Sunday, January 27, 2013

Obuse Wood

Hello,

My wife's grandparents are from Obuse so whenever we go there it has a gentle feeling to the trip.  I have been a couple of times and had a wonderful times each time.  I am always at a loss for words for the beauty that is all around me there.  The whole area has so many different feels, ages , and tastes it would take a whole website just to explain it.

I saw this log sitting all by it's self next to a huge pile of other lumber, most likely for firework in winter.  I think about what make those holes in it, was it a person with a drill bit, a large worm, or did it grow that way.  The texture from the saw-blade cut works wonders with the grain of the wood.  I enjoy the green hedge and the background lumber that ties it all together.

Thank you very much for reading.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Arch with Snow

Hello,

I think that now it is time for a little bit of an abstract picture today.  First, a little bit about the scene.  It was snowing and almost to the point that it was a blizzard.  I was running errands around the Nagano Station and taking a few picture here and there.  As I was going up to walk across to the other side of the station I saw this at the top.

The arch normally it's anything to write home about but today it looked great. The afternoon light was at just the right angle and then was defused by the falling snow.  Speaking of the white snow, it was nicely gathered around all the little traps here and there.  It looks to me that the area was cleaned not that long ago as well so everything was bright, shining, and cheerful.

Thank you very much for reading.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Frozen River

Hello,

About a month ago I was reading a magazine about different photography techniques to try during the winter.  One of those was to freeze different things inside of ice and then take photos of the block, mostly with a light behind it.  I was tempted to try it but then thought that it was cold enough as it was so moved on.  As I passed this little drainage river I saw this ice that looked just like one of the examples from the magazine.

The contrasting shades of white give it a three dimensional look even though it is flat.  I think that as the cold winter night air freeze the water at night it fights against the draining ground.  It looks abstract in design but it is actually very natural and organic.  Dark leaves help to make the white pop out as well.  Best of all I didn't have to do anything other then take the photo.

Thank you very much for reading.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Roadside Flower

Hello,

I had an interesting thought today as I was walking around.  To some it up nicely is that I notice most people don't actually notice the world around them.  I always see people walking around with earphones on listening to something, in a loud car barely watching in front, or playing a handheld game.  I think that they are missing so much of the world around them and I thought of this picture of this flower right away.

Next to a busy street with cars passing at all times day and night was this flower.  I had watched a bunch of schoolkids run past it without even a glance in it's direction.  I stood next to it and saw how this beautiful flower was growing out of the asphalt to reach the sunlight like it's yellow center.  I took the picture and wondered if the flower knew how much I loved how hard it was working.

Thank you for reading.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wet Stump with Leaves

Hello,

This stump is on one of the ways that I go to the post office, it is actually underneath some bushes in someone yard.  I had sometimes stopped and looked at it but never thought it looked just right to take a photo.  Then one day after a little bit of rain I passed by again and saw the leaves next to it and knew that is what was missing all along.

Before it was just a rotting stump in the grey ground but now it was a living stump in rich dark ground.  The leaves with the greens and reds add a great dash of color when before it was only gray all around.  The little bit of rain added a wonderful life to the whole scene that wasn't there before on the dry ground.  Even the weeds, moss, and other living plants look to be happier now.

Thank you very much for reading.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Burst of Yellow

Hello,

I love this picture.  The big bright burst of yellow that shows through everything else catches the eye right away.  The long, thin, skinny petals seem to stretch out from the center and welcome the sun's rays.  The small white dots on those petals tell a story of difference.  The curled stamen give it a slightly different fell then most straight ones. The dark centers draw you in farther into the picture to enjoy it even more.

Thank you very much for reading.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Local Mountain

Hello,

Life for me in Japan is not that much different then when I was in the USA except for a car.  Owning a car in Japan is very expensive and to me more trouble then it's worth.  In USA I have had a car for about ten years and I used it to get everywhere, living in LA will teach you that.  To be honest though I don't miss it at all and I enjoy the saving also that I rediscovered my joy for walking.

This is one of the mountains that are in my area that I saw one day walking.  It was during the fall so you can see all the red and yellow turning leaves.  The light on the one mountain showcases the distance and difference in the different heights.  The cloud formations with different shades of white and gray gives nice depth and texture.  Even the cellular tower in the distance make the picture complete to me.

Thank you very much for reading.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Dried Persimmon

Hello,

I was originally unhappy with this picture as a whole.  The foreground branches I thought did nothing but get in the way of the dried persimmon no matter where I positioned myself.  The background I thought wasn't blurred enough to where you couldn't see any details.  Then the persimmon is in focus but it wasn't correctly framed to the rest of the picture.

Finally my wife looked at it and said she loved it because it was very wabi-sabi.  So I looked at it again and fell in love not for the technique but for the scene.  The branches were all in the way because that is the scene and the way they looked even to me.  The background told you it was fall with the green pine needles.  The dried persimmon is correct when you add in the rest of the picture and take it as a whole and not one rule at a time.

Thank you very much for reading.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Sitting Daikon

Hello,

I thought that today I should do another picture that is a little bit different.  My local supermarket has a great section that is only for local produce and products.  It is somewhat large and has wonderful quality also it is right in the front of the store so you can't miss it.  I always have to look through it all and pick up anything that looks very fresh or cheap.

One day as I was looking through that section I came across this daikon.  You can find some very interesting pictures like this online but I saw this in person and to me it looks like it is sitting down waiting.  The way the stems are cut looks to be almost like a cool haircut and combed back.  They whole scene is fitting with all the other vegetables on either side.

Thank you very much for reading.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Singing Bird

Hello,

The different seasons always brings out different animals and wildlife.  In Japan you can always hear the song of summer from the cicadas and the rain during rainy season.  After rainy season but before the heat of summer and the cicada is the time for the mountain pigeons.  They can be heard all over even if you don't live near a mountain and are normally flying together in pairs.

I heard this one long before I saw it because it had yet to find a partner and singing his heart out.  He was up a large tree through all the green needles on the look out for a bird to call his own.  I love his striking feathers and that piercing red eye that was watching me.  Most of all though is the texture of the brown bark on the pine tree in the background.

Thank you very much for reading.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Snow Steps

Hello,

Trust me when I say that I know that not everyone wants to see snow right now.  Where I live we have had four days of snow in a row.  Everyday I go out and shovel snow in front of my house so that it doesn't get to high, one day I had to do that twice.  Also at the same time I shovel some of my neighbor's fronts as well, they are elderly and I don't want to have anything happen to them.  They are so nice to me I feel I have to plus I am outside dressed for cold anyway.

These fresh white snow steps were so wonderful to take the picture of.  All the night before it was slowly snowing and it had covered everything with the white coat.  I saw how great the clouds did their jobs so I thought I would take a few photos.  This one picture stood out from the rest mostly because it was almost abstract. 

Thank you very much for reading.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Night Snow


Hello,

This picture is one of the most interesting firsts for me with a camera.  I had been getting used to my Nikon and was looking for different techniques to try when I read about long shutter times.  Literally as I was reading the article it started to snow and I thought I should try it.  Of course handheld didn't work to well so I went out to the middle of my yard and put my camera on the ground.

This did the trick and I was happy with the results.  It's great that I have a shallow depth of field with a long shutter and because of that I have a little bit of bokeh. The straw grass is a wonderful contrast to the fresh white snow.  The fence in the background gives it a little bit depth but not in the way.

Thank you very much for reading.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Something Different Shed

Hello,

I wanted to show a different type of picture today.  Mainly because I know I love to take pictures of flowers and nature but I take other photos as well but they don't come out most of the time.  I passed by this shed four times a day for a month and always thought it was interesting.  It wasn't my "Style" though so I didn't take it for a long time until I said one day "Screw it" and took the picture without a second thought after.

The wonderful rust is all I saw those days walking past it.  Then after I show the picture on the computer I noticed more and more of the different items in the frame.  Shredded white paper on the shoji screen in the shed.  Yes the rust but also the wear and aging on the wheelbarrow and the A-frames next to it.  I see inside the shed a little bit and imagine all the old wondrous items inside as well just waiting.

Thank you very much for reading.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Plum on Trunk

Hello,

Nature never ceases to amaze me almost daily with something unusual.  I happened on this plum during the summer heat and knew I had to take a photo of it.  It may be difficult to see but the plum is growing not from a limb or branch but from the trunk of the tree.  It looks to me that maybe an old scar or cut was the starting point for this very health plum.

I think that after the amazement of the plum itself wears off what I love about this picture most of all is the different textures.  The green leafs have a very nice smooth texture that reflects the light nicely.  The bark has both a rough texture but also a dirty one from the dirt and grime in the dark part.  Then the plum has that velvet like and feel to it that all plums do.

Thank you very much for reading.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Iced Persimmon

Hello,

In high school I still remember then I would climb up a big persimmon tree to pick the fruit.  It was in the backyard of one of my friend's Grandfather's house and we would go there to work on his car.  He was afraid of heights so I was to only one that would climb up and toss them down to him.  It turned into a game at one point because he couldn't see me but I could see him and I would throw them to him though the limbs and leaves.

This great picture of a persimmon fruit reminded me of those times.  I would pick hundreds from that tree all the same orange color as this one and my Mom would make bread.  The limbs with the bark I had touched so many times I still remember as being so strong under my weight.  Only difference is the clear ice and white snow that hangs from it.

Thank you very much for reading.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Ice on Leaf

Hello,

If I had one piece of advice about taking pictures is that you have to look all around you.  Some people only look up, some only look straight ahead, and others only look down.  I like to look down most of the time but I also look sideways, up poles, down drains, under stones, and climb into trees.  You may have walked down the same street all you life but if you run down it you see it in a different light.

That is how I found this leaf.  It was under a tree in it's shadow behind some trash cans but I saw the leafs and ice.  This straw yellow leaf was blown from the rest and was all by it's self.  The multicolored gravel was only under this tree as the rest of the area was dark soil.  Finally the ice had melted on all the other leafs because they were under the sun but this was in the shade.

Thank you very much for reading.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Fall Leaves

Hello,

Where I live you can see mountains where all sides, some of them are tall and some small.  With them in all sides I can clearly see the changing of the seasons.  The green leaves with pink and white blossoms in spring.  The deep green of summer that seems to draw the bugs into it.  The patterns of falling leaves in fall with the yellows and oranges. Then the gray with white tops of snow of winter.

This picture was taking during that wonderful falling leaves time.  The large stones behind are doing a great job of blocking your view but still adding beauty.  The tree with it's twisted and old body tells me of the years.  I love that there are red leaves on the tree branches but yellow leaves on the ground.  Like many of my photos this one was taken on the street not in the deep forest.  I am standing next to a large street that many cars use daily when I took this picture.

Thank you very much for reading.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Praying Mantis

Hello,

When I moved into my house I had to work on the garden a little bit because it was a little bit overgrown and continuing to do so daily.  As I was pruning the outside hedge I found a praying mantis egg case and then another one in a small bush near the house.  I was happy that hopefully I wouldn't have to deal with as many insects this summer.I was so happy when I was able to watch one of the cases hatches with hundreds of mini mantis running around and trying to get away.  

I was looking forward to seeing them in the garden all summer long but I never saw a one until this one was at my front door one day.  Literally it was at my front door like it wanted to get in but I couldn't let it in, the wife would kill me then it.  I picked it up and put it onto one of my trees and then took it's photo as it looked happier on my tree then the ground. The next day I saw the fighting mantis from my other post.

Thank you very much for reading.
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Fish Shadow

Hello,

It's interesting to me what I like about a picture but that sometimes it's not why I took the photo in the first place.  It's almost like I have blinders on when I take the photo the first time but when I see the photo again at the end of month someone else took the picture. 

This picture is a perfect example of that.  When I took it I loved the white moss or algae that is floating on the surface of the water.  It sticks to the green and red lotus leafs with the green moss deep in the water.  What I saw after and makes this picture great is the gray shadow of the silver fish on the curled lotus leaf.  The fish is relaxed and eating with a seemingly floating leaf in this scene that missed the first time.

Thank you very much for reading. 

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Steps in Snow

Hello,

I didn't want to show to many cold picture this time of the year because it is cold enough outside everyone doesn't need to see it on the computer as well.  It was pretty cold here today and it has been snowing so this picture seems to show how I feel right about now.

The fresh powder snow that falls even if you don't want it to.  White snow everywhere that seems to come out of no where and pile up thick before you even realize it.  The shadow on the ground to tell you that even if it takes thirty minutes to get dressed you still have chores and other things to do in that snow.  First steps into that cold outside world that are actually fun before it creeps into your body and sucks all your heat.  Maybe today I will stay at home under my warm blanket. 

Thank you very much for reading.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Togakushi Bus Rider

Hello,

One of my favorite places to visit is a Shrine by the name of Okusha in Togakushi near Nagano city.Please click on the links if you want to learn more about it.  It is a wonderfully beautiful place but the literal hike up a rather long mountain is tiring.  Also because I don't have a car in Japan I have to take a bus to get half way up the mountain to the place the trail begins.

On a bus is where this unusual picture was taken, I saw this woman get off the bus and saw something and quickly took a photo.  In an instant she was gone and the bus was moving again but when I previewed the photo I didn't see anything unusual. End of that month I looked again and saw it for the first time with my eyes and not heart.  Her hair, the white sweater, the blue skirt, and finally the black strap all parallel the bus seats in a rule of thirds way.

Thank you very much for reading.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Bee on Yellow Flower

Hello,

This is another photo that I took on my walk around Obuse, Japan. There is some old buildings and most of them have beautiful gardens that you have to see to believe.  Luckily Obuse as a town actually will allow tourists to visit many of these gardens that are a part of the town and are inside of people's houses.  Outside of the entrance to either the gardens or the houses is a panel telling you you can enter and enjoy the space.

This bee was all alone in one of those gardens enjoying this yellow flower to it's fullest.  I almost feels like I could sneeze by just looking at this flower and all that pollen in the center of it.  The bright yellow flower and the delicate striped bee seem to be moving together and in love with working in a symbiotic manner.  The gone background makes you focus on the scene and nothing else.

Thank you very much for reading.




Saturday, January 5, 2013

Red Leafs

Hello,

This picture really tells me that I have to pay more attention to where I live and that I don't have to go far away to get a great picture.  I took this picture about two minutes from my house and on a path that I take about once a week.  I remember that I was even planning on going on a day trip somewhere to get a fresh look because I was bored of the area around my house.

What a fool I was if I had gone on a trip that day and missed this wonderful picture with this bright red leafs.  With the slightly beat up white fence in the background, the gray wall, and dark ground all the different colors stand out and pop.  Finally, the organic leafs and gravel match and play well with the man-made fence and bicycle lines.

Thank you very much for reading.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Salary Man

Hello,

Even though it is late is it the end of the month so that means I download all my photos from the month.  I had a great deal of snow photos this month and a huge amount of bad photos as well.  Some of my photos that I loved taking came out blurry or just plain wrong but I will keep them to remember the story and felling from that time.  This is one of my favorites from this month.

This is a scene that you will see everyday in Japan at lunch time, a salary man entering a shop to eat food.  I went looking for this shop but wasn't sure if it was correct so I wanted to take a photo of the sign.  As I was getting my camera ready a salary man entered the shop and I took the picture at the same time.  It turned a simple, boring photo into an interesting picture with a story.  I am starting to get intrigued by normal life that is so normal no one notices it but there is actually beauty in it.

Thank you so much for reading.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Summer Fun

Hello,

During the summer time all throughout Japan almost every city and area has a summer festival or matsuri.  My local shrine had one so I decided to go because it was the first I had to chance to go to and I thought it would be fun.  I was surprised that so many people were there even though the area was actually quite small.  There was lots of food, a little bit of beer, and as you can see fireworks all for sale.

I don't really drink and I ate before I went so all I had left was the fireworks.  Many of the children were playing with them and you could see all the different colors that each one was using.  I love the way that the only light on her is the intense light of the burning metal.  It gives it a slow glow though that highlights the colors in the cotton kimono.

Thank you very much for reading.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Ginkgo on the Ground

Hello,

I talked about it before but when I was living in Pasadena, Ca I used to have an annual pass to Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens.  I used to love to go there and just enjoy all the plants and paintings that are there all the time. The next time I am in the area I am going to make a point to go and take in the atmosphere there once again.

When I was walking around one day in the Japanese garden I saw this ginkgo leaf on the ground.  I know that it looks like a stock photo but I love it anyway.  The different textures in between the green smooth grass, the rough gravel, round water, and the long leafs are wonderful.  Ginkgo leafs come in many different colors at the time of year I took this picture and I have them all the bright yellow, dark red, and the straw.

Thank you very much for reading.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Frog on Flower

Hello,

I was very surprised when I came across this frog.  Mostly because it was late fall and it was starting to get down toward freezing every night.  Then also because it was about ten feet away from a very busy street that gets a great deal of traffic daily.  I often look at the beautiful flower and plants that grow on this person's bit of land next to the road.

At first I notice the bright flash of color from the flower as it gives it all in the fading heat of summer.  The oranges and reds that combine together in the center and then the green leafs all around it.  This little plain grey frog is then sitting on this colorful flower almost asking to be noticed.  It must have enjoyed the flower and the area because it stayed there for three days before leaving.

Thank you very much for reading