A few hours in Nara last spring.

Todai-ji, largest wooden building in the world.

Last spring I spent a few hours in Nara, the capital of Japan over 1300 years ago and the home to many priceless temples and shrines.  On this visit, I took a stroll through Deer Park and it’s adjacent temple, the Todai-Ji.  This temple is a World Heritage Site and offers an opportunity to view the Daibutsu housed inside.  This Buddha was cast over 1300 hundred years ago although some parts were recast due to damage several hundred years ago.  However, having been here several times, I was more interested in capturing images of people and deer.

By the way, if you visit Deer Park, be very careful as they have been known to attack people on occasion.  And they can be agressive if you offer them food.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and Nikon D300s with Nikkor 70-200mm VRII zoom lens.

 

Don't get too close.

 

 

 

Deer food.

 

 

Sip of water.

 

 

Children with packs.

 

 

Taking a break.

 

Random scenes of trains in Japan.

Shinkansen train at Shinagawa Station.

One thing about Japan, there are plenty of trains to look at.  From quaint narrow gauge systems that take you up into the mountains to the very latest “Bullet Trains”, one is never bored looking at and shooting trains.  And people that are naturally found around train stations.  These photos were taken earlier this year and are good examples of addressing perspective.  By virtue of their length and narrow footprint, trains naturally draw your attention to the subject of your photos.  When shooting trains, quickly figure out the subject of the shot and use the train’s vanishing point to focus attention on the subject.  Of course, the same goes for any scene with strong bold lines.

All photos were shot with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24mm f/1.4 lens or Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Osaka train station with waiting woman.

Works with bold lines.

Trains, lines, columns and rafters.

All aboard.

Down the river in a boat in Kyoto

Visitors to Kyoto and Nara almost always focus their activities to visiting temples, shrines and castles.  Of course, that’s why people visit these beautiful locations and there’s nothing wrong with that.  For something just a little different, consider taking a two hour drift boat down the Hozukawa River.   The starting point is near the Kameoka City JR Station, which is about 20 minutes by train from the Kyoto Station.  And the dock is a five or ten minute walk from the station.  There are prominent signs leading the way from the station.  And if you’re lost, the information center at the station will point the way.

The river drift is mostly placid with a few sections of rapids and very small elevation changes.  It is not a dangerous drift.  Each boat has two crewmen.  One mans the oar to steer the boat while the other mans the pole to keep the boat from colliding with the rocks in the river.

The boat trip ends near the Arashiyama District of Kyoto where’s there’s plenty to do including a visit to the magnificent Tenryu-ji Temple.

All photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.  [Note: recommend that you use a polarizing filter on the river as the glare is prominent.  I didn’t.]

Dockside view.

Down the river.

Fast section.

Train stopped to look at us.

Vendor on the river.

Trip ends at Arashiyama.

Maiko in Kyoto – Geisha in training

Created a near riot.

A Maiko is an apprentice Geisha, who undergoes five years of training in the arts before they are considered Geisha.  Geishas are still seen with frequency walking the small streets of Kyoto to their next performance.  Usually you can tell the difference between Maiko and Geisha by the younger age of the Maiko and the size of their obi.  There are other differences that are explained in detail here.

On this day, these three Maiko came strolling into the Heian Shrine.  They were inundated by tourists armed with DSLR’s, P&S’s and camera phones.  It was quite a commotion.  They simply maintained their composure, posed for a few photos and kept on walking.

Photos taken with a Nikon D300s and AFS Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII zoom lens.

Large obi typical of Maiko

Still posing.

Composure.

Head shot.

Pointing the way.

Cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan

Philosopher's Walk in Kyoto

Over most of Japan, for a period of two weeks at the end of March and April, cherry blossoms spring to life and bring a splash of color that is a sign that spring has arrived and winter will soon be left behind.  The blossoms don’t come out all at once.  Instead it depends on the variety and the weather conditions.  This year the blossoms arrived just a bit early and luckily were still in bloom for the week I was in Kyoto.  Some of the trees had started to lose their flowers while other had just opened.  How you shot them of course is up to you.  It makes for a grand image to capture a landscape although closeups are also spectacular.

Photos were shot with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AFS 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens and a D300s and  Nikkor AFS 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII zoom lens.

Strolling along a river.

Wide open at f/2.8 with bokeh.

Not quite open.

White blossoms in background.

At Golden Pavilion.