 29mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Steaming?

Then came the one moment in the entire meal that could be considered “show”...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35mm — ¹/2500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos

It's just a brief flash of fire so I don't suppose it has any practical purpose, but it offers an “oh!” moment. It's not quite the same as the flaming ramen that I once wrote about, but seemed to match the setting well enough.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Immediate Cleanup

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Precise Movement

When you ordered you could choose between two different cuts of meat; the steaks seen above were for those who had ordered one type. The other type was then prepared, but in a different way, as the “oh!” moment for this cut came while the meat was on the little mesh.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 35mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Aftermath

The meat was served on a plate with a square indentation in the bottom, on top of a thin slice of bread place into the square. You can sort of see it in the shot above. We were told not to eat the bread.

When we were done with the meat, the chef took the bread, now flavored with juices from the meat, and grilled it, then added some grilled sprouts and tarter sauce...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 66mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Making a Mini Sandwich

The bread was folded over the sprouts into thirds, making a tasty little pocket of yummy.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yakimeshi
Japanese white rice grilled with garlic and spices
it was fantastically good

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 27mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos

While digesting after the meal, I finally thought to take a picture of the name of the restaurant. Based on the writing on the coaster, I thought the name was “火番”, but it turns out to be the rare character “燔”, which I look up to find means “burn”. That seems appropriate for a grill.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 29mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dessert

It was a great meal and great experience, a reasonable value for $70. Dinners are much more pricey, starting at $120 and going to $300. Drinks not included, of course.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Cafe with a View
Wedding-Venue Rokusisui (六絲水), Kyoto Japan

Photos in yesterday's “Heian Shrine Gate From a New Perspective” were taken during an open house at a new wedding-venue business. The fifth-floor terrace from where I took those photos is off a small cafe where wedding guests can wait for the events to begin.

The cafe was richly lit with shade streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up two walls, but it was much darker than the outside, so the wide dynamic range (wide range between shadows and brights) made for a fun challenge.

To create the photo above, I overexposed for the outside and then “slightly” adjusted things in Lightroom (where in this case “sightly” means “a lot”. The result above is actually not too bad, I think. At least it doesn't have too much of an HDR fakeish smell despite the rather extreme adjustments made in Lightroom.

For reference, here's the original pre-“slightly” photo that the above was derived from:

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Slightly Overexposed for the Outside
original

As you can see, quite of bit of detail and richness can be extracted from the shadows. Much of that ability derives from shooting raw instead of JPEG. (In the past I've posted some pretty amazing examples of data recovery: here, here, and here)

I also tried exposing for the dark inside, which I knew would turn the outside into a blinding wash of white:

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Different Shot, Exposed for the Inside
original

The blinding nature of the outside can make for an artsy kind of view, and with a little work this could be made a nice shot. But a “natural” view couldn't be created from it the way it was created from the initial shot because blown highlights like this are simply gone and can't be recovered. Here's the best I could come up with:

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Not Worth The Effort
best try at “fixing” the “Exposed for the Inside” shot

The first shot of the cafe shown above used an exposure that was slightly overexposed for the outside... the overexposure allowed the dark inside to record a few extra photons, but at the same time the slightness of that overexposure kept it from blowing out the outside view, so detail could be recovered. This brings to mind two old posts about exposure recoverability:

• Overexposure and Underexposure, and the Compensation Thereof
• Why I Shoot Raw: Recovering From Disasters

The lessons from both are twofold: 1) you can recover more from too-dark shadows than from too-bright highlights, and 2) shoot raw rather than jpeg.

As one more set of data points, here's a photo with proper exposure for the outside, and its “natural” version after adjustments in Lightroom...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Properly Exposed for the Outside
the outside is fine, but the inside is way too dark

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/2000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Properly Exposed for the Outside
adjusted, but a bit too HDRish for my tastes

Finally, it's interesting to compare these various views (as hastily and unprofessionally made as they are) with a CGI version created by the business last summer.

(A CGI image used to be here, but they eventually replaced their image with a real photo.)

I think it's nicely done. They made it long before the new building actually existed, so the inside is all computer generated. I saw blueprints for the new building early last year so I know they had an idea of how it would look, but it's amazing to me how much detail of the interior was planned ahead and entered into a computer with enough precision to generate a reasonably-accurate representation of what the view would eventually look like. I suppose it's standard for the industry, but as an outsider who knows nothing about the industry, I guess I'm just amazed.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/8, ISO 110 — map & image data — nearby photos
Torii Gate of the Heian Shrine
with the Mt. Yoshida hill visible just underneath
Kyoto Japan
平安神宮の鳥居と吉田山

The shot above is from quite the different vantage point from normal. I've posted many views of the main gate of the Heian Shrine on my blog over the years, such as this shot more than eight years ago. My blog's proximity search of the area reveals many more.

After living here so long it's a challenge to find something fresh, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a new vantage point the other day when a new business opened up after a long year of building demolition and then new construction.

The new business, wedding venue Rokusisui (六絲水), held an open house for local folks. The photo above is from the 5th floor terrace that normally will be open only to the wedding party and their guests, so I was happy to have the opportunity to see it.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 105mm — ¹/250 sec, f/8, ISO 110 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heian Shrine
the building at left can be seen better here

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wider View
with the National Museum of Modern Art at left, and the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art at right

The peak in far background to right of center is Mt Hiei, which I plan to hike up to next week as a repeat of last year's hike. The mountain on the far right is Mt. Daimonji, which I last hiked four years ago.

Continued here...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130mm — ¹/800 sec, f/3.2, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just Browsing
kendo master inspects a bamboo competition sword

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110mm — ¹/500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
What He Was Checking Out
prices range from about $100 to $170

This post continues from yesterday's “My First Look at Kendo: Masters Tournament in Kyoto” post, which introduced the kendo (“Japanese fencing”) event I attended the other day.

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 155mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Abrupt Burst
( for some reason this reminds me of “Hover Cat” )

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 120mm — ¹/15 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Preparation

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 155mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
En Garde
( they don't actually say that )

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160mm — ¹/200 sec, f/3.2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Touching Gloves
( so to speak )

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/1.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Third in Line

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/60 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Embroidery
names are embroidered in beautiful fonts on everything

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pre-Match Jitters
I wonder whether he still gets them

These people (mostly men, but there were a few women) were 7^th-dan masters (the max is 8), meaning that they've been doing this for at least 23 years. I wonder whether they get nervous before a bout.

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Decisive Moment
or so it seems, but since I don't really know the sport, maybe not

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
I Got a Lot of Shots Like This
due to where I could find to photograph

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/3.2, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nice Venue
Kyubutokuden Hall (旧武徳殿), dating from 1899

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 82mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos

Desktop-Background Versions
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With patience I eventually worked myself into a position that I thought would give great shots, right at the center line where the bonsai tree was directly in the line of sight inside the Japanese flag. But the lighting was ridiculous making the white background of the flag look pink. I “fixed” it in some shots with some heavy-handed post processing, just as I “fixed” the visual clutter of the name signs in the background on some of the shots. Artistic License.

Here's an unfixed view:

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 86mm — ¹/200 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Artsy View”

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Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Keeping One's Eye on the Ball
( so to speak, again )

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Black Sheep
the one non-dark uniform I noticed

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Luke, I am Your Father”
( sorry )

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

I eventually left the main building and wandered around outside a bit, only to find a bigger gymnasium-like building next door being used as a practice/staging area...

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

This shot is a great little vignette into Japanese culture. Shoes fill the entryway because street shoes are not worn inside a gym (gym-only shoes might be brought in for sports that require them), but they've set up a raised walkway between the two buildings to allow participants to move between them without shoes.

Inside the gym, many folks were practicing...

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

Back outside at the sales stalls, we have some protective gear on display.` As I mentioned yesterday, this vendor's prices range from $700 a set to $10,000 a set.

Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — ¹/3200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

Kids forced to tag along have other things on their mind...

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