A Silent Evening in Kyoto Under the Cherry Blossoms The beautiful white cherry blossoms were in full bloom and their gentle petals would fall down like snow, collecting on the ground.To get here to Kyoto, I took the bus from Osaka — and this was not the most simple thing in the world. I’m used to traveling in strange places and getting around confusing transport systems, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy! The Japanese transportation system is particularly perplexing. The train system is the easiest to figure out. The bus system is second. The subway is last — dead last.Many of these places I end up have no one that speaks English, so there’s a bit of guesswork involved. After I’m on a bus for 5-10 minutes, I start to have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps I am on the wrong one! With no one to ask or no one to call, it’s a bit more uncertain than I prefer it!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Lamps and the Sakura Sakura is the Japanese word for the Cherry Blossom.  I don't know if I can explain how crazy the Japanese people are about this yearly bloom!  For one thing, every local newscast has a big "Cherry Blossom" report that has in-depth descriptions of exactly where the trees are blooming in the country and upcoming predictions.  The wave sweeps across the island of Japan and rich graphics cover the screen like a cold front, assaulting the countryside.I took this photo with the Nikon D3S.  I've recently taken to carrying two cameras with me.  I take the Nikon D3X with me, and it's usually attached to the tripod.  This is the one that I use for 90% of my landscapes.  While I carry that, slung around my neck and shoulder, Chewbacca-style, is the Nikon D3S, which I use for people shots, DOF shots, and videos.This was taken at F/1.4 with a 50mm prime lens.  The shutter was 1/8000 and the ISO 200.  As always, this "EXIF" information is available on the SmugMug site if you click through and do a tiny bit of investigative clicking!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Under the Cherry Blossoms I spent a while one evening in the older Gion district of Kyoto.  Everything was in full bloom and there were all kinds of interesting people and things to see.  It was a bit like a perfect little Japanese fairy-land.  When the breeze came along, the blossoms would fall loose and flutter down like pink soft snow.  I saw this couple sitting on a small stone wall beside a little stream under some cherry trees…I did my best to blend into the background as I slyly slid inwards with my D3S.  This was shot at ISO 3200, and you can see how little noise/grain there is in the exposure.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Endless Tunnel There is a long walk in Kyoto called "The Philosophers' Path".  I've now walked on it five times.  It's incredibly peaceful and there are countless opportunities for photography.  The path has everything from gentle streams to temples to cherry blossoms to interesting architecture.  Near one of the temples, I found this series of arches, which seemed to be all lined up for something just like this!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A Parting Shot of the Temple Sometimes while on a little afternoon / evening / night photo adventure, I literally run out of energy at the end.  This is bad news!  I put so much effort into running around, getting all the shots, carrying around all my equipment, fully concentrating, and the like...  at the end, it's all I can do to get back to home base.  However, this night, as I was leaving this beautiful complex of temples in Kyoto, I stopped to take one look behind me.I had first passed this place in the afternoon when there was no rain.  During my shoot, rain fell and changed everything.  Of course, the lights were totally different, so I just had to muster up a little more energy for a final shot.  For these sorts, I usually put my tripod on its lowest-leg setting and fire away for maximum reflectivity.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Finding Dinner in the Alleys of Kyoto After exploring an area (and era!) of ancient temples in Kyoto, I was absolutely starving.  I tend to get in a "shooting mode" where I do not undertake basic human necessities like eating, sleeping, and making regular bathroom breaks.  In fact, Nikon makes this great set of diapers you should try.  They're Japanese so there are little buttons that dispose of everything and leave you fresh as a daisy.  Anyway, after shooting, I headed down into the old part of Kyoto to find a traditional Japanese dinner.  I sat there for a long time, enjoying myself thoroughly.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Golden Pavilion (or Kinkaku-ji for my new Japanese friends)This is one of the most famous temples in Kyoto, so of course I had to go.  It's sort of like going to the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Rudy's BBQ in Austin.It was originally built back in 1397 and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.  The building itself is as meticulous as the gardens around it.  The Japanese really know how to tend a garden!  There was a fleet of workers all over the grounds, sweeping up and rearranging little bits here and there.  It was all very quaint and wonderful.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Treetop Temple Protects Kyoto I'm just finishing up almost two weeks in Japan, and it has been an amazing trip! Usually I try not to start posting shots until the trip is at its close, and this is the first.While there, I spent time all over the country. I got a rail pass and just jumped on the bullet train to take me from one remote spot to another. I ended up with a few days in Tokyo to do my best to capture the city. I'll be posting photos from the trip throughout the next few weeks, months, and years, as usual. I hope this is a new line of photographs that will be interesting to you.Photographed here is the Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto. The city is known for its traditional Japanese architecture, slower-paced life, natural beauty, graceful geishas, and zen peacefulness. I probably could have stayed in Kyoto capturing scenes the entire trip. I remained here until the sky turned black, and then I headed back down some winding streets to find an old small restaurant where the food was mysterious and every course was served with a gentle bow.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Exploring Kyoto at Night I think I could stay in Kyoto for a few years and go out taking photos every day and night! What a picturesque place… I feel like someone designed it a thousand years ago just for HDR! Now, I think this is a pretty darned good example of HDR. When you are there, you do see all these colors and light levels. Absolutely! Thank goodness for the sweet lady HDR and all her little tricks.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

A Silent Evening in Kyoto Under the Cherry Blossoms


The beautiful white cherry blossoms were in full bloom and their gentle petals would fall down like snow, collecting on the ground.

To get here to Kyoto, I took the bus from Osaka — and this was not the most simple thing in the world. I’m used to traveling in strange places and getting around confusing transport systems, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy! The Japanese transportation system is particularly perplexing. The train system is the easiest to figure out. The bus system is second. The subway is last — dead last.

Many of these places I end up have no one that speaks English, so there’s a bit of guesswork involved. After I’m on a bus for 5-10 minutes, I start to have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps I am on the wrong one! With no one to ask or no one to call, it’s a bit more uncertain than I prefer it!

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog." href="javascript:openLB(911613204,'',XLarge,'',1024,728);">A Silent Evening in Kyoto Under the Cherry Blossoms The beautiful white cherry blossoms were in full bloom and their gentle petals would fall down like snow, collecting on the ground.To get here to Kyoto, I took the bus from Osaka — and this was not the most simple thing in the world. I’m used to traveling in strange places and getting around confusing transport systems, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy! The Japanese transportation system is particularly perplexing. The train system is the easiest to figure out. The bus system is second. The subway is last — dead last.Many of these places I end up have no one that speaks English, so there’s a bit of guesswork involved. After I’m on a bus for 5-10 minutes, I start to have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps I am on the wrong one! With no one to ask or no one to call, it’s a bit more uncertain than I prefer it!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

A Silent Evening in Kyoto Under the Cherry Blossoms


The beautiful white cherry blossoms were in full bloom and their gentle petals would fall down like snow, collecting on the ground.

To get here to Kyoto, I took the bus from Osaka — and this was not the most simple thing in the world. I’m used to traveling in strange places and getting around confusing transport systems, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy! The Japanese transportation system is particularly perplexing. The train system is the easiest to figure out. The bus system is second. The subway is last — dead last.

Many of these places I end up have no one that speaks English, so there’s a bit of guesswork involved. After I’m on a bus for 5-10 minutes, I start to have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps I am on the wrong one! With no one to ask or no one to call, it’s a bit more uncertain than I prefer it!

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.