Ektar Bamboo

Bamboo is here and there in Japan along with Ceder and Pine. You will find special walks through bamboo in Arashiyama and Sagano in Western Kyoto but this was taken at a temple in eastern Kyoto. Great temple, Kodai-ji has a lot to offer when visiting the Higashiyama area.

Taken with a Voigtlander Bessa R4M with a 21mm lens and Ektar Film
Bamboo at Temple

Otter Creek Early Fall

I took a nice long drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past fall which is really nice drive at that time of year. I recommend it to anyone for sure. Otter Creek is a creek that follows the parkway flowing south and meets the James River where the parkway is. No one stopped to look at the creek but plenty stopped at the overlooks.

Taken with my Canon 60D at 17mm f22 with a 13 sec shutter speed.IMG_5722

Walking to Okunoin in Koya-san

Stay at a temple in Koya-san was truly a treat. It was really quite and relaxing to do such a thing and highly recommend it for anyone traveling near Osaka. This is a walk that travels up to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi who is the creator of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most revered religious person in the history of Japan. The walk though Japan’s largest gravel yard gets you to the mausoleum and it is a very interesting walk and it made me feel small. the trees are tall and straight, some have cables to keep them up.

Taken with a Voigtlander Bessa R4M on Ektar Film img155 img158

Silver Pavilion in Kyoto

The Silver Pavilion as it is called was at one point supposed to be clad in Silver foil just like the Golden pavilion but never got to it. The Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji, (real name Jisho-ji) was built around 1482 by Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a retirement villa. He modeled it after his grandfathers, Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji), which is why it looks familiar to it and then once he passed it was converted into a temple. the gardens are great and sprawling even up the Higasiyama hills. Great part of the Philosophers walk as the beginning or end. Grab a bike and go!

Taken with Bessa R4M with 21mm Color Skopar and Canon 50mm f1.4 ltm on Ektar Film

It was not covered in Silver but you can see the foil on display near the end of  the walk by the store…

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The gardens are a pleasure to view as you walk through them with water on two sides. I enjoy looking at the trees and two times I have been there and they were up in them pruning them…

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Looking over at the buildings that are not part of the tour but are pretty setting for the gardens indeed…

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Thanks for looking

Shoren-in Temple in Ektar

I brought some Ektar film with my on my trip and decided to do some shooting. This is  nice temple with a great garden. Not to large but you can enjoy the garden from inside the temple and sit and relax. After you can take walk through the gardens and also around behind the gardens. Green all around from the moss and evergreens and maples.

Taken with Voigtlander Bessa R4M with 21mm Color Skopar lens Kodak Ektar

Ryojin no  Ike pond which portrays the back of a dragon bathing in the pond…

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Shin-den is the largest of the buildings with this front area large and full of rich moss…

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Lovely and we made it to catch some of the azaleas bloom…

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thanks for looking today…